Brave Sir Robin2 said: "Would Jenifer Lewis be willing to do alternate Dolly?
I continue to be mystified by all this theorizing around alternates. No one but Bette Midler is going to get away with doing only 7 performances a week. She can blame her age AND she has the power position...Rudin knew she was going to be huge business, particularly in that role.
As a reminder, It is not a huge role. No one in the original run of Dolly ever did less than 8 performances a week, and Pearl Bailey had a bad heart. (Carol Channing at 73 did 8 performances on the road)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If her successor manages to get this concession, unless it is 81 year old Judy Dench taking on the role, it will set a very bad precedent.
PS -- I think Jenifer Lewis would be terrific in the role
BrodyFosse123 said: "No one in the original run of Dolly ever did less than 8 performances a week, and Pearl Bailey had a bad heart.
Pearl Bailey only performed the evening performances during her run. Thelma Carpenter performed the matinee performances.
That may have happened somewhere during her run, but I saw her twice at matinees and she was in them. Based on your post, I read something that said that Thelma Carpenter took over the Sunday matinees fairly early in the run, when Pearl Bailey complained that it was affecting her health. It also said that Carpenter played Dolly for 7 straight weeks on Broadway when Bailey was out sick.
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Posted: 7/24/17 at 6:20pm