If there was ever any doubt that the return of beloved Broadway star Bette Midler in a canonical American musical long overdue for revival was going to be a hit, the first day of ticket sales for Hello, Dolly! erased it. Producer Scott Rudin had announced the revival on January 19, saying Midler would play the title role of Dolly Gallagher Levi.
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Midler shared the news on Twitter and wrote: ‘Wow!’ Tickets had gone on sale Saturday, and within a day, the show had brought in $9,082,497.
Jerry Zaks directs the revival, which opens on April 20th after previews begin March 15th.
The news that classic drama film Beaches is being remade by Lifetime attracted a certain amount backlash from fans of the original when it was announced last month, and Idina has admitted that being cast as iconic character CC Bloom, who was famously by Bette Midler in the 1988 original, could amount to “career suicide”.
Midler made her Broadway debut in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof in 1967.
Midler has been a singer, actress and comedienne for almost half a century and has won three Grammy awards, four Golden Globes, two Emmys, and a Tony Award. Divine Madness (in 1979). Carol Channing didn’t miss a performance from 1964 to 1968.
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It was announced earlier this year that Midler will fill she shoes of Carol Channing (who won a Tony for originating the titular Dolly in 1964) and Barbra Streisand (who brought the role to the big screen in 1969) as the now-iconic matchmaker and NY socialite Dolly. Pearl Bailey followed her, and Ethel Merman closed the show after seven years. The 1969 film version starring Barbara Streisand in the title role won three Oscars and was nominated for four more.
