Bette Midler
With Bette Midler playing Dolly Gallagher Levi on Broadway,
it is safe to say there isn’t a whiff of the Irish left in the role that is the
centerpiece in the beloved musical “Hello Dolly.” Not that there ever was much
of a Gallic glint invested in the role, although I respectfully refer back to
Tovah Feldshuh who added a slight brogue to her portrayal at the Paper Mill
Playhouse a decade ago. Midler’s presence apparently doesn’t command an accent
or even a discernible characterization given the circumstances and lavish trappings
afforded it under the direction of Jerry Zaks. Sadly, it is simply showcase for
the also beloved performer to strut, parade and pander (not too harsh a word) to
the multitudes who are there in force at every performance.
There is no question that fans will come to worship at the
feet of the divine M no matter what she was doing or in this case not doing. This,
however, does not excuse certain aspects of the production for not delivering.
Many of the basic requirements that insure that a star with a noticeably unsteady
(to be kind) voice for singing and with a questionable regard for the character
she is playing are missing.
For many reasons I have delayed voicing my opinion that have
nothing to do with the almost irrational raves and huzzahs that are being
hurled at the 71 year-old performer whom I have loved since her early days singing
with Barry Manilow and amongst those “Clams on a Half Shell” and beyond. Having
seen numerous Dollys on the stage, including Ethel Merman (who was divine
herself at the time singing two songs written especially for her,) I am keenly aware
of what Midler is supposed to be doing up there on the stage of the Shubert Theatre.
Except for the stunning gowns she wears designed by Santo
Loquasto, there was no real evidence that the world’s most famous matchmaker (not
Yenta) on the make had found a way to surface in light of Midler’s purposely but
also egregiously self-aggrandizing posturing. Somehow in the back of my mind, I
firmly believe that she could have come through with a real and unforgettable
character had she had the right director. Zaks wasn’t and she didn’t.
The supporting cast generally keeps the faith with the familiar
and melodic Jerry Herman score. There is, however, no excuse for the lackluster/what-am-I
doing-here performance by the usually terrific David Hyde Pierce who is
shockingly miscast as Horace Vandergelder, the miserly bellowing boob who
avoids Dolly until he can’t. That he and Midler have no discernible chemistry between
them makes their romance a moot point.
We can almost forgive such fine performers as Gavin Creel,
Kate Baldwin and the others who, as professionals must, comply with this
misguided vision of Dolly as a self-conscious cartoon in a production that encourages
unapologetic mugging. Despite Loguasto’s pretty settings, this is not a revival
that respects its source. Choreographer Warren Carlyle has, however, effectively
filled many of the most cringe-worthy gaps with obligatory bursts of robust
dancing.
Many of us have fond memories of either Thornton Wilder’s “The
Matchmaker” or the original musical show that Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart created
with the collaboration of Gower Champion and starred (almost forever) Carol
Channing. Others may have seen any number of regional, college and community
theater productions presented around the world. I realize I probably stand notably
alone in saying that this lamentable revival does no service to the legacy of
Bette Midler as one of the great entertainers of our time. Will she and it sweep
all the awards and also win the Tony? You bet!
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