Hello, Dolly!

Show Description:

Carol Channing, Mary Martin, Barbra Streisand, Pearl Bailey, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Ethel Merman, Betty Grable, Phyllis Diller, Martha Raye, Ginger Rogers. Yes … this is a list of some of the most famous actresses and personalities of recent times. But … it is also a list of the stars who have assumed the role of Dolly Levi on Broadway, London’s West End, and in film. No other Broadway show has come close to attracting, for its lead role, such a dazzling array of fame and talent. This, by itself, speaks volumes about the appeal of Hello, Dolly! which in 1970 became the longest-running musical in Broadway history. And, to boot, the show boasts, in its toe-tapping title song, what for many is the quintessential Broadway show tune. The plot centers on matchmaker Dolly, who has been engaged to find a wife for the wealthy widower and merchant Horace Vandergelder. She “confides” in her late husband of her desire to re-marry and that Horace—that is, his fortune—seems the ideal mate. This sets her off on a series of adventures across New York City and Yonkers, the goals being both to dissuade Horace from marrying the attractive widow Irene Molloy and to encourage his employees Cornelius and Barnaby in their romantic pursuits. Song gems include the spirited chorus “Put on Your Sunday Clothes,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” and Dolly’s less-than-sincere (but temporary) farewell to Horace, “So, Long, Dearie.”