Okay, enough of the MAME rumors. Michael Riedel said it on TheatreTalk, Bette as Dolly. Much better show, much better role for her. Absolutely. It would sell out, just as the original did, and run for years, with a long line of great replacement Dollys.
No, stupid and absolutely ridiculous suggestion. Dolly GALLAGHER Levi - did he not see the movie? Carol Channing and Shirley Booth...hello...Pearl Bailey when it is all black cast..if you want a Jewish person to play her then everyone must be jewish..give us a break with this crap
No, stupid and absolutely ridiculous suggestion. Dolly GALLAGHER Levi - did he not see the movie? Carol Channing and Shirley Booth...hello...Pearl Bailey when it is all black cast..if you want a Jewish person to play her then everyone must be jewish..give us a break with this crap
It doesn't make sense..and the irony is that she is an Irish Matchmaker...jesus h. christ enough of this pc mess...Streisand was the worst Dolly - it doesn't make sense to do it that way unless everyone is of the same ilk...especially if you do it as a period piece. Come on...ugly? Sometimes the truth is ugly and sometimes it cleans things up. Don't get your panties in a wad and all twisted up. If she is up to doing it and able to do it Irish then hurrah. Remember Molina in Fiddler and ALL the complaints of him not being Jewish enough? So now, don't start calling me a racist. Just back off.
I totally disagree. It's wrong because she's Jewish? Are you living in the 18th century? And how can you compare a 20-something Streisand, whose "Jewishness" had nothing to do with her being miscast. In case you don't remember, Dolly was played by a long list of great (and some not so great) actresses. One of my faves is still Molly Picon in Philadelphia, And Midler is many things, and if you've seen her as Mengers, you might have noticed that she's a damned good stage actress. Sticks and stones...
Who's to say that Dolly wasn't raised Jewish and married a Gallagher before marrying Ephram Levi? Ruth Gordon always seemed like a Jewish Yente to me and she set the template in The Matchmaker, so why shouldn't Bette go full-on Yente?
I think Bette as Dolly is exactly the right casting for her. I was never a big fan of her actressy speech patterns onstage or screen, but for once, Dolly is artificial enough for it to work here.
Hearing "Before the Parade..." and "So Long Dearie" in her voice just makes me smile.
Not because she is Jewish..wow..because I don't think she can do it, and no one is a bigger fan of her than I am, but sometimes some people are not right for the role....and yes Streisand did Dolly like Fanny Brice and that is why she was miscast, because that is what she can do. Would she have been better in My Fair Lady or Camelot?
Unfortunately, Hello Dolly! is an intricate examination of cultural and racial politics turning the 1890s and so the ethnicity of Dolly is integral to-
oh wait it's a romantic farce nevermind.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
behindthescenes, Jerry Herman has based the female characters in his shows on his mother. That's a fact, feel free to do your own research.
In case you're unaware, Jerry Herman is Jewish and his mother was quite religious. I am not even going to get into the last name Levi (although others have touched on it).
Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Carol Channing is?
If you ****Bette, does she not bleed?
If you tickle Bette, does she not laugh?
If you poison Bette, does she not die?
And if you wrong Bette, shall she not revenge?
If Bette is like Carol Channing in the rest, she will resemble Shirley Booth in that.
I would prefer Bette in a revival of Mame, if just because I prefer the score, but I would be utterly thrilled if this happened. I just really want to see her in a wonderful musical comedy.
The general public couldn't give a hoot about the nationality/race [or gender] of Dolly--they would be coming to see Bette Midler sing her tits off and wise-crack all those throw-away lines that make this piece such joyous fun.If you want legit.,do the Matchmaker[without Bette].