there's one problem with HELLO, DOLLY! | ★★★★ REVIEW of the West End revival at the London Palladium

[@Merina2222]

My audience was laughing almost every minute! This production was a total joy for me, and I found the ending surprisingly moving. A lovely surprise of a production.

[@johnnzboy]

Mickey Jo, you could never sound like a mean old critic, your breathless eloquence, impressive knowledge and sly, sassy humour make clear your abundant love and enthusiasm for the theatre - I never get tired of watching your videos, they make me excited for shows that I'll never be able to see :)

[@matthewplampton955]

Probably the first time I've strongly disagreed with a review of yours since guys and dolls. The night I was there it was laugh a minute and the audience and I were in hysterics and charmed by the production and Imelda. Even my dad a die hard Streisand fan was raving about her performance. For me it didn't come across as grief stricken but more an element of guilt about moving on and having happiness again which gave a warmth and humanity to the character which without you'd struggle to root for her as she would be just a facade which has been my main issue with this musical historically. It brought such a charming element to some of the 2nd act songs, where I teared up at seeing her truly happy and herself again.

[@KeithKusuda-pn5ek]

Glorious. A full orchestra. Stunning choreography. Beautiful costumes. Grand sets and staging. Solid charming performances. Top notch singing...and wonderful Imelda Staunton. I hope this is not forgotten come the next Olivier awards, as Guys and Dolls was.

[@philipmeeks9402]

The production mined Dolly's situation really well. But the director and leading lady did seem to forget at times they were creating a musical. Go to Paris and see Caroline O'Connor.....she makes you cry and has you cheering

[@mikeh3455]

If you don’t think Dolly Levi has heaviness to her character I think you may have missed the point. The sadness helps punctuates her return and the gravitas of her coming back into civilisation. x

[@midgethoughts]

I agree! So many of the criticisms of this production come from a desire for the show to be something that it isn’t, and it tells you what it is from that beautiful opening scene

[@matthewplampton955]

Literally. I think way too many previous productions have missed this and focused on her being a shallow caricature. This production creates some real warmth which makes songs in the 2nd act such as Hello Dolly so much more meaningful and joyous

[@TonySpinnelli]

That had to be one of the best description of Dolly I have ever seen!!!!

[@r3adrpro811]

This is a show dear to my heart. I saw Carol Channing play Dolly Levi when I was a kid. It was the touring production and at the time our local theater was the largest indoor theater in the world - 4200 seats - and it was a sellout for the eight performances. I remember the place being electric with excitement. My then 6-year-old brother, experiencing his first big Broadway musical, burst into tears when Channing descended the staircase because it was "just so beautiful" (his actual description!). A few years later (while the movie was still out on its original run) I played Ermengarde at my high school in what was the first licensed amateur production anywhere (long story how we got the rights!). You are right about it being a quintessential American musical - after all, the source material, The Matchmaker (my father played Cornelius Hackle in a community theater production when I was 6 - and that was one of my first straight plays, by the way) was written by the same playwright of probably the most "American" play of the middle 20th Century - Our Town.

[@traceyreatheatre1108]

Our Town is about to open on Broadway at the Barrymore this September! It's a good time for Thornton Wilder! 👍❤️👌 xxx

[@chocolatesouljah]

I didn’t know that! Great news! He graduated from Berkeley High.My hometown high school in California!

[@lennies_mindful_life]

There are very few roles that wouldn't be made better by being played by Miss Piggy ❤

[@chuckoneill2023]

@@lennies_mindful_life Yes!! But, would Kermit play the ghost of her husband? Hilarious bickering from beyond the grave.....

[@Nikki-tx6kh]

I know someone who thinks that Disney should stop doing live action remakes and make a series of Muppet remakes- Like imagine Cinderella, but with Miss Piggy as Cindy, Kermit as the Prince and Fozzie as the Fairy Godmother.

[@lennies_mindful_life]

@@Nikki-tx6kh totally disney should stop with live action remakes and do muppets ones instead

[@darrenbertram7289]

Miss Piggy as Fantine singing "I Dreamed a Dream"! Her following death scene would be nothing short of overly dramatic 😂😂

[@JamieAdStories]

I feel like Imelda was giving a rounded performance and there were plenty of laughs.

[@MartinRosol]

The extra bits of dialog added from the movie are actually bits from Thornton Wilder’s play The Matchmaker. The movie added those extra bits from the play. Another point that adds interest is that Dolly Gallagher, an Irish catholic, had married a Jewish man. This can account for her reclusiveness in widowhood, as many of her own family may have shunned her. Also, Harmonia Gardens was a place they could go to and be seen in public without judgment. Wilder doesn’t hit you over the head with this fact but instead allows those aware of the social mores of the time to understand the motivations of the plot and characters.

[@ninjacat1ify]

Thank you for the extra details….gives some more meaning to the story!

[@cm.82]

I saw Hello Dolly last night and it made me chuckle out loud so many times, which is unusual. I usually sit through comedies being perfectly entertained without ever making a sound.

[@rmdewberry2482]

Well, hehe, regarding the Muppets, the best I can do for you is: 1) Pearl Bailey singing "Hello, Dolly!" while standing next to Miss Piggy in episode 305 of The Muppet Show and 2) Carol Channing singing the parody "Hello, Sammy!" to a snake in a 1984 episode of Sesame Street. :)

[@psonnberg1]

Just and FYI, the star role was written for Ethel Merman, she turned it down, but Merman was the final Broadway, Dolly

[@HayleyThomas6]

Ah to me this show was champagne! I have thought about it daily since we saw it 2 weeks ago, the whole cast were incredible. I knew nothing about the show or film before going in and it was an absolute joy.

[@stevepotfora7461]

Congratulations to the producer for not only saving money on the sets and costumes but on the size of the orchestra as well and still hoodwinking the crowd into paying full price. Hello Dolly! is a BIG show with BIG sound and BIG sets. London deserves a real production and not anything scaled down. It's like seeing Wicked with two pianos and a forklift.

[@Midlander83]

Did you see the production? Struggling to see how you could say that about the costumes! Especially given it’s a short run.

[@biancavarelas9718]

And now I am spending my day casting Miss Piggy in roles!

[@garybassin1651]

My first Dolly on stage, was American comedienne, Marthe Raye. She was phenomenal. Wanting to see Midler, i could only get to NYC in time to see Bernadette Peters and the American debut of Charlie Stemp. My dear friend, Richard Skipper, will be in London at Crazy Coqs to do his cabaret show on the history of "Hello, Dolly!" He did it here on both coasts to rave reviews. I think that you would enjoy it. Richard was close friends with Carol Channing so you know that he knows what's going on when it comes to this show's history.

[@RaymondNYC1]

I've seen Hello, Dolly! twice: in 1995 w. Carol Channing (her last Bway appearance) & 2018 w. Bette Midler. The show is hopelessly old-fashioned, but the music is classic & a magnificent star vehicle for a performer who is right for the role. Both Channing & Midler delivered in spades. Although Channing's vocal & dancing skills were strained at that point (she was 74 y/o), but her comedic skills were unparalleled. She made you double over in laughter w. just a look on her face. And Midler was born to follow Channing in this role. Both experiences were great.

[@treesny]

"The show is hopelessly old-fashioned" for a reason: it's based closely on Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker, which was an English-language adaptation of a 19th-century German-language comedy, which in turn was adapted from a 19th-century British comedy; Wilder's major addition to his source was the character of Dolly Gallagher Levi. Wilder wrote the play as a tribute to (and affectionate send-up of) the old-fashioned comedies he had seen growing up. The musical in turn can be seen as a tribute to vaudeville and other "old-timey" forms of American entertainment, comic and/or sentimental. Hence it can work either with a Dolly who brings real acting chops and detailed character work to the role (as Donna Murphy did) or as a lovefest between a charismatic performer and her adoring audience (Bette Midler, etc.). Carole Cook, who was the first to play the role in Australia, was quoted as saying that even an orangutan could play Dolly and have a success; this was not meant as a put-down, but rather an acknowledgement of how thoroughly WRITTEN the part is. Finally, the fact that the musical stays faithful to Wilder's characters and plot has meant that The Matchmaker has pretty much disappeared from the stage -- even more so than Shaw's Pygmalion, which was the basis of My Fair Lady.

[@still.singing]

This was such a perfect review. When I left, I kept saying it is missing that uniquely American energy and joy and punch and larger-than-life quality. After seeing the Bette Midler production in 2017, I felt disappointed. The magic just wasn’t kindling. You explained it so well. I had to go home and watch bootlegs of the Broadway revival.

[@chrisn7259]

To say casually that Streisand has a "very different voice" from Carol Channing is the understatement of the century.

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Am I wrong? 😂

[@MaddieFLevine]

So I now need a Muppets “Hello, Dolly!” like I need air

[@antonybeney]

I miss muppets adaptations 😂

[@jeffthetheaterguy]

The idea of a Muppets "Hello, Dolly!" lives rent free in my head now.

[@juanjosegonzalezpascual6253]

When you said “Full sets” first one that came to my mind was SHE LOVES ME, the 2016 Broadway production. More like that please!!!

[@MissBroadwayDork]

My favorite set I ever ever seen on Broadway! That production was divine!

[@adama3146]

Agreed. Thoroughly enjoyable but lacked “something”. Hard to beat the Broadway revival of 2017…. So yes, a solid 4 stars

[@ghb3283]

This is how my husband and I (a couple of Americans visiting London) felt as well. Loved Imelda, the orchestra & orchestrations, Horace (more than Mickey Jo did) and some other elements, but the production overall lacked the brightness and directorial fizz of the 2017 Midler revival.

[@midgethoughts]

I think the framing of this production to be so sincere and truthful. It’s got the heart you want from a show, and I think the opening frames the rest of the show so well. This is a woman discovering herself again after the death of her husband, of course her asides to her husband are melancholy and emotional. It frames the return at the Harmonia so perfectly, as well as the ending. It’s not sentimentality for sentimentality sake, it’s honest and joyful.

[@owenespejo6401]

When I was in high school I got to see a revival tour of the show with the great GREAT Carol Channing in Detroit before it came to Broadway. Except for the movie, this was my first exposure to Dolly. Oddly enough, it took years and years for me to see another one, and that was a production at the Curve in Leicester with Janie Dee (my first exposure to this marvelous actress) who had replaced Caroline O'Connor last minute (a miscast Michael Xavier was Cornelius). The Broadway Bette Midler revival was perhaps the most joyful production I have ever seen. But I am very much looking forward to my fourth Dolly with Imelda in September!

[@johncubbidge2237]

As a great fan of everything Dame Imelda does, it is extremely frustrating to be on the other side of the World. Thanks for your thorough review, which allowed me to see more than the youtube clips. I saw Carol Channing as Dolly in the 70's, and enjoyed it so much I went several times, not that the star could sing, but she had little private 'Asides' with the audience, which made the performance feel personal, until one saw that all of those asides were scripted and ran every night. That production worked because it had the staircase, the red dress, the increasing tricks by dancing waiters around the Pasarelle beyond the Orchestra pit. It was Channing's way that she inhabited the character, her dominance over everyone and everything on stage, I suppose in one word it was 'craft'.

[@Tuckerz5d]

Thanks so much for this review - now I feel like I’ve seen the show though I am sorry I won’t be in London before it closes, particularly after what you said about Imelda Staunton’s performance. Many years ago I went to see one of Carol Channing’s last performances as Dolly. She got a standing ovation after every number and, when the applause died down, she’d sing another verse or two, just for the hell of it. I did see Bette Midler’s revival in 2017 and enjoyed it so much that I went back and saw it again. I’m not even a big fan of the show, but Midler is a STAR and the production was the sort of lavish, wonderfully old fashioned, low-tech extravaganza that might never be seen again. By the time I saw the show a second time, the theater was bedlam before the curtain even went up. Like Channing, Midler brought the house down just by walking across the stage. When she finished a number, everyone lept to their feet and the entire production came to a halt while the audience went wild. It was a fun night.

[@gschreckster]

I saw Pearl Bailey in HD when they would actually shut down productions at the Schubert Theater in the 60's for a couple weeks and ship it off to the Muny outdoor theater in St. Louis where they'd perform the show for two weeks (it's an 11,000 seat theater). I, more recently, saw Bette Midler in it at the Schubert. I thought to myself, this was a perfect production....sets, music, acting all perfection! Gorgeous, colorful costumes. A lusious Harmonia Gardens. A nearly lifesize train (Wow!). Fantastic choreography. And, of course, the Devine Miss M, Bette Midler! I mean, she was the show! She was the perfect Dolly! Soooo entertaining! So much fun! Oh, you mentioned the lack of red costumes at the Harmonia Gardens scene. During that scene when she was doing a soft shoe with the waiters she joked with the audience that she hoped we liked red, becuae her dress, the waiters' jackets, and the entire set were all red. Anyway, classy, colorful show. Oh, I noticed in London, for the "Sunday Clothes " number they were wearing what I'd call traditional and realistic looking suits and dresses. On Broadway the cast appeared wearing brightly colored suits and dresses and immediately brought huge applause from the audience. The main characters stood out wearing traditionally colored clothes.

[@1pureboy1]

American audiences need nice costumes and scenery, London audiences are generally more interested in the performances.

[@chocolatesouljah]

I think the point is that in the original concept, the ensemble and their colorful costumes were of a surreal nature and added to the cartoonish spirit of the show. While enhancing the principles who are still in costumes of less heightened color palette.

[@alicebarlow4761]

Can’t wait to see this today! Good to hear what you thought!

[@chuckoneill2023]

Definitely there's a contingent of Hello Dolly fans at Disney. In the Disney/Pixar film Wall-E, the only surviving tape after the end of civilization is a copy of Hello Dolly. The protagonist droid watches Dolly endlessly, and it provides the soundtrack to his love story.

[@butacabrown]

Actually, I find this version funnier than the Bette Mddler one, where the jokes are super forced and go on and on, like when Dolly is eating by herself and she is being called by the Judge and she keeps eating and eating and eating like for 5 minutes... It's super cringy... I mean, we get it. Maybe that kind of comedy worked in the sixties but it's 2024. I will always appreciate the subtleness and cleverness the British have to do comedy. That bitter-sweet contrast is exactly what some jokes need to shine. And for me, it is amazing to actually have a revival of Dolly instead of the same thing, with the same approach, with the same costumes and the same choreography as always. I have already seen this production twice and even when I knew the jokes, even when I saw it one day after the other, I kept laughing, the performances and the deliverance of the lines are on point.

[@dshinaberry]

Saw the Pearl Baily production in the 60'a (without the lead who was out that night), but I did see Cab Calloway as Vandergelder. I was a child but it was my first show. I did see the more recent American touring cast with Betty Buckley who truly made it her own - quite charming. I would love to see this one. I loved Imelda in Gypsy!

[@dukeofrodtown1705]

Fully agree Mickey! Would be nice if the run was either much longer, or toured in or outside the UK. Nobody is giving enough appreciation to the 21-piece orchestra and these brilliant arrangements - and they sound spectacular! Costume design and these immaculate visual designs is gorgeous. Keep the great reviews up (PS: I prefer I Put My Hand In, personally - suits Imelda for me)

[@mitchellkarig6993]

Newbie here - my husband just told me about your channel and this review. My first Broadway Dolly was Pearl Bailey in 1975, and have seen it on Broadway 10x, plus high school, college, regional, and touring productions. My favorite *musical comedy* ever, and the title song is the best Broadway number ever. And I agree 110% with @dukeofrodtown1705. Dolly is a matchmaker and I Put My Hand In is about who Dolly is and what she does - making even unlikely matches (man with a timid tongue/girl with a diffident air, etc.) - and *love*. Just Leave Everything to Me misses the point ("CASH INVESTED!" Ugh).

[@charliesinclairactor]

But isn’t Kiss Me Kate directed by Bartlett Sher who’s American?

[@peterdavino4408]

But Mickey you are a critic with the brain of a DIRECTOR!

[@michaelcoluccio2097]

My point exactly

[@davidhigginbotham2387]

Yes, he is! Actually, I prefer critics who discuss what a production could have been when things don't work, as opposed to just trashing what went wrong. The best critics have always taught me something or given me ideas to think about.

[@peterdavino4408]

@@davidhigginbotham2387 Yes of course! That's what a good critic is supposed to do. That's why we need people like Mickey around to explain what worked & why & what didn't work & why.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I saw Imelda Staunton in Guys and Dolls when she was just one of the backup dancers. The next time I saw that production she was playing Miss Adelaide. My dad saw Mary Martin in the role when a minimal touring production was brought to Vietnam to entertain the troops. I saw Tom Stoppard's version of the original German play, "On the Razzle" with Felicity Kendall as the younger clerk. And the only production I ever saw at the London Palladian was Yul Brynner in his revival of "The King and I" which used that vast stage very well.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

She's DAME Imelda now? Wonderful.

[@lizthomas7052]

Blast from the past - Dora Bryan in the '80's was wonderful. Very funny and brought out so much of the comedy in this production xxx

[@vincentparisi2644]

Don't know if it is mentioned below but one of the Disney Main Street songs is Elegance. It was written(half written?) by Bob Merrill during Hello Dolly out of town previews. It was such a hit David Merrick kept it in. I assume Merrill's estate gets royalties wherever and whenever it is performed.

[@jameskirby3008]

Saw Bette on Broadway - really don’t think it can be bettered

[@Miliemen]

Such a good review!!!

[@dylansmith1833]

I honestly do not know if anything can beat the Bette Midler production from almost a decade ago. Boy, was that the experience of a lifetime!

[@darrenbertram7289]

I wish I had seen that!

[@tjh12473]

I completely disagree. On the night I saw her, Ms Midler noticeably messed up her lines multiple times and clearly broke character. Also, she couldn't keep up with the dancing either.

[@dylansmith1833]

@@tjh12473 Bette is very good at improv, which made her take on Dolly unique and a spectacle to watch! The important part is that she made it work, and every performance she did was unique and different. You don't get to see that every day.

[@tjh12473]

@@dylansmith1833 I would agree if she stayed in character, however the night I saw her, she broke character twice and became "Bette Midler" not Dolly Levi. Maybe she just had an off night.

[@dylansmith1833]

@@tjh12473 But that's who she is. She can break character but still pull off a stellar performance. She's a comedic actress. She wants to give the audience something they will never forget and laugh their heads off.

[@Viracocha88]

"We've had Shakespeare..." You seem to forget that the Bard wrote comedies as well as tragedies.

[@williamfairchild7439]

I'm glad you enjoyed attending the Gala/Opening Night performance of Hello Dolly at the London Palladium with some familiar faces including Cameron Mackintosh, Michael Ball, Matt Lucas, Jason Donovan, Jim Broadbent, Jim Carter, Christopher Biggins, Derek Jacobi, Alan Titchmarsh, Lesley Joseph and Hannah Waddingham

[@jlasf]

Many, many years ago, I had the chance to work with both Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey. They were amazing in their own ways. What they shared was they were larger than life. They weren't just big singers and actors, they were HUGE personalities. And I think that is the key to their success - and I don't know if Staunton has that. With Carol and Pearl, they were on stage being themselves - and there just happened to be a musical going on around them. They were not really IN the show, simply being themselves WAS the show. They seemed thrilled to be performing for you. Both would ad lib - or seem to ad lib. You had the feeling they were performing just for you - and the performance was unique.. While Bette Midler should have been the perfect performer - she is also a larger than life personality - I didn't feel the same electricity. From what I saw of Bernadette, she seemed to be playing the part. She wasn't the larger than the role. I hope I can get to London. (PS: Any mention of "Guys & Dolls" makes my heart leap. The FUNNEST show I have ever seen. On my second viewing, I knew to sit at a nightclub chair at the interval. And Adelaide threw a glove in my face. That's immersive!)

[@richardseaman4947]

Imelda I feel is definitely wrong for this role. She doesn't compare in the slightest to Carol or Bette or even Barbra. I seem to be the only one that thinks this way though.

[@elainealexander7098]

@@richardseaman4947you’re not. I also feel that way. She did not have the outsized personality to play that role

[@paulengel7789]

I thought this was an excellent review. My first Dolly was Pearl Bailey, and she’s still my favorite. Saw Channing a bunch of times, and Bette Midler as well, and yes, Dolly needs to be larger than life, which to this American, Imelda Staunton, as good as she was, is not. I personally loathe ‘Penny In My Pocket’ (I think it stops the show dead in its tracks), but I was thrilled that ‘Love, Look In My Window’, which was written for Ethel Merman and never used in the show until she took over the role in 1970, has finally been re-added, although I will note that I think it works better in Act I, where it originally was. Is there any hope for a production of Dolly that includes the other Merman song ‘World, Take Me Back’ in my lifetime? Sadly, I doubt it.

[@DCatastropheWaitress]

Now the only thing I want is a Muppet Hello, Dolly!

[@leemclaury9024]

I saw Carol Channing in Detroit and Betty Buckley in Las Vegas when they both toured in the shows.

[@michaelwilkinson9382]

I find all of Imeladas musical performances hammy , her voice never seems up for the role shes playing

[@andrewshaw8291]

I struggle with the weaknesses in her singing voice. I think Gypsy must have strained it to its limits.

[@abrahamclott5604]

My Hello Dolly was the final version of the first David Merrick NY run with Ethel Meeman. The Gower Champion choreography was exhilarating. Pure joy and delight. Merman was a force of nature.

[@darylchin53]

Absolutely stellar review; you also touched on an issue which (i think) hasn't really been discussed but is very relevant to the differences between Broadway and the West End: the sadness/melancholy that you mention that happens in so many British productions. It's important to remember that most of Sondheim's shows (starting with ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, and including FOLLIES, PACIFIC OVERTURES, PASSION, certainly MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG) were not successes on Broadway. Sondheim brought a different sensibility to the American musical theater. He wasn't someone steeped in the traditions of vaudeville and the popular theater. Those people who initially were resistant to Sondheim's work (and that included a lot of the newspaper critics in NYC at the time) talked about his "curdled" sensibility, how his work was a downer. And that downer sensibility was on full blast with FOLLiES, and audiences were not expecting that at the time. But in England, many of the directors who have reconceived Sondheim's work (as in the recent sex-reversed COMPANY and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG) have brought that edge of melancholy to the work, and it has worked perfectly!

[@darrenbertram7289]

"There's one problem with Hello Dolly" he says, then proceeds to list four or five! 😂 I saw it last night and while it was a very enjoyable production it just didn't grab my heart strings, so I understand you there. My favourite part was the dancing waiters in Act 2. Yes it went on and on but I didn't care, I loved it, seeing all the sweat fly off their faces (I was in row D of stalls) it must have been so hot for them trussed up in their fine livery 😁🤩😎

[@festilina]

MickeyJoe - were you going to review A Chorus Line, currently at Sadlers Wells?

[@Curtiz2008]

I got spoiled seeing Betty Grable in the role of Dolly Levi. Real star power there.

[@ren598]

I saw you at Hello, Dolly! stage door tonight. Did you see the show again?

[@PrivatePrivate-so4if]

Spot on! It’s a musical COMEDY but there is too much heaviness injected by a British director. Still, as you say, it’s enjoyable but rather depressing at times. Yes, it needs to be fuller too to cope with the Palladium stage. It doesn’t have the scale of the Broadway production and does look like a touring show. Gosh you are good!

[@charlesanderson5816]

I agree about the entrance of Dolly down the stairs, and the waiters outfits. I expected Dolly to come down a staircase slightly more elegantly. But a as you said the staircase was not condusive to such an entrance. But I expected a slightly more stunning outfit. But I enjoyed the production very much.

[@Thierry-l3k]

I find it odd that no one mentions Carol Channing who was spectacular as Dolly in the 60s.

[@kevinjameslogan]

What elements from the film was incorporated beside the opening number and the placement of “Love, Look in My Window”?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

The idea that Dolly plans for Cornelius and Barnaby to meet Irene and Minnie as well as the dialogue that comes with it, also Dolly's yrics in Sunday clothes that reaffirm that.

[@kevinjameslogan]

@@MickeyJoTheatre - Oh, that’s interesting! That is one particular moment in the film I like and always wished would have been incorporated into the stage version. It adds another level to Dolly’s character and the details of her plans. I always found it odd that Cornelius and Barnaby happened on the hat shop in the original script. Being nudge by Dolly makes so much more sense. Also, do you think a cast album will be recorded? I’m eager to hear the updates to the score.

[@finlaycooper5209]

lots of the score has been reorchestrated to be more similar to the film too!! Sunday Clothes is more swung as in the film unlike the more rigid classic stage version, the title song opens with the slower 'hello harry' section, and the orchestrations in general tend to follow the more energetic feel of the film :))

[@kevinjameslogan]

@@finlaycooper5209 - “Love, Look in My Window” originally preceded “Before the Parade Passes By” and I know it was moved to the same point of the story as “Love, is Only Love” is in the film. Did Dominic Cooke incorporate the intro of “Love is Only Love” that was written for the film? It starts with “Horace, Horace Vandergelder, just leave everything to me…” I ask because “Love, Look in My Window” has no real intro and it it would have been easy to incorporate it from the film as well as the transition music into it from “Elegance.” Fun facts: “Love, Look in My Window” was originally written for the show, cut, and reinstated for Ethel Merman when she took over the role to close the original Broadway run. “Love is Only Love” was originally written for MAME, which is why it never received any nominations for Best Original Song.

[@finlaycooper5209]

⁠@@kevinjameslogan nope! there's some transition music - a beautiful moment with harp and strings that feels very reflective - but the song just opens into 'love, look in my window' acapella, before the orchestrations come in on the second line. all sounds absolutely gorgeous though :)

[@sheilaarden6322]

I was at press night and totally agree with your comments.

[@mithramusic5909]

Interesting side note, Broadway's Into the Woods with Sara Bareilles was hilarious, the funniest version I've ever seen. And the Regents Park one was devastating and really well done.

[@samanthamcgill4847]

You were spot on Mickey! I was in the Danny La Rue production in 83/84 and I had no romantic notions that my production was going to be comparable to this one. But i found myself ‘wanting’ when I left the Palladium. I felt slightly cheated by the sets, the choreography was as expected. Imelda was good, but compared to a Mama Rose performance, it just didn’t have ‘it’. I was looking forward to it so much and came out of the theatre rather flat.

[@paulengel7789]

I’m surprised no mention was made of the elimination of the passerelle, which is traditionally used most effectively in the title number. It literally brings the show into the audience’s lap. Speaking of which, I felt the title number lacked the energy (it felt more cinematic than theatrical) it had in NY, where it built and built until it practically blew the roof off the theatre. IMO, by the end of the ‘Hello, Dolly!’ number, the audience should be standing on its feet, screaming for more (there are You Tube clips of the NYC revival where you can see this). At the Palladium performance I saw, the audience remained mostly seated (perhaps you Brits don’t leap to your feet mid-show as often as we Americans do).

[@lester10023]

MickeyJo-- I agree with you. This Dolly actually felt somber to me and that tone hung over the entire show including at the Harmonia Gardens. Great to see Imelda Staunton and Jenna Russell any day of the week, though.

[@jamesgeorgi6627]

Hello Dolly’s two songs, Put on Your Sunday Clothes and It Only Takes a Moment were utilized in Pixar’s WALL-E

[@JamesCurtis-w8f]

I attended the show on Monday, July 8, yet no reviews by critics appeared until just a day or so ago. Why the time delay in reviews? Was the performance I attended a preview?

[@msj7872]

Muppets? Hello Dolly? GENIUS!!!

[@Mandeley100]

An excellent review. Your eye is phenomenal. For me, the best Dolly Levi was the wonderful Dora Bryan. She replaced Mary Martin in the original London production in the mid-60's, playing the part for well over a year. More than 20 years later she returned to the role and was triumphant all over again, eccentric, warm, wildly funny and yet touching as she talks to her late husband before "Parade". Maybe not the strongest vocally but neither was Channing and with a character like Dolly what matters is how you put over the songs, not how well they are sung.

[@TheGadgetPanda]

Have already been twice. Best show of the year.

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

I reckon the best is yet to come 🤔

[@lauramenzies9042]

My nephew is Cornelius! Family are going in August to see him.! Bring it on!

[@Almaviva1001]

Very interesting comments re British MT despair. I have some questions - How can this production pay for itself in 12 weeks? Will it extend, or announce a successor? Or a touring cast? How does a big new musical production (albeit with some economies of design) recoup in 12 weeks??

[@iconwakefield6332]

Saw the 95 HD Broadway Production with Carol Channing. Couldn't get tickets for Bette Midler. Not going to miss this, that is for sure......

[@chocolatesouljah]

14:08 - Interesting take on Ms. Staunton being petit and the staircase seeming too big. When Ms. Elaine Paige played Sunset Blvd on Broadway they reportedly altered the staircase banister because Ms. Paige is 4'11'.

[@Lucy-k2c]

I think your review was spot on. It was good but not the spectacle I was hoping for. Totally agree with your comments about the waiters, their costumes, the staircase. I was underwhelmed but thought the band were great

[@aideencooney1685]

Jenna is amazing: I saw her as Sarah brown with both her leading men, Ewan McGregor and Nigel Harman. Haven’t seen her in anything since but would love to! Have been a fan of Tyrone’s since I saw him in JCS at regents park as Judas. A supremely talented actor!! Wasn’t Gavin Creel supposed to do this?? Was that changed because it was cancelled from the original run?? Hopefully I will get to see it while it’s on!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[@ThomasRosato-s4w]

OMG you have no idea about theater young man. Sondheim is a depressive and that has nothing to do with any direction. Hello Dolly is supposed to be joyous and old-fashioned funny. But it’s a thin plot and you have to accept that basis for what it is.

[@stitchedheart-theatre]

I agree totally. I just saw it x

[@jamesgeorgi6627]

Kind of reminds me of how in the movie version, Dolly wears a gold dress at the restaurant

[@22professional]

I saw an early performance of this and must say that for me, it was Harry as Cornelius who was stand-out fantastic. The train scene was also thrilling, but also agree the set seemed a bit sparse. Hopefully I'll get to go back again!

[@jhhone]

I want a film version starring Bette Midler! She needs the 'O'. in her EGOT! I saw a production of "Dolly" at the Paper Mill Playhouse with Tovah Feldchuh in a very stripped-down show. Tovah was deglammed! Basically, the original "Matchmaker" set to music. It's different but enjoyable! I also saw a touring production with the great Sally Struthers. I think it was intended to go to Broadway, but when Bette became available, Sally was out!

[@JulianChild]

It's very nice to see and hear someone who sets the bar as high as do I. It is a curse, however, in that very few shows are done so well that you are able to totally lose/immerse yourself in the story; a 1990s production of "Madame Butterfly" in Dallas, TX being the most recent for me. And I have to agree with MickeyJo, enough with this low-budget minimalism on stage. We're no paying (in the U.S.) hundreds of dollars to see a production, give us a full set and a full orchestra, please.

[@angelahorton5745]

I went to see the wonderful Imelda and she was absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed the show and I'm glad i went but I wasn't wowed by it. It wasn't as funny as I remembered it being. I agree that the travelator was great but was over used and I thought the dancing waiters section went on a little too long. When they were moving around with the huge plates of food it reminded me of Be Our Guest. I had a wonderful afternoon but it's not a show I would book to see multiple times. Definitely a 4* show for me and I was hoping for/expecting a 5*.

[@GGinaX]

Was NOT aware Jodie was understudy Dolly! If they get a show, I'll wave at you as we both sprint to the theatre 🎉

[@itskatharinequinn]

Okay, but I still desperately need to see it.

[@barbaraz8264]

Saw both Bette Midler and Donna Murphy in New York- both great but so different. Bette was hilarious as you might expect. Also loved David Hyde Pierce. Very different interpretation of Horace but so funny.

[@treesny]

Donna Murphy (I only saw the complete "bootleg" video) gave a superb performance, approaching Dolly Gallagher Levi with the same degree of character detail, humor and fine vocal chops she's brought to every show I've seen her in "live", including: Passion, Pal Joey (Boston, MA) and Wonderful Town. A real singing actor!

[@katieodd1]

Couldn’t disagree with you more. Maybe it takes an older woman to understand why the green dress and the theme of emerging confidence is a powerful part of this production. Mind you, the men in audience all seemed to love it too. Incredible reactions. There is no ‘problem’ I can see in the musical and it certainly exceeded expectations because it made an outdated play fresh and funny. Very strange review given how enthusiastic the audience are- perhaps we don’t all have higher enough standards?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

@@katieodd1 okay 👍

[@katieodd1]

Although I think ‘Miss Piggy’ (who you referenced -but I lost the trail) and many others would wear a magnificent red dress, sweep down a straight stair case and belt out ‘Hello Dolly’. I’m just not convinced she’d have worn black in the first place (after her husband died)or disappeared into a ‘personal’😂 place!

[@michaeldenney6622]

im in the usa and saw alight opera guild production of hello dolly and it was mostly aversion you may like it was bold appropriately sedate when necessay the big downside for myself and companion the local actressdid lierally all of her acting with gestures and movements from the elbow downunless it was asong and or dance number from the full cast she still gets my respect for simply being there on stage and performing i could never the same actress portrayed momma row in thierproduction of gypsy and she did afine job of actually acting i like to see local productions ehen itravel whenever possible probably the best local performance ive seen is avenue w in atlanta😮

[@chocolatesouljah]

I find it interesting that Dominic Cooke, also directed the recent amazing revival of Follies and also directed Dolly! This is an interest in me because the original Director of Follies Hal Prince turn down the chance to direct the original Dolly because it seems so absurd to him. Mr. Prince and course was a brilliant director, but just couldn’t really with the idea of the show. So I think it’s worth noting that this reviewers insight on the tad too serious something maybe inherently an issue for the director.

[@AngelChris-e7h]

seen it last night I was bored BUT Imelda is amazing like always seen her in other Showa she's fantastic

[@browneyes142a]

I saw the 2018 revival 3 times. I was never interested in Hello Dolly. She always seemed to be this scheming person taking advantage of others. I hadn't seem the production but just based off what I knew and songs I'd heard. When I saw Bernadette Peter's and Victor Garber were going to be replacing, I had to see it. I got tickets for their opening night. I read more about it and what really sold me was an interview with Donna Murphy talking about getting into character through the grief of losing her husband. I was able to look at it differently then. When Bette came back, I was excited to finally get to see Donna Murphy. I did end up getting tickets to the final performance with Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce as well. I had followed the BroadwayWorld message boards throughout and a bunch of us put on our best Harmonia Gardens Red and got dinner at Junior's before the last show. It was really a neat experience. I also got to experience a few of those moments of "live theater" magic in a couple of the performances. I also have to shout out Charlie Stemp and his marvelous energy and dancing (that they added just to showcase his talent) and the always amazing Jennifer Simard. Gavin Creel was also amazing as always.

[@SeanInVegas]

Great Review..Does She Use An American Accent As Dolly?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

She does! The whole cast do!

[@FLAVEEARR]

I saw it on Saturday 13th July as a birthday gift. I have to say even without watching your whole review, I agree with the 4 star review as that would have been my rating too had I needed to give something on the night for example. Everyone was EXCELLENT like you said, but no one I felt was working at a 10. There was something missing, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it on the night. Nevertheless I am absolutely in awe of the whole company. And they rocked the stage fabulously and it was an awesome birthday gift nonetheless. I still prefer Imelda as Mama Rose in Gypsy 😂

[@chocolatesouljah]

I will not be able to fly to the UK for this production but I really appreciate your eye witness review.

[@PS-DLMA]

Will you consider jetting to Paris in Nov to see CAROLINE OCONNOR as Dolly?

[@fp30e]

Barbara Streisand is the only Dolly for me.

[@bigred8432]

It's such a heavy, dreary production. A good director of comedy understands how to have the weight and pathos whilst balancing the brevity. So many revivals (generally in Britain) of great musical comedies, lean so heavily into the drama that it undermines the entire show. This is partly because comedy is never a critic's or award's darling and we have so few brilliant directors of musical comedy, these days as there have been none coming up through the ranks when the genre has been held with such disregard. The same with comedy plays. There are some beautiful ideas in the production and leaning into the more dramatic elements is not a bad idea but it is essentially a comedy and a good production could show the pathos without it feeling so sluggish.

[@brandonthomsen]

Anytime Dolly wears a green dress at the Harmonia Gardens, I think if this line by Marge Champion: kzbin.infoUgkxmYzOaOP3HxWausAp9in2oVu77L5g1Pxi?si=b-TDAHAqDwFt5vUM

[@argocommunications1944]

For me, as an American, everything she's in is wrecked by her dreadful "American" accent. She's concentrating almost entirely on playing Americans (Gypsy, Follies, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), and she can't do it. I expect most Brits aren't aware of how bad it is, as they rarely comment on it, and some even praise her. But it affects Americans the way Dick Van Dyke's Cockney and Mel Gibson's Scots affect British audiences. The other thing, and Mickey Jo comes close to pointing it out, is that it isn't that Brits don't "do" joyous. It's that Imelda only does angry and resentful.

[@robertbacon4842]

An interesting thesis - though the current Kiss Me Kate at the Barbican (which I agree isn't as funny as it could be) is directed by an American!

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Very true, but Bartlett Sher is also not known for his comedy.

[@PhilmFreak]

Im gonna need a slime tutorial of this show stat!

[@steveshaw3955]

Mickey please allow this 76 year old Broadway Baby to comment on the few bits of Imelda Staunton I have viewed here in the U.S.. I have seen Hello Dolly! 22 times, starting with Channing a few months after it opened on Broadway. Dolly Gallagher Levi has been performed with by many well known and unknown performers; each offering a range of interpretation. Some productions were elaborate performed at major venues, others ranged from touring, community and student productions. Imelda can belt, no question. Imelda can act, no question. Sadly Imelda's melancholy interpretation is fine but NOT in sync with the rest of the productions staging or orchestrations. In more recent years the Hello Dolly number frequently goes flat due to audience familiarity. That is not the case in the new West End mounting. This time it goes flat because Imelda is providing her her interpretation but the chorus is directed as if it rehearsed without her. There is no genuine nostalgic feeling sung by the waiters and chorus. If Dolly sings with melancholic love, so should the Chorus. Instead they sound like a sound tract. The same thing happens with Sunday Clothes. It's a flat OK. Frankly it feels more like Gene Kelly's film staging. I so wish the director had understood the need for chemistry and blending Dolly with the rest of the cast AND the other elements of this productions. This is NOT Ms. Staunton's fault. Additional thought is my disappointment of the staging, touring quality sets (nothing creative), the bland color palette of the Sunday clothes costumes; and finally the repetitive choreography which failed to excite Dolly's entrance into the Harmonia Gardens. This was a missed opportunity and I would rate it 3 stars. The stars are primarily for Ms Staunton. Hello Dolly should be so much more than a title role performance.

[@chocolatesouljah]

The whole Miss Piggy in a musical makes me wanna campaign for Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pig-vita!"

[@dolphgotelli9366]

I have seen the original with Channing Merman, Bailey, and Bette Midler! All were excellent but Staunton , for me is bad casting! Maybe this should have a major American actress?

[@richardseaman4947]

Indeed..I think all these people who praise Imelda have not seen the show done properly.

[@MichaelLehrman-ht1go]

Saw it two weeks ago while in london. Loved Imelda and her deeper less farcical take on the role. Sort of how Bernadette did it as opposed to Bette. Choreo was lackluster for me when compare it to the Broadway choreo for last revival. Dancers were good but dancing was repetitive and bland. Warren Carlyle interpreting original Gower Champion steps was so superior.

[@gavindean6708]

Wow… while you have Imelda… we are suffering through Sarah! Please.. send Imelda over to do Gypsy.. or Dolly.. or anything!!!! And you can have Sarah back… before intermission passes by… local Aussie thespian here.. and yes I did say thespian!!!

[@chuckoneill2023]

Yes, Shakespeare did tragedy. He also did comedy. The tragedies get more attention, is all. Why do you think that is?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

@@chuckoneill2023 so comedy / tragedy in the Shakespearen sense largely denotes whether it ends happily or sadly, even the comedies contain much inherent darkness.