Bernadette Peters as 'Dolly' in HELLO, DOLLY

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:27pm

How do you think she would do in this role? And what about 'Mame' in MAME?

Bern reminds me of Ethel Merman - both starred in tons of hit shows, and both did GYPSY and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.

Why am I posting this? No idea. The idea just popped into my head.

[wildcat]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:30pm

Oh, wouldn't she look marvellous in all those costumes!
I'd feel more at ease seeing her in either of those roles than in GYPSY.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:31pm

Aren't they doing a TV movie of MAME? Perhaps Bern will take interest in the role?

[breakneckspeed]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:32pm

Cher is Mame...right?

[maybethistime]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:34pm

I heared Cher was in consideration for that role.

Anyways, I'd LOVE to see Bernadette in any of the Golden Age classic roles. After Gypsy and AGYG she can handle anything. Shes one of the only women on broadway left who'd to get ASKED to play any of those roles!

[sipos]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:34pm

Ah MAME. I don't care if Kirstie Alley does it. Any incarnation would be about time and welcomed.

[wildcat]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:35pm

REALLY?? Last I heard was about two years ago when Barbra was going to do MAME as a 2-part telemovie. (?)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:36pm

sipos - Broadway. Next season. Or so is rumoured.

And about Cher - no, I think she declined.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:40pm

Well, with Jerry Herman's next Broadway revivel being "HELLO, DOLLY," anything is possible. I would indeed love to see Bernadette get the role, and I think she can play it very well...hell if they can bring back Carol Channing, they can do anything. Bern has the pipes and she can act the crap out of it. I, for one, would love to see this come to pass. Maybe this time she won't lose the Tony to an actress who didn't deserve it.

[Razz77]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:41pm

I think Bernadette would be great in this role -- she's at a good age to do it too. I would not be surprised if she did in the revival that is planned for some time between now and 2007.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:45pm

Cher was going to do it at one point but she's been on a farewell tour for god knows how many years, so Herman and company have moved on and are looking around. No final choices yet.

And I've long thought that Bernadette should consider something like Dolly (or maybe one of Mary Martin's old roles) which would showcase her comedic skills and not tax her voice so much (she REALLY needs to get away from the Merman catalogue -- I don't want to see her doing Sally Adams of Reno Sweeney next).

Updated On: 1/20/05 at 11:45 PM

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:50pm

I agree. I think she would devour DOLLY and lick the spoon.

[etoile]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:56pm

I saw an excellent production of HELLO DOLLY! last year with Victoria Clark in the lead. You could not have asked for a better Dolly. Hope this is the year she finally gets the recognition she deserves.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:57pm

bernadette could be great in that...

[GypsyRoseLee]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:57pm

I would LOVE to see her as Dolly! Cher would have ruined it for me, though. But that's just me.

[sipos]

Posted: 1/20/05 at 11:59pm

I bet Victoria was perfect.

[etoile]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 12:27am

I felt Clark found every bit of humor in the role, and she's always technically perfect.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 12:41am

Eh, id rather see Bette Midler in the role. I think shed capture the humor perfectly.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 12:46am

Midler'd be great. I just wonder whether she'd actually commit to six months to a year of eight shows a week at this point in her life/career. Lord knows she doesn't need the money. Who knows?

If they ever do a movie revival, though, I'm sure she'd be interested.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 12:50am

She seems to enjoy touring. ANd doing the show in NY would mean she can settle down in one place for a while. But true about not needing the money. But does Bern either?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 1:12am

I think Bernadette and Bette are in different leagues money-wise. While Peters' salary was in the $50,000+ category (I believe she got a percentage of the gross whenever attendance hit certain percentage levels ), Midler had one of the top grossing concert tours in the country last year (she took in over $ 1 million per week for much of the past two years -- though she wasn't out every month).

But, money's not the issue with Midler (especially since she now has more than she could ever spend in ten lifetimes). While she's said in interviews that she might be interested in coming back to Broadway in a real musical at some point, I get the sense (though she's never said it) that the grind and rigors of eight shows a week might be more than she wants to put herself through at this point (with her concert tours, she's usually only doing a few concerts in a week and she never has two show days).

It's totally up to her. She could come back in any show she wants to. Heck, if she wanted to do a revival of "Panama Hattie" or "Coco" or "Destry Rides Again" producers would fall all over themselves to put money into it to make sure that it happened.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 1:15am

Mandelbaum reported in his recent "Revivals" column that Midler had indeed been approached for a revival of DOLLY.

However, Midler has long been quoted as saying that while she would love to return to Broadway, she would only do an original role, NOT a revival. (Is this perhaps remorse for turning down RACHEL LILY ROSENBLOOM?)

Personally, I don't think she would do it. It's a role too closely identified with both Channing and Streisand, and Midler is a smart cookie. She knows that no matter how great her performance might be, she would always suffer the inevitable odious comparisons.

Midler obviously adores performing live, she does reside in New York, and her daughter is grown. So I would think that a Broadway show would suit her at this time. But I doubt she would suffer the slings and arrows of people like Michael Riedel and the chatterati unless she felt there was a chance to be acknowledged for her own performance, on her own merits. I sure wouldn't, if I were in her shoes.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 1:20am

SO let's get the old girl her own original vehicle, ASAP! Get Terrence McNally to do the book and Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman to do the score and let them all get rich (well...... richer than they already are).

How about John Waters' Female Trouble as a musical?

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 1:25am

That's an interesting thought, Margo.

Shaiman, to a large extent, owes his career to Bette Midler. One would think, if she was really so gung ho about returning to Broadway in an original musical, that she would call in the favor.

The possibilities are delicious, aren't they? Updated On: 1/21/05 at 01:25 AM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/21/05 at 1:32am

I'm racking my brain for movies and plays they could adapt that would feature a 50-something female lead and lend itself to a 60's, 70s pop/rock/r&b score (or even 30s, 40s since Midler does that stuff well also).

How about a Sophie Tucker musical a la Funny Girl?