NEWS
Betty Buckley Brings Depth to “Hello, Dolly!”
“The world is full of wonderful things!” proclaims Irene Molloy en route to the 14th Street Parade in Act I of Hello, Dolly! And she’s right. The world IS full of wonderful things, and one of those most wonderful things is the exquisite Broadway tour of Hello, Dolly! at TPAC this week!
Hello, Dolly! is truly the quintessential Broadway musical. A classic. A gem. It has everything theater buffs can hope for: comical dialogue (book by Michael Stewart); memorable, toe-tapping, sing-along tunes (music by the great Jerry Herman); gorgeous costumes and scenic design (Santo Loquasto); brilliant, high-energy choreography (Warren Carlyle); top-notch direction (Jerry Zaks); and lots of “pudding” (grand adventures).
Hello, Dolly! is a tremendous feel-good show, and I can’t think of a more perfect, dazzling family-friendly production. It’s my all-time favorite musical for all of the aforementioned reasons. I’ve been waiting nearly a year with bated breath to see this touring production starring Broadway legend Betty Buckley. I was fortunate to see both Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters in the title role during the Broadway revival last year at the glorious Shubert Theatre in New York City (both productions were out-of-this-world phenomenal, by the way). And now, I can proudly say I’ve experienced the Dolly Gallagher Levi trifecta of “B”: Bette, Bernadette and Betty!
These past few months of waiting for Dolly to arrive at TPAC I’ve often wondered if the touring show would feel a lot different than the sitting show on Broadway. Here’s the absolute truth: THIS production of Hello, Dolly! is sheer theatrical ecstasy!
