Hello, Dolly 2017: the revival that got away?

[poisonivy2]

Patti Lupone had an alternate in Evita. And she's never stopped complaining about how Evita wrecked her voice. And she's also the diva people bring up the most as "in the old days people went on even when their mothers died of cancer and their fathers were in jail and they had a miscarriage right onstage!"

[David10086]

Call_me_jorge said: "I think it was The Producers effect. They started too big and couldn’t achieve the same success with anyone after Midler. I wonder how long it would’ve lasted had Bernadette or Donna had started with the production and then they went on with bigger names."

 And years before that, it was the 'Sunset Boulevard' effect. That musical was closely associated with Glenn Close - both in LA and NY. Once she left LA, it closed (after an ill-fated attempt to fill her shoes with Faye Dunaway).  In NY, despite the fact that Betty Buckley was incredible and critics loved her, it still couldn't sustain Close's box office. And Elaine Paige fared worse (maybe he should have tried harder to get Diana Ross or Cher). In the end, it will always be associated with Close, no matter who plays the role.

[qolbinau]

I find it more special for Bernadette that they didn’t cycle through diva after diva. Dreams really do come true. I miss the show and her performance deeply and I consider it genuinely life changing.

[neeGallagher]

My two cents, the reason that this revival worked so well is that it gave audiences an escape from the present day. DOLLY is just plain fun even if a bit camp, but the show and this revival knew that. It doesn't try to be excessively deep or thought-provoking, nor does it invite countless audience (or directors' interpretations - it's a standard, a classic, and it worked.

I saw this production four times - 3x with Bernadette and 1x during Bette's return. Bernadette owned the show, and the audience ate it up every time I was there. I'm not sure why her run wasn't more successful. While people undeservedly (in my opinion) criticized her voice, and granted it isn't as pristine as it was in SUNDAY or INTO THE WOODS 30 years ago, her acting, comedic timing, and command of the entire stage was amazing.

I adore Bette, but also agree with what SeanMartin2 said: "... she just wasnt, I dont know, right somehow. It was a Bette Midler concert with a little play attached, and she made sure we knew it ..."

Bette, on paper, was a great choice for the production, but seeing her live was a ... spectacle.

She made no effort to hide forgotten lines or choreography, broke character and spoke directly to the audience (most memorably during "...Sunday Clothes", and rushed through the rest of her lines to the point it was almost impossible to understand what she was actually saying (mind you, this was my fourth time seeing this production in 5 months - so I knew the dialogue, and so should've Bette). 

jvoom said: "... Apparently Jerry Herman gave his blessing to the revival on the agreement he had a say in who played Dolly and allegedly vetoed Reba, Dolly and Patti LaBelle. I think the closest they got to another name was Queen Latifah but for whatever reason it fell through..."

I heard largely the same through my Broadway grapevine. Reba and Queen Latifah both got far in contract negotiations. I'm not sure of the timeline of who was first, nor while they both fell through. 

[SouthernCakes]

Those 2 would have done gang busters so wonder why they fell through

[joevitus]

poisonivy2 said: "Patti Lupone had an alternate in Evita. And she's never stopped complaining about how Evita wrecked her voice. And she's also the diva people bring up the most as "in the old days people went on even when their mothers died of cancer and their fathers were in jail and they had a miscarriage right onstage!""

Not to my knowledge. She's the start of the new guard as far as I can tell. Stars didn't skip matinees prior to LuPone.

[carnzee]

joevitus said: "poisonivy2 said: "Patti Lupone had an alternate in Evita. And she's never stopped complaining about how Evita wrecked her voice. And she's also the diva people bring up the most as "in the old days people went on even when their mothers died of cancer and their fathers were in jail and they had a miscarriage right onstage!""

Not to my knowledge. She's the start of the new guard as far as I can tell. Stars didn't skip matinees prior to LuPone."

I think Evita has always had an alternate. If I recall,Elaine  Paige started doing all 8 in London, but ran into vocal trouble, and so ALW insisted on this arrangement. As far as I know, Lupone has never had an alternate for any other shows.

[joevitus]

carnzee said: "joevitus said: "poisonivy2 said: "Patti Lupone had an alternate in Evita. And she's never stopped complaining about how Evita wrecked her voice. And she's also the diva people bring up the most as "in the old days people went on even when their mothers died of cancer and their fathers were in jail and they had a miscarriage right onstage!""

Not to my knowledge. She's the start of the new guard as far as I can tell. Stars didn't skip matinees prior to LuPone."

I think Evita has always had an alternate. If I recall,Elaine Paige started doing all 8 in London, but ran into vocal trouble, and so ALW insisted on this arrangement. As far as I know, Lupone has never had an alternate for any other shows."

You may be right, and I don't know the performance history in Britain, but when I asked a friend who worked with her if LuPone was a diva, his very words were "until LuPone did Evita, stars didn't miss matinees. She started that." Now, he could have been referring strictly to American stars prior to her, but those were his words. 

[carnzee]

The only instance prior to Evita that I can think of is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe. A separate cast did the matinees( including Elaine Stritch subbing for Uta Hagen).But every revival of it has just had one cast for all shows.

[SweetLips22]

Well I was bored ****eless and no matter who they dragged up from wherever to give their 'take' on Dolly, it's a tired old piece that should now be done perhaps 'in concert' with other works by Herman--- though not like Jerrys Girls.

Of course then all will argue what THEY think are 'the best'.

No more tired unfunny vaudeville or endless waiters gallop.

[SeanMartin2]

Lupone would have been dreadful as Dolly Levi. Period. End of story.

[BWAY Baby2]

Sweet Lips- I tend to agree.

[BJR]

Did we ever hear who the star Rudin almost had to replace Bernadette was?

[Miserent]

Patti LuPone absolutely did not start a "trend" of performers missing matinees.  The Eva alternate is something that started in London while Elaine Paige was still performing the role.  Terri Klausner was hired as Patti's alternate before rehearsals even began as far as I'm aware, so it's something that was planned before the show was even cast and Patti's vocal trouble started to appear.  I think her work ethic speaks for itself...when I saw her in Gypsy, they announced that she would be wearing Isotoners due to a foot injury, and she still went on and gave an incredible performance (at a 2 pm Wednesday matinee).  During War Paint she was having issues with her hip, but she still committed and from what I understand didn't miss many performances.  Maybe the Evita alternate was the first time something like that had been done with a role, I can't say that for a fact, and even if that is the case it certainly was not LuPone's initiative.