Who will succeed Betty Buckley in HELLO, DOLLY! tour?- Page 3

[Skip23]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 2:56pm

Recently, I saw a touring company do The King and I; although I had seen the show somewhere upwards to 10 times previously (over 50 or soyears), I walked out of the theatre thinking that the woman who played Anna was one of the best I had seen (and I have seen Angela Lansbury, Donna Murphy, Kelli O'Hara, Constance Towers, Mary Beth Peil, Faith Prince, and a few others in the role); you think I can remember he name. The only 'unknown' whose name I have ever really remembered from the road was Carmen Cusack, who I saw in St. Louis and honestly felt was a better Nellie Forbush than Kelli O'Hara, who I had seen twice a couple of years earlier.

 

Who was this mystery Anna?

 

 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 3:05pm

THE BEST NEWS

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 3:21pm

Most excellent. Loved her in Sweeney Todd!!!

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 11:12pm

I’ll definitely need to travel to see the tour again. Tucson is closest, but boy Centennial Hall looks like a massive barn of a place. Will grab a good individual ticket soon as they go on sale. Only 6 or 7 performances. Wonder if subscribers fill up the good seats? 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 1:53am

YAAAS! Not only is she a great actress for the part, but she’ll sing the bejeezus out of it.

[msmp]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:02am

This is the best possible news for the show. Prolly will be enough to get me to subscribe to my local theatre, though I'll risk general admission for the next-closest to me lol.

Love Carolee, and I think she'll have a lot of fun in and with the role, which means the audience will enjoy the show even more!

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:40am

I do not know, she was kind of a dud in Call Me Madam and I do not think anyone will know who she is in Beaver Creek, Nebraska.

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 5:38am

SmoothLover said: "I do not know, she was kind of a dud in Call Me Madam and I do not think anyone will know who she is in Beaver Creek, Nebraska."

 

I’ve certainly never heard of her. Must be a “theatre” thing. And I wonder how many non-theatre goers have heard of her that she’ll be a draw for people to buy tickets. Maybe once her reviews kick in...

However, I have heard of Hello, Dolly! and am seeing it again mid-August (my 5th time seeing HD) when the tour comes through Pittsburgh. I’ve already seen Betty Buckley twice, back in Cleveland when the tour launched, and my show is a matinee, so maybe I’ll get the understudy. :)

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 8:31am

The closest the show will be to Chicago will be its St. Louis stop. Hoping against all hope I can make it down there, but I doubt it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 8:38am

How many people in Beaver Creek, Nebraska are going to trek to whatever nearest theater this will even play in? REALLY?  Most people that attend Bway tours want to see theater -regardless of who the star is.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 10:17am

I think now it's about time Carolee Carmello finally records a solo album.

[ABitOnTheSide]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 10:30am

Although I'm upset I won't get to see Buckley, I'm over the moon that I'll get to see Carolee play Dolly in Philadelphia! February 2020 can't get here soon enough!

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 11:10am

dramamama611 said: "Most people that attend Bway tours want to see theater -regardless of who the star is."

 

My brother won’t attend most theatre because he is a diehard fan of the original, mostly in cases where a movie has been turned into a musical or play, or a cast member of the movie did it better than anyone else ever could. Even shows like Wicked, The Lion King, Cabaret, CATS, Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aladdin, A Fiddle on the Roof, and several others don't stand a chance of him ever attending, regardless of rave reviews or show. 

 

[broadwayboy222]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 12:22am

Curious to see if they will use Carolee's name above the title for her run? It will be quite upsetting if they don't.... I also find it interesting that there is no mention on the show's website of Betty's run ending after the Boston stop at the end of this month, and nothing stating Carolee will be taking over, as there was with Bette and Bernadette for the Broadway run. Additionally, all Carolee cities, have just listed the show's logo as part of their seasons, with no star billed over the title. I do understand that these cities were announced prior to the announcement she would replace Betty, however, I am just truly hoping she receives the above the title billing she deserves, as all the prior principal Dolly's have for their respective runs. 

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 8/12/19 at 2:58am

and your brother loves theatre?

[broadwayboy222]

Posted: 8/24/19 at 5:08pm

Semi related- but according to Analisa Leaming's instagram story, Kristen Hahn and Nic Rouleau will depart the tour following tomorrow's performance. Any news or rumors as to who will replace them? In addition to any other cast members who will join for Carolee's run of the tour?

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 2:07am

Excuse me, but that wasn't Carolee Carmello in CALL ME MADAM, but Carmen Cusack. Get your facts straight before you besmirch the great Carolee!

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 11:46am

Honored to have seen her three times during the tour’s run...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Betty-Buckley-Ends-Run-in-the-National-Tour-of-HELLO-DOLLY-August-25-20190825

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 11:53am

The tour ends today and the second year starts on Sept. 24. I'm curious if anyone from the tour currently will continue on for a second year or if any of the current understudies will get bumped up?

[msmp]

Posted: 8/25/19 at 4:48pm

jayinchelsea said: "Excuse me, but that wasn't Carolee Carmello in CALL ME MADAM, but Carmen Cusack. Get your facts straight before you besmirch the great Carolee!"

Amen! The last time Carolee was in Encores! was for Hey Look Me Over, and I thought she did a fantastic job as Wildcat Jackson in the Wildcat sequence (a role originated by Lucille Ball in her only Broadway musical).

But I'm partial because I'm a huge fan of Ms Carmello. (Though honestly, now I want to hear her do "Hostess with the Mostess."

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/31/19 at 2:38pm

broadwayboy222 said: "Curious to see if they will use Carolee's name above the title for her run?"

 

The website has now been updated and Carolee's name is very prominent –– but it's below the title.

https://hellodollyonbroadway.com

[broadwayboy222]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 9:30pm

Anyone attending Carolee's first performance tonight? Anxious to hear reports! Also, if anyone happens to be at the first show, curious to see if they are selling any items with Carolee's name attached as they did with Betty and the other Dolly's as well. It seems as though her name is not being used on the playbill covers, which makes me wonder in regards to merch sales......

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 9:43pm

broadwayboy222 said: "It seems as though her name is not being used on the playbill covers, which makes me wonder in regards to merch sales......"

Actor names don't ever appear on the cover of playbills. But I HIGHLY doubt Carolee's name will appear on any merch items, since she is not above the title. Logistically, it's also good to have "evergreen" items for the tour. (Dolly is also one of the only shows that has featured the star's name on the merch, a precedent that was only started because of Bette Midler.)

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 9:44pm

Very excited hear how she does!

[msmp]

Posted: 9/25/19 at 11:55pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "broadwayboy222 said: "It seems as though her name is not being used on the playbill covers, which makes me wonder in regards to merch sales......"

Actor names don't ever appear on the cover of playbills. But I HIGHLY doubt Carolee's name will appear on any merch items, since she is not above the title. Logistically, it's also good to have "evergreen" items for the tour. (Dolly is also one of the only shows that has featured the star's name on the merch, a precedent that was only started because of Bette Midler.)"

Not precisely; it started long before the current revival, and usually featured the star's name whether it was in NY, on tour, or even in regional/stock (for instance, Molly Picon did a couple turns in Dolly and had her name on the front of the program for the North Shore Music Theatre near Boston). The old international tour featured Mary Martin's name and image on the program, and the programs sold during the Broadway run featured the black-and-white photo of the Dolly of the day: Channing, Rogers, Grable, Raye, Bailey, Diller, and Merman. The window cards all also featured the star's name prominently, starting with Carol Channing.

To date the only regularly-scheduled Broadway or touring Dolly whose name has not appeared on any kind of merchandise is Donna Murphy, likely because she was an alternate and it would not have been cost-effective to produce an entire second merch line for one show per week (and, supposedly, because Midler got a cut of the merch sales).

ETA: Dollypop might know more on this front than I do as well!

Updated On: 9/25/19 at 11:55 PM