#hello dolly

Ethel Merman was the final Dolly, and she resided at the Harmonia Gardens from March 28th, 1970 through December 27th, 1970. The part was originally written for Merman and she finally relented in 1970 and stayed with the show until it’s close. She had originally not intended to stay as long as she did, but was coaxed to stay on so the show could become the longest running in Broadway history. When she joined the show, two extra numbers written for her were added in. This was Merman’s swan song, as she never did another show on Broadway.

Monty and Charles would be Cornelius and Barnaby, Hester and Bevan would be Dolly and Vandergelder, with the right tweaks of character and storyline I think this would make for a really fun concept. The two shows are pretty tonally similar too, with the glitzy joyousness of it all.

Carol Channing as Dolly Gallagher Levi in the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly!, which opened at New York's St. James Theatre on January 16, 1964. The role became inseparable from Channing's name, earning her the 1964 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and helping propel the show to a then-record-breaking run of 2,844 performances. Over the next three decades she returned to Dolly in Broadway revivals, national tours, and special engagements, ultimately performing the role more than 5,000 times. Although many legendary actresses—including Ginger Rogers, Pearl Bailey, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Phyllis Diller, and, later, Bette Midler—would make the matchmaker their own, for countless theatregoers Carol Channing remains the definitive Dolly Levi: exuberant, unmistakable, and one of the most iconic performances in Broadway history.

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