Cast
Bette Midler – Dolly Gallagher Levi
David Hyde Pierce – Horace Vandergelder
Will Burton – Ambrose Kemper
Melanie Moore – Ermengarde
Gavin Creel – Cornelius Hackl
Taylor Trensch – Barnaby Tucker
Beanie Feldstein – Minnie Fay
Venue: Sam S. Shubert Theatre
Date: Sunday 16th July 2017
What an exciting way to spend my 30th birthday seeing the legend that is Bette Midler on Broadway in a show that you really cannot get tickets for! Well, good job I booked them months and months ago. I thought the seats were going to have a very limited few with them being in the balcony, but that was not the case and it was a great view! Which was very good, the ticket prices for this show are absolutely crazy and those right at the top were the only ones I could afford and they were what I would usually pay for a top price seat in the stalls.
But never mind all of that the important thing was that we would be inside the theatre, once we got in. The queues were massive and lapped round the streets in all different directions. That was when the buzz started in all honesty, just waiting to get inside the theater. Everyone was there for the same reason to see Bette Midler.
Now Hello, Dolly! is a musical I have only seen once (film version) so I had some background on the well quite frankly absolutely crazy story. I couldn’t really remember much about the songs, so I guess it is still a rather new musical to myself. It also meant I didn’t have much to compare it to.
The buzz in the theater waiting for it to start was pretty incredible and easily is the best atmosphere I have ever felt in a theater. Broadway audiences are very different (in a great way). The Overture starts and everyone is pretty much holding their breath waiting for Bette to appear!
Hello, Dolly is the story of how Dolly a strong-willed matchmaker has a plan to find a match for well-known half-millionaire Horace Vandergelder. In doing this it leads not only the pair but his niece and two clerks working in his store to New York City for the night.
It has to be the most lavish and impressive theater production I have ever had the pleasure of watching. The detail in the different sets and props was outstanding. Along with the amazing costumes, all topped off by the brilliant performances. Midler and Pierce had great chemistry and worked so well together. I was extremely impressed with both Gavin Creel and Taylor Trensch as Cornelius and Barnaby and thought they stole the stage at times with the comedic impressive performances.
I am struggling to really describe how it felt to be in the theater watching Bette Midler on stage, it really was a once in a lifetime chance and it truly felt just amazing watching her and listening to that amazing voice. I truly feel honoured to have watched her on stage in such a larger than life role. The noise level at the end when she came on for the curtain call was truly out of this world.
Hello, Dolly is a truly magical Broadway experience with all of the makings of an outstanding show. If you can somehow manage to get yourself a ticket I really could not recommend this enough, it is what musical theater should be!
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