Review: Betty Buckley spreads joy in ‘Hello, Dolly!’ at Playhouse Square

The national tour of “Hello, Dolly!”, now launching from Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace, is a joyfully sweet, old-fashioned extravaganza.

Leading the production in the title role is Broadway legend Betty Buckley, who brings a brassy alto voice and a delightful verve to Dolly Levi. The matchmaker character has been a star vehicle for stage royalty from Carol Channing and Ethel Merman to Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters.

From the moment Buckley’s Dolly arrived on stage Friday in a horse-drawn streetcar (with two sets of human legs in a horse costume), the opening night crowd went wild. The Playhouse Square audience enjoyed adoring Buckley, and she soaked it up. READ MORE