Tovah Feldshuh to Star in Paper Mill's Hello, Dolly!, June 7-July 23

According to The New Jersey Star-Ledger, Tovah Feldshuh--whose last Broadway musical appearance was in 1979's Saravà--will descend the staircase of the Harmonia Gardens as the title character in Hello, Dolly!, which will be presented at the Paper Mill Playhouse from June 7th through July 23rd.

Mark S. Hoebee will stage the classic Jerry Herman musical, which is based on Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker, at the Millburn, NJ theatre. Feldshuh will star as Dolly Gallagher Levi, who runs a matchmaking business while sparring with grumpy millionaire bachelor Horace Vandergelder in Yonkers, NY. No other casting has been announced for the production.

Feldshuh is a four-time Tony Award-nominee: for Golda's Balcony, Lend Me a Tenor, Saravà and Yentl. She has also appeared on Broadway in Rodgers & Hart, Dreyfus in Rehearsal and Cyrano, in which she made her Broadway debut. Her many film and TV credits include "Law and Order," Kissing Jessica Stein, The Believer, Happy Accidents and A Walk on the Moon.

With a score by Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, Hello, Dolly! was originally directed and choreographed by Gower Champion, and starred Carol Channing in the role with which she is still associated. The show, which ran for 2,844 performances, won 10 1964 Tony Awards--including Best Musical and Best Actress for Channing. Revivals of the show, starring Channing, were mounted in 1978 and 1995, while Pearl Bailey--who had been one of many replacements during the show's original run--headlined an all-black version of the show in 1975.

Performances are Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays and Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $31-$68. Call (973) 376-4343 or visit www.papermill.org.