Dolly Eating on Stage

[PatrickDC]

**Could be a SPOILER I suppose**

Bette eats a bunch during the Harmonia Gardens scene. Is she actually eating real food -- turkey leg, beets -- or stage food that is easier to chew and swallow? The final mouth stuffing scene -- marshmallows, I think? -- is really something. How does she swallow that much and then plead the case to the judge? Or maybe she's fake eating, miming shoveling food in her mouth? 

[NoName3]

I've read that during rehearsals and previews of the original production, this was a big problem.  Real dumplings remained stuck in Channing's teeth and mouth during her following dialog.  Mashed potatoes and beats were tried but with the same problem.   Ice cream melted under the lights.  Finally the prop man suggested spun sugar, aka cotton candy, and that's what was used.

[Zamedy154]

I think it's 90% schtick and 10% real (the real being what I believe have got to be marshmallow balls). I know the liquid in the glasses is real because Bette accidentally knocked over the glass at one performance and totally went with it... much to the audience's delight.

[ljay889]

I would also love to know more about how it's done in the current revival. 

[VotePeron]

The gravy is definitely just water, that I know for sure. I don't think she ever actually eats any meat, it's all fake. The dumplings however have got to be cotton candy-esque, as even if they were marshmallows, she'd never swallow them at the rate they do in the show.

[PatrickDC]

Cotton candy-esque balls make sense. (LOL hehe) 

They would melt away almost instantly, particularly with the gravy/water, even though Bette makes a big production of eating and chewing them (the shtick as Zamedy notes).

[Stage Door Sally]

Carol Channing "enjoyed" two different kinds of dumplings - I believe she started with spun sugar ones, but because of the impact of the sugar on her, switched to dumplings made of tissues. She would cram them into her mouth easily and then spit them into her napkin when wiping her mouth.

[MarkBearSF]

I think there was an earlier thread here (although it could've been all that chat) that revealed that the dumplings are tissues which are soaked in tea for the proper color and dried on a light bulb. They immediately dissolve in her mouth so she can eat one after the other and periodically, she can spit them out into her napkin.

[TotallyEffed]

When I saw it in the second row the dumplings looked like hollow paper balls, maybe rice paper like Dr. Dillamond's paper in Wicked? Bette also seemed to cleverly spit them out when she wipes her mouth with the napkin.

[loliveve]

I was told by a cast member that she is eating edible paper--the stuff used to print pictures on cakes and stuff like that--which basically starts to dissolve the second it hits your tongue. 

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Does she actually eat real meat though? Real beets? The dumplings have got to be fake, but I'm not sure.

[playbill-love]

Yeah, I have a friend in the cast who told me the same thing about he dumplings - they were originally using cotton candy because Bette wanted to use what Carole Channing used, but it made her blood sugar go so crazy that they had to switch to tissue paper balls that she spits into the napkin when she wipes her mouth. No idea about the other food though.

[loliveve]

"Does she actually eat real meat though? Real beets? The dumplings have got to be fake, but I'm not sure."

No. If you sit far enough house left, you can see none of the food is actually "eaten".  She sells it well though

[dramamama611]

Gee, I hope my two Dollys never read this thread.  They ate.  (We are talking HS)   In fact, one of their moms made a fresh turkey dinner EACH night.   The crew got the leftovers.   I have to admit, my casts LOVE when I let them eat on stage....so does the crew.  It's not always the food they are 'suppose' to be eating, but its food.

[nealb1]

Loliveve, does it start to dissolve when it hits her mouth, or does it basically dissolve when it hits her mouth?  

[loliveve]

nealb1 said: "Loliveve, does it start to dissolve when it hits her mouth, or does it basically dissolve when it hits her mouth? "

I think the answer to your question is starts, but I admit I'm not quite sure what you mean; sorry!  Edible paper requires moisture to start dissolving, so it is much faster when placed on, or by, the tongue.  Depending on the thickness of the paper used-- there are different ones-- it can still require some chewing.  I hope that helps  

[dramamama611]

That's called sarcasm.

[dramamama611]

That's called sarcasm.

[loliveve]

dramamama611 said: "That's called sarcasm."

I wasn't sure since tone is hard to read and I'm ridiculously tired. So just in case, I answered.