1995 Revival of HELLO, DOLLY! ????????????

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:04am

OK - WHAT!?

I thought I watched the 1996 Tony Awards recently and I don't remember HELLO, DOLLY performing (as the 1995 production was apparently nominated for Best Revival and nothing else!).

AND it starred Carol Channing??

I never heard of this revival before! Why wasn't Channing nominated? Because she re-created the role? How was the production?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:07am

I didn't see it, but I remember that it was a national tour that landed on Broadway for a limited run. There is a cast recording as well.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:09am

If I remember correctly, it was a National Tour, ala "Wizard of Oz" at MSG, or the 84 "Oliver" that had a brief stop on Broadway (yes, I know Oz wasn't technically on B'way but, meh), and it was the 35th Anniversary production. I didn't remember it being nominated, and I was def. not a fan of the cast (Outside of Channing). There was a released cast album, but I don't know if it's still in print or not (I got mine used for like 3 bucks).

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:24am

DOLLY probably performed at the Tonys the year before.

I don't know. It was revived twice in a very short amount of time. It was at the Lunt and the Simon in two different engagements with the exact cast. I don't get it.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:31am

The 1995 revival was embarrassing ... even Channing, who was way too old at the time. She looked like she was going to keel over any minute. It was a tacky tacky production that couldn't hold a candle to the original run or the first Channing revival.

[ahmelie]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:48am

Wow, Channing was in it? That woman continues to amaze me, how funny would it have been if she won two tonys for the same role 40ish years apart?

[dry2olives]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 11:59am

Actors can't be nominated for the same role in the same show twice; ie Channing in Dolly, Harrison in My Fair Lady, Brynner in The King and I...

[mcphan19]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:19pm

I saw this production of Hello, Dolly! and I enjoyed it, even though I agree that at some points during the show she looked like she was going to tip over, especially in the red dress. Not having seen other productions of the show, I can't compare.

There was also an opening night TV special about this production (whiched aired on WWOR, the predecessor to UPN) hosted by Pat Collins, which was entertaining to watch.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:27pm

"How was the production?"

It was horrible. It had been touring and they just brought it to Broadway straight from the road. The sets were road sets and they shook when people moved around the set. Carol was grasping for some of her lines. The production just didn't have the spark that it is supposed to have. Even the theater owners didn't care. They were doing some remodelling and they left uncovered holes in the walls of the theater. The worst part is that at the curtain call, Carol Channing made this rambling incoherent speech that went on forever.

Updated On: 10/19/06 at 12:27 PM

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:32pm

I saw the tour as well and remember it being pretty sad...but I am not a fan of the show. We were seeing Carol so there was some magic there! I think the thing I remember most was when cast members had to feed her lines...:)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:32pm

Yeesh.

I'd love to see a well-done revival. With an UNKNOWN (or relatively unknown, hell, it's the theatre!) actress play Dolly. If they want a "star" to attract tourists, have one for the Mr. Vandergellar role.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:42pm

"dear dear people...i know that i have played Hello Dolly to some of you before...you all smell the same!"

she was giving the same speech for years and years...still love her though!
Updated On: 10/19/06 at 12:42 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:48pm

They should do a revival with Megan Mullally. In 2008, she'll be 50 so she's about the right age.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:48pm

I agree Capn...I saw Sally Struthers do it a few summers ago in Oklahoma, and Michelle Lee do it in Fort Worth, and even though they were "stars' neither really did it for me (Although I'd kill to see Joanne Worley or Mary Martin).

[jimnysf]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 12:52pm

I saw this production several times in San Francisco and on Broadway. I've seen many productions of this show. It was the first show I ever saw on Broadway when I was a kid (Ethel Merman was Dolly). I've seen Pearl and Carol and many others in various tours and Broadway revivals. I didn't think this production was as bad as some of the other posters have indicated. It was great to see Carol up there as Dolly once again. At one of the performances, she seemed ill and couldn't remember her lines in the dress shop scene but her Horace came to the rescue and after that, Carol was in fine form as she was the many other times I've seen her.

Updated On: 10/19/06 at 12:52 PM

[philcrosby]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 1:01pm

She got RAVE reviews from the New York critics ... they were practically love letters!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 1:10pm

Munk, originally it was scheduled to go into the Neil Simon (the marquise was up, too), but there was a switch to the Lunt Fontanne. The revival of "The King and I" went into the Simon. It was the first and only time I had seen Carol in the role, and although the show was entertaining, the overall look of the show was uh - quite cheap. Florence Lacey was fine as Irene Malloy, and who could resist the cuteness of Jon Bantay (current DJ of muscical Mondays at Splash).

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 1:22pm

I saw Channing in the original production, then in the tour in the early 80's (or whenever it was that Pat Quinn played Cornelius), then again in the 1995 tour. She was always perfection in the role. Age did not diminish her performance, one bit. Nobody touches her Dolly. Or, even comes close.

Posted: 10/19/06 at 2:35pm

It was a lovefest nightly between Channing and the audience. Remarkable a woman in her seventies and nearly blind could pull it off, but she was amazing. I saw her in the 77 revival with a young Florence Lacey and she was just as great if not better in 95. A very exciting night of theater. Lacey was wonderful, too.

[Julian2]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 2:50pm

I don't beleive the revival recording is out of print, as I recently perchased it full price at Barnes and Noble.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 2:55pm

"It was a lovefest nightly between Channing and the audience."

Made up mostly of old show queens and their mothers.

The show ran three months during Broadway's most lucrative time (the Christmas season) and was regularly on TKTS.

[WalkOn]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 3:46pm

The revival was not great.. but the chance to see Channing do the role was something of a miracle. You really got to see why her performance - while slowed down with age - was special.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 5:09pm

I was glorious! I saw this production about 10 times.

Channing was sensational and the supporting cast (Lacey, Michael DeVries, Cory English and Jay Garner) was perfection.

The recreation of Gower Champion's staging was terrific.

Yes, I was there the afternoon when Channing played her 5,000th performance in the role. What joy!

I also saw the Papermill's recent revival. It was dreadful compared to the '95 revival.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 5:24pm

You're right about the Papermill production DP. Yuk! I didn't think one could do a bad production of Dolly until I saw theirs.

[justme2]

Posted: 10/19/06 at 6:53pm

I saw this in SF as well, and saw it strictly to get the chance to see Channing in the role. When she came down those stairs in the "Hello Dolly" number, she looked so fragile and we were frightened for her!