HELLO, DOLLY! Alumni to Celebrate Show's 53rd Anniversary with Richard Skipper

On April 20, 2017, Bette Midler, the newest Dolly Levi to be cast in the Jerry Herman classic Hello, Dolly!, will descend the stairs of The Harmonia Gardens on Broadway for the first time since Carol Channing did her final bow on Broadway on January 28, 1996.

But it all began 53 years ago when Carol Channing opened this show on January 16, 1964, at The St. James Theatre. To celebrate this milestone, Richard Skipper Celebrates the 53rd Anniversary of Hello, Dolly! on January 16, 2017, at 7pm at the Triad on 158 West 72nd Street in NYC.

Said Channing, "When it comes to the history of Jerry Herman's brilliant production, beyond the 5000 plus performances of my own, even I turn to Richard Skipper when I have questions about the remarkable ladies who followed me in the role that the world fell in love with over 50 years ago."

This evening's special performance is a part of the ongoing Richard Skipper Celebrates ... an Old-Fashioned Variety/Talk Show.

Richard will be joined by an all-star cast who all have a connection with Hello, Dolly! Beth Fowler played Irene Molloy opposite Molly Picon and Julie Wilson. Sondra Lee appeared as Minnie Fay in the original production, playing opposite Carol Channing & Ginger Rogers, then toured Viet Nam with Martha Raye. The marvelous Marilyn Maye has starred as Dolly in stock and even recorded a CD celebrating all the songs of Hello, Dolly! (which is available at www.MarilynMaye.com). Lee Roy Reams appeared as Cornelius Hackl in the 1978 revival, directed Carol Channing, in her last Broadway revival in 1995 and has directed various leading ladies throughout the years in this iconic role. He has even played Dolly himself, most recently in Boca Raton, Florida.

The role of Dolly Levi was originally written for Ethel Merman, but she turned it down, due to the fact that she was thinking of retirement. Producer David Merrick eventually convinced her to take on the role at the end of its original run. Ms. Merman's birthday coincidentally was also on January 16th. To honor Ms. Merman, Rita McKenzie will be joining the celebration. According to Variety, "Rita McKenzie, in her one-woman tribute to Ethel Merman . . . has her character's physical mannerisms down pat and she reproduces Merman's famous vibrato with raucous authenticity."

The Musical Director for the evening will be Tedd Firth, joined by Rex Benincasa on percussion and Jeff Carney on bass.

There will also be a 15-minute audience talk-back with the cast after the show.

Tickets are $30.00 plus a two drink minimum. Reservations are a MUST! Call 888 596-1027 to purchase tickets or you can also do it on Triad's website www.triadnyc.com/buy-tickets.

Visit RichardSkipper.com for show updates and go to www.callondolly.com to read more about the iconic musical Hello Dolly! and to find out about Richard's upcoming book on the subject Call on Dolly: From Carol To Bette.

The evening is also made possible by support from Russ Woolley and Wright Bros. Real Estate, Nyack, New York.

Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

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