Hello, Dolly! Tour reviews. - Page 2

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 7:54pm

RemlapLBC said: "We are debating putting our subscription seats at the Hollywood Pantages up for sale. Nothing against Betty Buckley, but we made a trip to NYC when Bette returned and that evening was fantastic. Yes, it was the "Bette Show" however, I'm not sure if I want to see the scaled back touring company (sets/props, etc, not actors) less than a year later."

 

I saw the show twice on Broadway: Bernadette Peters on May 30th and Bette Midler on August 18th. Seven weeks after I watched Bette, I saw Betty Buckley on October 5th and 6th. There is nothing scaled back in the touring show that made any difference when compared to the shows I saw on Broadway. I saw “Hello, Dolly!” 4 times in 18 weeks. Am I’m one of the ONLY people on this entire forum that’s seen the touring production TWICE. 

So, if there was THAT much of a difference - sets, props, or whatever - I would have seen it. Yes, there are some very minor differences. But they did not matter. This show, simply put, is an absolute joy to behold. I loved it so much I’m planning to see it twice in Columbus, OH when it comes next May, and already have my ticket reserved for Aug 2019 when it comes to Pittsburgh. 

 

 

Updated On: 10/18/18 at 07:54 PM

[Niles Silvers]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 10:31pm

She was horribly miscast.

[RemlapLBC]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 10:46pm

dmwnc1959 said:  I saw the show twice on Broadway: Bernadette Peters on May 30thand Bette Midler on August 18th. Seven weeks after I watchedBette, I sawBetty Buckley onOctober 5th and 6th. There is nothing scaled back in the touring show that made any differencewhen comparedto the shows I saw on Broadway.I saw “Hello, Dolly!”4 times in 18 weeks. Am I’m one of the ONLY people onthis entire forum that’s seen the touring productionTWICE.

So,if there was THAT much of a difference -sets, props, or whatever -I would have seen it. Yes, there are some very minor differences. But they did not matter. This show, simply put, is an absolutejoy to behold. I loved it so much I’m planning to see it twice in Columbus, OH when it comes next May, and already have my ticket reserved for Aug 2019 when it comes to Pittsburgh."

Thanks @dmwnc1959.  Good to know.  I guess we're going back to Yonkers.   However, CATS tickets are still toast and being listed on TM the day the public onsale starts.  (Unless someone on here wants some inexpensive side orchestra tickets.)

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 10/18/18 at 11:07pm

EthelMae said: "As I’ve posted ad nauseum here, I saw Miss Buckley in Utica. She was wonderful. I’ve seen the show numerous times but this was the first time I saw the show sitting next to a widow. My friend lost her husband several years ago and when the first act curtain fell, my friend was in tears. Kinda proving the point that Dolly is so much more than a musical comedy. Miss Buckley was very moving in that last speech before Parade. And the woman critic in Cleveland landed it by saying (paraphrase) that it was poignant watching a 71-year old who moved and acted like a 71-year old still reaching out to life."

This reminds me of a production of Funny Girl I had  seen at a theatre I was going to perform in after their run.  We got comped tickets and some of the Funny Girl cast was going to be in my show.  I wasn't terribly taken with the production and Fanny  had no comic timing.  when I mentioned this, the other people said, well, maybe, but her dramatic scenes were wonderful!  And I couldn't help but think,    it's FUNNY girl.

Hello Dolly is a musical Comedy.

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 10/19/18 at 6:21am

Niles Silvers said: "She was horribly miscast."

BuddyStarr said: "This reminds me of a production of Funny Girl..."

 

But when YOU saw this show with Betty Buckley in it, whether it was in Utica or Cleveland, did YOU enjoy the show? As YOU were sitting there at the performances in Utica or Cleveland, what is it in Betty Buckley’s performance that YOU witnessed that she could improve on? Or are you just spouting personal “opinions” based off of some critic’s review? 

I’ve also seen the movie recently, after seeing the show as previously mentioned, and didn’t think Streisand was all that funny. Sarcastic, yes. But not soooo funny that I’ll call her role in the show comedic. 

All of the naysayers who are slamming the show and haven’t seen it will be projecting that negativity into a self-fullfillng prophecy when you do eventually see it. When is that? Next year? Which is a shame. As I’ve said, I HAVE seen Betty Buckley, twice in this show, on consecutive nights. If it was that bad I’d not be considering investing several hundreds of dollars in tickets plus traveling expenses. I didn’t even do that with WICKED, which is still my favorite. 

 

Updated On: 10/19/18 at 06:21 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/19/18 at 9:53am

Has anyone here actually been slamming the show, though? Or just her?

(I'm going to see it next month, but I'm not going for her, so it's a moot point to me...)

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 10/19/18 at 10:25am

LizzieCurry said: "Has anyone here actually been slamming the show, though? Or just her?

(I'm going to see it next month, but I'm not going for her, so it's a moot point to me...)"

 

Betty Buckley and the touring production of “Hello, Dolly!” have both been negatively commented on or had doubts cast, whether it’s the staging and orchestra, or the title person. This started even before the first previews in Utica while the show was still in rehearsals. Once the Utica shows were done and the first pictures came out, along with member comments, some of that was swayed.

But after the first critical review of Betty Buckley came out from Cleveland, some people would give up on the entire show simply based on that. I’m still seeing Instagram and Twitter comments of those who go to see the show, and to see Betty Buckley, and loved both. These people are not paid critics, but regular people like you and I that attend theater performances with season subscriptions. I’ve yet to see one comment in all of those that was negative. 

As I commented on in the other Dolly thread, I’ve seen three takes of how the title role is played, and they were all different. At this point Bernadette is still my favorite and Bette last place of the three “B’s” I’ve seen. But as someone intimated, it was the “Bette Show” and not so much “Hello, Dolly!” we really went for. 

 

 

Updated On: 10/19/18 at 10:25 AM

[HereAndThere2]

Posted: 1/17/19 at 2:50pm

I have seen Betty Buckley perform many times, dating back half a century.  Two nights ago, "Dolly" came to town.  As familiar as I am with Betty, I didn't see her on stage.  I saw only "Dolly".  She loses herself in the role.  Hilariously funny at times, poignantly sad at others.  When she cried real tears during "Parade," so did I.  Her interpretation of the songs is uniquely Betty Buckley, and absolutely spot-on for the character.  This woman has perfected her craft, and her "Dolly Levi" proves it.  "Thank You" Betty Buckley!  

[BwayLB]

Posted: 1/17/19 at 4:37pm

I am seeing the show February 2nd at the Pantages at 2 PM

[HereAndThere2]

Posted: 1/17/19 at 4:48pm

^^^^

Pantages promo

 

 

[goldenboy]

Posted: 1/17/19 at 6:04pm

The good news: The tour does not seem scaled down from Broadway  A Few minor things that don't make much difference.

 

The bad news:  Having seen B Peters,  B Midler and D Murphy in the role --the show was socko. They all brought  something unique, funny  and themselves to it.

Unfortunately, as good as an actor as Betty Buckley is, she sinks the show.  She is just not right for the role.  She has no comic chops.  There is something very off with her casting.

The show is not called Hello Horace. Or Hello Irene Molloy. Or Bye Bye Barnaby..   Buckley doesn't have the comic chops or stage presence to pull this one off. She needs to stick to dramatic roles.

I have no axe to grind against Betty Buckley  Having loved Dolly with ALL of the Broadway ladies, I was interested to see what Buckly could bring to it.  The best I can say is she knew her lines, smiled and didn't bump into the furniture. 

[EthelMae]

Posted: 1/18/19 at 1:37am

Buddy: just saw your post. True, Hello, Dolly! is a musical comedy. But Dolly talks to her deceased husband throughout the show. I think any actor who takes on this role better have some ability to communicate some pathos. That's what I love about the show even more than the comedy is the more reflective and moving moments. Midler had them, Peters did too as well as Murphy and, IMHO, Buckley does too. Even Merman, who was accused of being "frozen" and not much of an actress was able to show us a three dimensional character, especially in her two songs that were added for her by Jerry Herman, written for her when she was to open in the show. I have a problem when I hear this show described as just a musical comedy. I don't think it is.

[HereAndThere2]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 3:06pm

Betty talks about touring ........

 

 

[SEAN P HENNIGAN]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 4:52pm

I recently saw Hello Dolly in Tempe Arizona. Betty Buckley gave the most wonderful performance that I have ever seen! ...and I have seen many shows.l have never seen the love flowing between an actress and the audiance like that before.

Everything else was also excellent...the other performers,the costumes the sets. It was in no way a scaled back version.

I have not seen other Dolly leads in a show but judging by their recordings, I would much rather have a Betty Buckley recording to enjoy over and over.

[SEAN P HENNIGAN]

Posted: 1/27/19 at 4:55pm

HereAndThere2 said: "I have seen Betty Buckley perform many times, dating back half a century. Two nights ago, "Dolly" came to town. As familiar as I am with Betty, I didn't see her on stage. I saw only "Dolly". She loses herself in the role. Hilariously funny at times, poignantly sad at others. When she cried real tears during "Parade," so did I. Her interpretation of the songs is uniquely Betty Buckley, and absolutely spot-on for the character.This woman has perfected her craft, and her "Dolly Levi" proves it. "Thank You" Betty Buckley!"

Agree completely! She nailed it!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/20/19 at 6:58pm

Bumping this for San Francisco reviews, and here's a feature on Nic Rouleau in the meantime:

https://bayareaplays.com/2019/02/20/rouleau-ready-for-his-bay-area-return-in-shns-hello-dolly/

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 1:42am

I saw it today at matinee. What a winning production.
I had seen it with Bette Midler in NY. Of course, Betty Buckley's Dolly is very different than Bette's [I prefer not to imagine Betty "doing Bette"] but she quickly had the audience in the palm of her hand. When the BIG orchestra started the overture, I was transported again. It was great to see the scale of the NY production was maintained. The same big chorus AND ensemble, the same choreography and costumes, and most of the sets.

The entire cast is great, but I was especially taken with Lewis J. Stadlen as Horace and Jess LeProtto as Barnaby.

In spite of a "technical difficulty" that extended the intermission to almost 45 minutes, by the final curtain (it's a long show under normal circumstances) the audience was still in love and on their feet. ...and for a Wednesday matinee audience, that can be quite an accomplishment.

(By the way, you can tell it's a Scott Rudin production. Strong rules against any photogrpahy in the auditorium, even before the show [and the show curtain is a red curtain with no decoration beyond gold fringe.] and no late seating from the start of the overture until Dolly leaves the stage, 14 minutes and two numbers into the show. [There's a monitor in the lobby])

Updated On: 2/21/19 at 01:42 AM

[bk]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 1:47am

goldenboy said: "The good news: The tour does not seem scaled down from Broadway A Few minor things that don't make much difference.



The bad news: Having seen B Peters, B Midler and D Murphy in the role --the show was socko. They all brought something unique, funny andthemselves to it.

Unfortunately, as good as an actor as Betty Buckley is, she sinks the show. She is just not right for the role. She has no comic chops. There is something very off with her casting.

The show is not called Hello Horace. Or Hello Irene Molloy. Or Bye Bye Barnaby.. Buckley doesn't have the comic chops or stage presence to pull this one off. She needs to stick to dramatic roles.

I have no axe to grind against Betty BuckleyHaving loved Dolly with ALL of the Broadway ladies, I was interested to see what Buckly could bring to it. The best I can say is she knew her lines, smiled and didn't bump into the furniture."

Well, that's just fine for you to have these OPINIONS.  Mine is she was a Dolly for the ages.  I was not expecting much and I got everything and more and I've seen Hello, Dolly more times than I care to admit with a host of great Dollys starting with the original production with Channing, then Ginger Rogers, Pearl Bailey, Phyllis Diller, Dorothy Lamour, the two Channing revivals, the last of which I recorded.  And Betty was up there with the best of them.  She got all her laughs and of all the Dollys I've seen she brought something very new to the table - a truly touching performance in addition to the comedy.  It wasn't the Betty show, it was Hello, Dolly!  Aside from Betty, I thought Stadlen was the best Horace I've ever seen and that includes David Burns, and I thought the Irene and Minnie were absolutely stellar and I don't know if they were copying their B'way counterparts, but the interpretations were so different and fresh - really fun.  I had a blast and have raved about it everywhere.

[antonijan]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 4:00am

I enjoyed the whole production specially the dance routines and choreography.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 10:30am

Really?! The photography thing was NOT an issue at the Nederlander (then Oriental) in Chicago.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 1:36pm

LizzieCurry said: "Really?! The photography thing was NOT an issue at the Nederlander (then Oriental) in Chicago."

You (or those around you) may not have been obviously taking pictures, or the ushers may have been busy seating people and missed it. Similar to a few years ago when shows started letting people take pictures (including the curtain/set) before the show - there were no real announcements that it was OK, but rather the staff no longer stepped in. Most audience members likely weren't aware that there had been a change in rules.

Of course, in the best case, any problems are quietly dealt with in a way that doesn't disturb the rest of the patrons.

Updated On: 2/21/19 at 01:36 PM

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 1:52pm

Another old-school aspect of the tour is the merchandise and advertising. As with Broadway, all show materials only feature the red background and "Hello Dolly" wording. No pictures, photos, or other art.

When I saw the merch table, I mentioned, "So much 'David Merrick red!'" ...and the merch guy replied "Exactly!" 

[The legendary original producer, David Merrick, famously eschewed fancy art and insisted in simple text posters with the show and star in big letters, but little else. And he believed that bright red was the most attention-grabbing and featured it for all his shows - and the color became known as "David Merrick red."]

 

Updated On: 2/21/19 at 01:52 PM

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 2:17pm

Saw the show last night and my hot take? This was a phenomenally talented woman, albiet one who is past her vocal prime, in a role singularly unsuited for her talents. Dolly requires an understanding of musical comedy and moreover good, old-fashioned vaudevillian schtick.It is a role that requires the performer be an actor first and a singer maybe third or forth. Buckeley is not, and has never been, a natural comedienne. Even the roles she performed in comedies (like Drood or Triumph of Love or on tv in 8 is Enough) called for her to be more of a straight woman. She transitioned early on from ingenues to tortured divas. In this production she has been given a lot of bits of buisness clearly devised by Bette Midler and they are an ill-fit. She's just...not funny. Her most succesfull moments are when she is allowed to be heartfelt. She copes gamely with the demands of the role but the entire time I felt like I was watching someone struggle. 

Surrounding her, however, is an absolute gem of a production, and the supporting cast is largely excellent. Lewis J. Stadlen is insanely perfect for this role. Kristen Hahn's Minnie Fay is a version of Georgia Engel's breathy-voiced monotone that is absolutely sidesplitting. Nic Rouleau is wonderfully cast. Jess LeProtto is kind of stiff but MAN can that boy dance. Didn't love Analisa Leaming, who is making some very strong choices with the role, but that's more of a manner of personal taste. 

Updated On: 2/21/19 at 02:17 PM

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 2/21/19 at 10:35pm

FYI - re Betty stage door. I don't know about evening performances, but yesterday afternoon, she did not come to the stage door. Which is common for any performer on a two show day, regardless of their age.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 2/22/19 at 12:24am

I have tickets to see the tour this Tuesday. But I have to confess - I've never actually seen a production of Hello Dolly! I bought my ticket based on the excellent things I heard about the recent Broadway production, and that I like classic musicals.

Is Hello Dolly one of those shows that I should have some familiarity with going in? Last week I saw the Kiss Me Kate revival in New York, and in retrospect I wish I had spent more time reading up on The Taming of the Shrew.