87-541: Gerald Sheldon Herman (July 10, 1931 – December 26, 2019) was an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway theatre. One of the most commercially successful Broadway songwriters of his time, Herman was the composer and lyricist for a number of hit musicals, starting in the 1960s, that were characterized by an upbeat and optimistic outlook and what Herman called "the simple, hummable showtune". His shows include Hello, Dolly! (1964), at one time
174-494: A gay pride anthem. According to The Washington Post , Herman's 1983 La Cage aux Folles , which centered on a gay couple whose son is about to marry the daughter of a conservative family, "arrived during the height of the AIDS epidemic and helped put gay life into the cultural mainstream at a time when many gay men were being stigmatized." Herman is the only composer/lyricist to have had three original productions open on Broadway at
261-632: A 1971 production by the North Shore Music Theatre of Beverly, Massachusetts . Lainie Kazan starred in a production at the Claridge Atlantic City . Vicki Lawrence played the role twice, once for Sacramento Music Circus and once for Glendale Music Theatre. Both Tovah Feldshuh and Betsy Palmer played Dolly in productions by the Paper Mill Playhouse . Marilyn Maye also starred in several regional productions and recorded
348-481: A Musical Picture and was nominated in four other categories, including Best Picture at the 42nd Academy Awards . The plot of Hello, Dolly! originated in the 1835 English play A Day Well Spent by John Oxenford , which Johann Nestroy adapted into the farce Einen Jux will er sich machen ( He Will Go on a Spree or He'll Have Himself a Good Time ) in 1842. Thornton Wilder adapted Nestroy's play into his 1938 farcical play The Merchant of Yonkers . That play
435-681: A Woman" to cheerfully do all the household chores. He plans to travel with Dolly to New York City to march in the Fourteenth Street Association Parade and propose to the widow Irene Molloy, who owns a hat shop there. Dolly arrives in Yonkers and "accidentally" mentions that Irene's first husband might not have died of natural causes, and also mentions that she knows an heiress, Ernestina Money, who may be interested in Horace. Horace departs for New York and leaves Cornelius and Barnaby to mind
522-449: A close second. Both Dear World and Mack & Mabel have developed a cult following among Broadway aficionados. In 1983, Herman had his third hit with La Cage aux Folles starring George Hearn and Gene Barry , a show that was notable for being one of the first hit Broadway musicals centered around a gay couple. The musical was tried out in Boston, where Herman worried: A man singing
609-452: A full album of the score. The Australian production was produced by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd. and opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney on 27 March 1965. Carole Cook was imported to star, making her the second woman to play the role of Dolly Levi. Jack Goode played Horace, alongside Bill Millican as Cornelius, Jill Perryman as Irene, Tikki Taylor as Minnie Fay, and Brian Hannan as Barnaby. Australian choreographer Betty Pounder
696-417: A gentleman ("Ribbons Down My Back"). Cornelius and Barnaby arrive at the shop and pretend to be rich. Horace and Dolly arrive at the shop, and Cornelius and Barnaby hide from him. Irene inadvertently mentions that she knows Cornelius, and Dolly tells her and Horace that even though Cornelius is Horace's clerk by day, he is a notorious New York playboy by night. Minnie screams when she finds Cornelius hiding in
783-599: A kiss before the night is over, but Barnaby isn't so sure. As the clerks have no money for a carriage, they tell the girls that walking to the restaurant shows that they've got "Elegance". At the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, Rudolph, the head waiter, prepares his service crew for Dolly Gallagher Levi's return: their usual lightning service, he tells them, must be "twice as lightning" ("The Waiters' Gallop"). Horace arrives with his date, but she proves neither as rich nor as elegant as Dolly had implied; furthermore she
870-418: A love song to another man--I don't think that's ever been done in a Broadway musical before. And, I mean, this was Boston, Katherine Cornell country. Frankly, I didn't know whether or not they'd throw stones. The audience gave it an ovation. That's when I started to think, 'We've done something right. They've bought the characters.' " Ticket sales were strong for its Boston tryout; a two-week extension required
957-504: A new outlet for "poets, playwrights, actors, songwriters, and designers. ... The first great Off-Broadway musical was the 1954 revival" of The Threepenny Opera , which proved that off-Broadway productions could be financially successful. Critic John Gassner argued at the time, however, that "Broadway is just as eclectic – and just as footless – as 'Off-Broadway'." Theatre Row , on West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in Manhattan,
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#17330854650901044-521: A professional venue in Manhattan with a seating capacity of at least 100, but not more than 499, or a production that appears in such a venue and adheres to related trade union and other contracts. Previously, regardless of the size of the venue, a theatre was considered a Broadway (rather than off-Broadway) house if it was within the "Broadway Box", extending from 40th Street north to 54th Street and from Sixth Avenue west to Eighth Avenue , including Times Square and West 42nd Street . This change to
1131-502: A project that was to become one of his more successful, Hello, Dolly! . The original production ran for 2,844 performances, the longest running musical for its time, and was later revived three times. Although facing stiff competition from Funny Girl , Hello, Dolly! swept the Tony Awards that season, winning 10, a record that remained unbroken for 37 years, until The Producers won 12 Tonys in 2001. In 1966, Herman's next musical
1218-654: A revue. As well as supplying the music, Herman wrote the book and directed the one-hour revue, called Nightcap . He asked his friend, Phyllis Newman , to do movement and dance and it featured Charles Nelson Reilly (who later co-starred in Hello, Dolly! ). The show opened in May 1958 and ran for two years. Herman next collected enough original material to put together an Off-Broadway revue called Parade in 1960. Herman directed with choreography by Richard Tone. The cast included Charles Nelson Reilly and Dody Goodman . It first opened at
1305-467: A role theatrical audiences of the world would forever associate with her. The show moved to Broadway in 1964, winning 10 Tony Awards , including Best Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for Channing. The awards earned set a record which the play held for 37 years. The show album Hello, Dolly! An Original Cast Recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. The album reached number one on
1392-509: A special USO performance for U.S. troops. After Channing left the Broadway show, she headed a second US tour beginning in September 1965. 18 months later, Rogers also joined the roadshow production. It ran for two years and nine months. Eve Arden and Dorothy Lamour were replacements. Grable led another touring company before joining the Broadway show. Bailey and Calloway headed an all-Black tour in 1967 prior to their Broadway run, which
1479-572: A venue and adheres to related trade union and other contracts. Some shows that premiere off-Broadway are subsequently produced on Broadway. The term originally referred to any venue, and its productions, on a street intersecting Broadway in Midtown Manhattan 's Theater District , the hub of the American theatre industry. It later became defined by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers as
1566-433: A young artist, wants to marry Horace's weepy niece Ermengarde, but Horace opposes this because Ambrose's vocation does not guarantee a steady living. Ambrose enlists Dolly's help, and they travel to Yonkers, New York to visit Horace, who is a prominent citizen there and owns Vandergelder's Hay and Feed. Horace explains to his two clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, that he is going to get married because "It Takes
1653-478: Is a concentration of off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theatres. It was developed in the mid-1970s and modernized in 2002. Many off-Broadway shows have had subsequent runs on Broadway, including such musicals as Hair , Godspell , Little Shop of Horrors , Sunday in the Park with George , Rent , Grey Gardens , Urinetown , Avenue Q , The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee , Rock of Ages , In
1740-536: Is delighted that he can now pay the restaurant bill, while Horace finds only a little spare change. Barnabay and Cornelius realize that the wallet must belong to Horace. Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby and Minnie try to sneak out during "The Polka Contest", but Horace recognizes them and spots Ermengarde and Ambrose as well. The ensuing free-for-all culminates in a trip to night court. Cornelius and Barnaby confess that they have no money and have never been to New York before. Cornelius declares that even if he has to dig ditches
1827-432: Is excited because brassy widow Dolly Gallagher Levi is in town ("Call on Dolly"). Dolly makes a living through what she calls "meddling" – matchmaking and numerous sidelines, including dance instruction and mandolin lessons ("I Put My Hand In"). She is currently seeking a wife for grumpy Horace Vandergelder, the well-known half-a-millionaire, but it becomes clear that Dolly intends to marry Horace herself. Ambrose Kemper,
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#17330854650901914-408: Is soon bored by Horace and leaves, as Dolly had planned she would. Cornelius, Barnaby, and their dates arrive, unaware that Horace is also dining at the restaurant. Irene and Minnie, inspired by the restaurant's opulence, order the menu's most expensive items. Cornelius and Barnaby grow increasingly anxious as they discover they have little more than a dollar left. Dolly makes her triumphant return to
2001-543: The New York Daily News lauded Carol Channing's performance, declaring her "the most outgoing woman on the musical stage today – big and warm, all eyes and smiles, in love with everybody in the theatre and possessing a unique voice ranging somewhat upward from a basso profundo ." He also wrote, "I wouldn't say that Jerry Herman's score is memorable." New York Post critic Richard Watts, Jr., wrote, The fact that [ Hello, Dolly! ] seems to me short on charm, warmth, and
2088-530: The Lucille Lortel Award (created in 1985 by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres & Producers), and the Drama League Award . Although off-Broadway shows are not eligible for Tony Awards , an exception was made in 1956 (before the rules were changed), when Lotte Lenya won Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for the off-Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera . Capacity
2175-496: The St. James Theatre and closed on December 27, 1970, after 2,844 performances. Carol Channing starred as Dolly, with a supporting cast that included David Burns as Horace, Charles Nelson Reilly as Cornelius, Eileen Brennan as Irene, Jerry Dodge as Barnaby, Sondra Lee as Minnie Fay, Mary Jo Catlett as Ermengarde, and Igors Gavon as Ambrose. Although facing competition from Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand , Hello, Dolly! swept
2262-734: The Tony Awards in 1964, winning awards in ten categories (out of eleven nominations) that tied the musical with the previous record keeper South Pacific , record that remained unbroken for 37 years until The Producers won twelve Tonys in 2001. After Channing left the show, Merrick employed prominent actresses to play Dolly, including Ginger Rogers , who started on August 9, 1965; Martha Raye , starting on February 27, 1967; Betty Grable , from June 12, 1967, to November 5, 1967; Pearl Bailey (in an all-black version with Cab Calloway as Horace) starting on November 12, 1967 (with Thelma Carpenter as her alternate); Phyllis Diller , as of December 26, 1969; and Ethel Merman (after having turned down
2349-693: The West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on December 2, 1965, and ran for 794 performances. Champion directed and choreographed, and the cast starred Mary Martin as Dolly (after she, as well as Merman, had turned down the role for the original run of the show) and Loring Smith as Horace Vandergelder. Smith had created the Horace role in the original Broadway production of The Matchmaker , Johnny Beecher as Barnaby, Garrett Lewis as Cornelius, Mark Alden as Ambrose Kemper, and Marilynn Lovell as Irene Molloy. Dora Bryan replaced Martin from May 1966 until
2436-505: The polka competition at the upscale Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in New York City so Ambrose can demonstrate his ability to be a breadwinner to Horace. Cornelius, Barnaby, Ambrose, Ermengarde and Dolly all take the train to New York ("Put on Your Sunday Clothes"). Irene and Minnie open their hat shop for the afternoon. Irene wants a husband, but does not love Horace Vandergelder. She declares that she will wear an elaborate hat to impress
2523-509: The 1965 production, starred as Dolly Levi. The production opened at the State Theatre, Melbourne , followed by Lyric Theatre, Brisbane , Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney , Festival Theatre, Adelaide and His Majesty's Theatre, Perth . The Production Company has staged Hello, Dolly! at the State Theatre, Melbourne twice: first in 2002, starring Amanda Muggleton , then again in 2017, starring Marina Prior . Hello, Dolly! premiered in
2610-492: The 2014 Curve Theatre (Leicester) production of Hello, Dolly! , headlined by Janie Dee whose castmates included Laura Pitt-Pulford as Irene and Michael Xavier as Cornelius. The 2009 Regent's Park Open Air Theatre revival of Hello, Dolly , headlined by Samantha Spiro under the direction of Timothy Sheader , ran July 30 – September 12, with other cast members including Allan Corduner (Horace), Josefina Gabrielle (Irene), and Akiya Henry (Minnie Fay). The production
2697-615: The 7000 block of Hollywood Boulevard . The Jerry Herman Ring Theatre , the campus theater at the University of Miami , his alma mater, is named in his honor. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982. Herman's work has been the subject of two popular musical revues, Jerry's Girls conceived by Larry Alford, and Showtune (2003) conceived by Paul Gilger . A 90-minute documentary about his life and career, Words and Music by Jerry Herman , by filmmaker Amber Edwards,
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2784-552: The Billboard album chart on June 6, 1964, and was replaced the next week by Louis Armstrong 's album Hello, Dolly! Louis Armstrong also was featured in the film version of the show, performing a small part of the song "Hello, Dolly!" . The show has become one of the most enduring musical theater hits, with four Broadway revivals and international success. It was also made into the 1969 film Hello Dolly! by 20th Century Fox , which won three Academy Awards, including Best Score of
2871-646: The Broadway Box are the Laura Pels Theatre and The Theater Center . The off-Broadway movement started in the 1950s as a reaction to the perceived commercialism of Broadway and provided less expensive venues for shows that have employed many future Broadway artists. An early success was Circle in the Square Theatre 's 1952 production of Summer and Smoke by Tennessee Williams . According to theatre historians Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik, off-Broadway offered
2958-740: The Gay Mens Chorus of Washington, and Lansbury. Also honored were talk show host/actress Oprah Winfrey , dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones , country singer-songwriter Merle Haggard , and singer-songwriter/musician Paul McCartney . Having a flair for decorating in the 1970s, Herman took a break from composition after the failure of Mack and Mabel . Architectural Digest wrote about the firehouse he renovated and he also redecorated other houses and sold them. According to The Washington Post , Herman decorated three dozen homes. Herman reportedly listed his 4,088-square-foot (379.8 m) West Hollywood condominium apartment for sale early in 2013. Herman
3045-463: The Harmonia Gardens and is greeted in style by the staff ("Hello, Dolly!") She sits in the now-empty seat at Horace's table and proceeds to eat a large, expensive dinner, telling the exasperated Horace that no matter what he says, she will not marry him. Barnaby and Horace hail waiters at the same time, and in the ensuing confusion each drops his wallet and inadvertently picks up the other's. Barnaby
3132-921: The Heights , Spring Awakening , Next to Normal , Hedwig and the Angry Inch , Fun Home , Hamilton , Dear Evan Hansen , Hadestown , and Kimberly Akimbo . In particular, two that became Broadway hits, Grease and A Chorus Line , encouraged other producers to premiere their shows off-Broadway. Plays that have moved from off-Broadway houses to Broadway include Doubt , I Am My Own Wife , Bridge & Tunnel , The Normal Heart , and Coastal Disturbances . Other productions, such as Stomp , Blue Man Group , Altar Boyz , Perfect Crime , Forbidden Broadway , Nunsense , Naked Boys Singing , Bat Boy: The Musical , and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change have had runs of many years off-Broadway, never moving to Broadway. The Fantasticks ,
3219-527: The Parade Passes By" and sent it to Champion. By the time the next set of tryouts in Washington began, a different number with the same name, written by Herman, was included in the show. After Strouse and Adams threatened to sue the production, they were given a songwriting credit for the song. That conflict led to an eight-year-long feud between Champion and Michael Stewart on one side and Strouse and Adams on
3306-407: The Parade Passes By". She asks Ephraim's permission to marry Horace, requesting a sign from him. Dolly catches up with the annoyed Vandergelder, who has missed the whole parade, and she convinces him to give her matchmaking one more chance. She tells him that Ernestina Money would be perfect for him and asks him to meet her at the swanky Harmonia Gardens that evening. Cornelius is determined to get
3393-602: The Roof . The run was not continuous, unlike My Fair Lady , with several week-long breaks, including a week where the production moved to St. Louis. The Broadway production of Hello Dolly! grossed $ 27 million. By August 1970, it had made a profit of $ 8.5 million against its $ 350,000 investment. Mary Martin starred in a US tour, starting in April 1965 and playing in 11 cities. The production also toured in Japan , Korea and Vietnam for
3480-579: The Showboy , a show which pays tribute to Herman; Graae worked extensively with Herman and described him as "a survivor of the highest degree [who] lives his life as an eternal optimist." In 2010, he received a Kennedy Center Honor . Introduced by Angela Lansbury , there were performances by Carol Channing , Matthew Morrison , Christine Baranski and Christine Ebersole , Laura Benanti , Sutton Foster , Matthew Bomer and Kelli O' Hara , 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree Chita Rivera , an unknown choir that included
3567-566: The Showplace and, expanded, moved to the Players Theatre in January 1960. In 1960, Herman made his Broadway debut with the revue From A to Z , which featured contributions from newcomers Woody Allen and Fred Ebb as well. That same year producer Gerard Oestreicher approached him after seeing a performance of "Parade" , and asked if he would be interested in composing the score for a show about
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3654-527: The armoire. Horace is about to open the armoire himself, but Dolly, Irene and Minnie distract him with patriotic sentiments related to subjects like Betsy Ross and The Battle of the Alamo shown in the famous lyrics "Alamo, remember the Alamo!" ("Motherhood March"). Cornelius sneezes, and Horace storms out, realizing there are men hiding in the shop, but not knowing they are his clerks. Dolly arranges for Cornelius and Barnaby, who are still pretending to be rich, to take
3741-772: The box office to remain open for 36 hours straight to handle the demand. Advance sales for its Broadway debut at the Palace Theatre were described as "something approximating outright pandemonium." La Cage aux Folles won the Tony Award for Best Musical (1983), later became the first musical to win the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical twice (2005 and 2010). A revue of Herman's work ran on Broadway from December 1985 to April 1986: Jerry's Girls featured Dorothy Loudon , Leslie Uggams , and Chita Rivera . Many of Herman's show tunes have become pop standards. " Hello, Dolly! "
3828-407: The contractual definition of "off-Broadway" benefited theatres satisfying the 499-seat criterion because of the lower minimum required salary for Actors' Equity performers at Off-Broadway theatres as compared with the salary requirements of the union for Broadway theatres. The adoption of the 499-seat criterion occurred after a one-day strike in January 1974. Examples of off-Broadway theatres within
3915-452: The curtain. It is not, however, included in the licensed version for stock and amateur productions from Tams Witmark. The song "Elegance", though credited to Herman, was written by Bob Merrill for the 1957 show New Girl in Town but deleted from the original production. The musical, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick, opened on January 16, 1964, at
4002-540: The founding of the state of Israel. The result was his first full-fledged Broadway musical, Milk and Honey in 1961. The show, about American tourists in Israel, starred Robert Weede , Mimi Benzell and Molly Picon . It received respectable reviews, was nominated for a Tony award, and ran for 543 performances. Herman met playwright Tad Mosel in 1960 and they collaborated on an Off-Broadway musical adaptation of Mosel's 1953 television play, Madame Aphrodite . The musical of
4089-408: The girl of it. ... Channing opens wide her big-as-millstone eyes, spreads her white-gloved arms in ecstatic abandon, trots out on a circular runway that surrounds the orchestra, and proceeds to dance rings around the conductor. ... With hair like orange sea foam, a contralto like a horse's neighing, and a confidential swagger, [she is] a musical comedy performer with all the blowzy glamor of the girls on
4176-500: The intangible quality of distinction in no way alters my conviction that it will be an enormous popular success. Herman has composed a score that is always pleasant and agreeably tuneful, although the only number that comes to mind at the moment is the lively title song. His lyrics could be called serviceable. In the New York Herald Tribune , Walter Kerr wrote, Hello, Dolly! is a musical comedy dream, with Carol Channing
4263-450: The ladies out to dinner to the Harmonia Gardens restaurant to make up for their humiliation. She teaches Cornelius and Barnaby how to dance since they always have dancing at such establishments ("Dancing"). Soon, Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby, and Minnie are happily dancing. They go to watch the great 14th Street Association Parade together. Alone, Dolly decides to put her dear departed husband Ephraim behind her and to move on with life "Before
4350-411: The last woman in the world. Dolly angrily bids him "So Long, Dearie", telling him that while he's bored and lonely, she'll be living the high life. The next morning, back at the hay and feed store, Cornelius and Irene, Barnaby and Minnie, and Ambrose and Ermengarde each set out on new life's paths. A chastened Horace Vandergelder finally admits that he needs Dolly in his life, but Dolly is unsure about
4437-525: The lead at the show's inception) from March 28, 1970, to December 27, 1970. Two songs cut prior to the opening – typical belt style songs "World, Take Me Back" and "Love, Look in My Window" – were restored for Merman's run. Jo Anne Worley was Channing's original standby but she never went on. She later played Dolly in regional and summer stock productions. Bibi Osterwald was the standby for Dolly following Worley's and Channings' departures, subbing for all
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#17330854650904524-616: The longest-running musical in Broadway history, which also produced the hit title song for Louis Armstrong ; Mame (1966), a vehicle for Angela Lansbury ; and La Cage aux Folles (1984), the first hit Broadway musical about a gay couple. In 2009, Herman received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre . He was a recipient of the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors . Herman was born in Manhattan and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey ,
4611-646: The longest-running musical in theatre history, spent its original 42-year run off-Broadway and had another off-Broadway run from 2006 to 2017. Off-Broadway shows, performers, and creative staff are eligible for the following awards: the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award , the Outer Critics Circle Award , the Drama Desk Award , the Obie Award (presented since 1956 by The Village Voice ),
4698-476: The marriage until her late husband sends her a sign. Vandergelder spontaneously repeats a saying of Ephraim's: "Money is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread about, encouraging young things to grow." Horace tells Dolly life would be dull without her, and she promises in return that she'll "never go away again" ("Hello, Dolly" (reprise)). Source: *Song cut before Broadway Opening, reinstated when Ethel Merman joined to play Dolly. **Song
4785-749: The only child of musically inclined, middle-class Jewish parents. He learned to play piano at an early age, and he frequently attended Broadway musicals . Herman's father Harry was a gym teacher and in the summer worked in the Catskill Mountains hotels. His mother Ruth (née Sachs) also worked in the hotels as a singer, pianist, and children's teacher, and eventually became an English teacher. Herman told People Magazine in 1986 that his mother, who died in 1954, long before his success on Broadway, "was glamorous like Mame and witty like Dolly." After marrying, his parents lived in Jersey City and continued to work in
4872-465: The original production were generally positive, and Carol Channing's performance as Dolly Gallagher Levi was greatly acclaimed; however, some reviewers criticized the score and the libretto , implying that Channing's performance was responsible for the efficacy of the show. In his review of the opening night performance, The New York Times theatre critic Howard Taubman wrote Hello, Dolly! ... has qualities of freshness and imagination that are rare in
4959-483: The other. The official songwriting credits as listed with ASCAP have Adams, Herman and Strouse as co-writers. ***Song replaced "Come and Be My Butterfly" during Broadway Run. ^Horace Vandergelder's solo "Penny in My Pocket", although it received rave responses out of town, was cut prior to the Broadway opening for reasons of time. For the 2017 Broadway Revival, it was added back in as the opening of Act Two in front of
5046-459: The rest of his life, he'll never forget the day because he had met Irene. Cornelius, Barnaby, and Ambrose then each profess their love for their companion ("It Only Takes A Moment"). Dolly convinces the judge that their only crime was being in love. The judge finds everyone innocent and cleared of all charges, but Horace is declared guilty and forced to pay damages. Dolly mentions marriage again, and Horace declares that he wouldn't marry her if she were
5133-664: The role of Cornelius. The production closed on August 25, 2018, with Midler and Hyde Pierce returning to play Dolly and Horace (respectively) from July 17, 2018, to closing. Betty Buckley played the title role in the first national tour of the 2017 Broadway revival, which began performances in Cleveland, Ohio in October 2018 in the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square, after a tryout in Utica, New York in September 2018. Opening night reviews of
5220-542: The role of Dolly at Tuesday evening performances beginning in June 2017, as well as covering Midler's holiday dates. She played her final performance on January 7, 2018. Midler won the Tony for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and Creel for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, at the 71st Tony Awards in 2017. Midler, Pierce, Trensch, and Feldstein left the production on January 14, 2018. Bernadette Peters took over
5307-533: The role of Dolly with previews from January 20, 2018, officially on February 22, 2018, and Victor Garber took over the role of Horace Vandergelder. Charlie Stemp assumed the role of Barnaby Tucker on January 20, 2018. Santino Fontana temporarily played the role of Cornelius Hackl from March 2018 to May 6 while Gavin Creel recovered from back surgery. Creel returned to the role on May 8, 2018. Before Fontana's temporary engagement, understudy Christian Dante White played
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#17330854650905394-455: The run of our machine-made musicals. It transmutes the broadly stylized mood of a mettlesome farce into the gusto and colors of the musical stage. ... Mr. Herman's songs are brisk and pointed and always tuneful ... a shrewdly mischievous performance by Carol Channing. ... Making the necessary reservations for the unnecessary vulgar and frenzied touches, one is glad to welcome Hello, Dolly! for its warmth, color and high spirits. John Chapman of
5481-666: The same name , which starred Nancy Andrews in the title role, opened at the Orpheum Theatre in December 1961 but closed after 13 performances. The show has never been performed since. The failure of the musical hurt Herman, who felt that the direction and casting had not worked, but described his decision to make it as a "very brave thing for me to do...It was a dark piece, something more suited to early Sondheim than me". In 1964, producer David Merrick united Herman with musical actress Carol Channing and librettist Michael Stewart for
5568-468: The same time, from February to May 1969: Hello, Dolly! , Mame , and Dear World . He was the first (of two) composers/lyricists to have three musicals run more than 1500 consecutive performances on Broadway (the other being Stephen Schwartz ): Hello, Dolly! (2,844 performances), Mame (1,508), and La Cage aux Folles (1,761). Herman is honored by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , at
5655-410: The sheet music of 1916. Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres , but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer than 100. An "off-Broadway production" is a production of a play , musical , or revue that appears in such
5742-450: The show closed in October 1967. The show has been revived four times on Broadway : In the West End the show has been three times revived (to date, July 2024): A 1989 UK tour of the show of Hello, Dolly! , directed and choreographed by Paul Kerryson, was headlined by Dora Bryan reprising her 1965-66 West End role. Bryan's castmates included Norman Rossington as Horace and Kathryn Evans as Irene. Kerryson would subsequently direct
5829-596: The show was so popular it ran for an additional 17 performances. Herman belonged to the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. Herman graduated from the University of Miami in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and received a Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1980. Following his graduation from the University of Miami in 1953, Herman moved to New York City, where he produced the Off-Broadway revue I Feel Wonderful , which
5916-400: The show's title after hearing Louis Armstrong 's version of "Hello, Dolly". The show became one of the most iconic Broadway shows of the latter half of the 1960s, and running for 2,844 performances, was the longest-running musical in Broadway history for a time. Sources: Tams-Witmark Guide to Musical Theatre Masterworks Broadway As the 19th becomes the 20th century, all of New York City
6003-522: The stars, including Bailey, despite the fact that Osterwald was white. Marie Bryant and Novella Nelson also covered for the role of Dolly. Bailey received a Special Tony Award in 1968. The show received rave reviews, with "praise for Carol Channing and particularly Gower Champion." The original production became the longest-running musical (and third longest-running show) in September 1970 in Broadway history up to that time, surpassing My Fair Lady and then being surpassed in turn by Fiddler on
6090-455: The store in his absence. Cornelius decides that he and Barnaby need to get out of Yonkers and have an adventure in New York. They blow up some tomato cans to create a terrible stench as a pretext to close the store. Dolly mentions that she knows two ladies in New York they should call on: Irene Molloy and her shop assistant, Minnie Fay. She tells Ermengarde and Ambrose that she will enter them in
6177-537: The story of Dolly Gallagher Levi , a strong-willed matchmaker, as she travels to Yonkers, New York , to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder. Hello, Dolly! debuted at the Fisher Theater in Detroit on November 18, 1963, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick . It starred stage performer Carol Channing as Dolly Gallagher Levi,
6264-579: The summers in various camps until they became head counselors and finally ran Stissing Lake Camp in the small town of Pine Plains , New York, in the Taconic Mountains . Herman spent all of his summers there, from age 6 to 23. It was at camp that he first became involved in theatrical productions, as director of Oklahoma! , Finian's Rainbow and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn . Herman graduated from Jersey City's Henry Snyder High School . At age 17, Herman
6351-597: Was a No. 1 hit in the United States for Louis Armstrong , knocking The Beatles from No. 1 in 1964 after a 14-week run at the top (" I Want to Hold Your Hand ", " She Loves You ", and " Can't Buy Me Love ."). A French recording by Petula Clark charted in the Top Ten in both Canada and France. "If He Walked into My Life" from Mame was recorded by Eydie Gormé , winning her a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Female in 1967. " I Am What I Am " from La Cage aux Folles
6438-436: Was a flop, so he revised it and retitled it as The Matchmaker in 1954, expanding the role of Dolly (played by Ruth Gordon ). The role of Dolly Gallagher Levi was originally written for Ethel Merman but she turned it down, as did Mary Martin —although both eventually played it. Merrick then auditioned Nancy Walker , but he hired Carol Channing , who then went on to originate the role of Dolly. Director Gower Champion
6525-500: Was employed to stage the musical numbers. Jill Perryman served as understudy to Carole Cook. Nancye Hayes was featured in the ensemble as well as understudying the part of Irene Molloy. After a successful season in Sydney, the show went on to play Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne , and His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland in 1966. In 1995 a new Australian tour was presented by Gordon Frost. Jill Perryman , who starred as Irene Molloy in
6612-516: Was given a second cast album. Carole Cook , (the second actress to play the title role, after Channing, appearing in Australia and New Zealand productions), Dorothy Lamour , Eve Arden , Ann Miller , Michele Lee , Edie Adams , and Yvonne De Carlo also played the role on tour. Betty White appeared with the Kenley Players as Dolly in the summer of 1979. Molly Picon appeared as Dolly in
6699-546: Was honored with the Olivier Award as the best London-area stage musical revival of 2009, also earning Olivier awards for leading lady Samantha Spiro and for choreographer Stephen Mear . On January 19, 2016, it was announced that Bette Midler would play the title role in a Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! . Previews began March 15, 2017, officially opening on April 20, 2017, at the Shubert Theatre . The production
6786-498: Was introduced to Frank Loesser who, after hearing material he had written, urged him to continue composing. He left the Parsons School of Design to attend the University of Miami , which has one of the nation's most avant garde theater departments. While an undergraduate student at the University of Miami, Herman produced, wrote and directed a college musical called Sketchbook . It was scheduled to run for three performances, but
6873-529: Was made up of material he had written at the university. It opened at the Theatre de Lys in Greenwich Village on October 18, 1954, and ran for 48 performances. It was his only show his mother saw; she died of cancer at the age of forty-four in December 1954. Herman said "I went into serious grieving." In 1957, Herman approached the owner of a West Fourth Street jazz club called the Showplace and asked to put on
6960-456: Was not included in the original version. During the tryouts in Detroit , Gower Champion invited Charles Strouse and Lee Adams to consult on improvements to the musical. David Merrick was aware of their involvement, but Jerry Herman was not, even though Strouse was under the impression that Herman knew about it. Strouse and Adams suggested re-working the ending of Act I, wrote a new song "Before
7047-458: Was not the producer's first choice, but Hal Prince and others turned it down, among them Jerome Robbins and Joe Layton . Hello, Dolly! had rocky tryouts in Detroit, Michigan , and Washington, D.C. After receiving the reviews, the creators made major changes to the script and score, including the addition of the song "Before the Parade Passes By". Initially called Dolly, A Damned Exasperating Woman , then Call on Dolly , Merrick revised
7134-477: Was openly gay, and at the time of his death was partnered with Terry Marler, a real estate broker. Herman was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1985. As noted in the Words and Music PBS documentary, "He is one of the fortunate ones who survived to see experimental drug therapies take hold and was still, as one of his lyrics proclaims, 'alive and well and thriving' over a quarter of a century later." Herman's memoir, Showtune ,
7221-457: Was produced by Scott Rudin , directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle . David Hyde Pierce played Horace Vandergelder. Other principal casting for this revival included Kate Baldwin as Irene Molloy, Gavin Creel as Cornelius Hackl, Jennifer Simard as Ernestina Money, Taylor Trensch as Barnaby Tucker, Will Burton as Ambrose Kemper, Melanie Moore as Ermengarde, and Beanie Feldstein as Minnie Fay. Donna Murphy played
7308-450: Was published in 1996. He died at a hospital in Miami on December 26, 2019, at age 88. Source: TCM Hello, Dolly! (musical) Hello, Dolly! is a 1964 musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart , based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers , which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1954. The musical follows
7395-494: Was recorded by Gloria Gaynor . Other well known Herman showtunes include "Shalom" from Milk and Honey ; "Before the Parade Passes By", "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", and "It Only Takes a Moment" from Hello, Dolly! ; "It's Today!", "Open a New Window", " We Need a Little Christmas ," and "Bosom Buddies" from Mame ; and "Tap Your Troubles Away", "I Won't Send Roses" and "Time Heals Everything" from Mack & Mabel . His " I Am What I Am ," written for La Cage aux Folles , became
7482-464: Was screened in 2007 and then broadcast on PBS . In the 2008 animated film WALL-E , Herman's music from Hello, Dolly! is a theme for the character WALL-E. In 1989, American-playwright Natalie Gaupp wrote a short play titled The Jerry Herman Center . The play is a comedy which portrays the lives of several patients in "The Jerry Herman Center for Musical Theatre Addiction." In 2012, Jason Graae and Faith Prince collaborated on The Prince and
7569-682: Was the hit Mame starring Angela Lansbury , which introduced a string of Herman standards, most notably the ballad "If He Walked Into My Life", the holiday favorite "We Need a Little Christmas", and the title tune. Although not commercial successes, Dear World (1969) starring Angela Lansbury , Mack & Mabel (1974) starring Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters , and The Grand Tour (1979) starring Joel Grey are noted for their interesting concepts and their melodic, memorable scores. Herman considers Mack & Mabel , also written in collaboration with Michael Stewart , his personal favorite score with later composition La Cage aux Folles in
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