Hello (again), Dolly!
Bette Midler — who nabbed a Tony Award last year for her box-office busting appearance in “Hello, Dolly” — will make her return to Jerry Herman’s classic musical this summer, taking back the role from fellow icon Bernadette Peters. Midler will reprise the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi from July 17 through August 25, at which point the revival’s time at the Shubert Theatre will come to a close.
“I am delighted to return to the scene of one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Midler said in a statement. “I know the brilliant Bernadette Peters enjoyed her turn as much as I did. Dolly Levi is one of the most joyful characters in Broadway history, and Bernadette and I were lucky to be able to step into her glorious shoes.”
If Midler’s last go-round is any indication, the Shubert is in for another smash. The three-time Grammy winner’s 2017 Broadway run helped bolster a record-breaking season for the Great White Way, raking in $18,371,124, the fourth-highest premiering gross of the season.
Midler’s run was a critical darling, as well. amNewYork theater critic Matt Windman dubbed the “Hello, Dolly!” revival the best ticket in New York for 2017. “As led by Bette Midler,” Windman wrote, “this lavish revival is a celebration of life crafted in old-fashioned showmanship and pure euphoria.”
Joining Midler for her limited engagement are original co-stars David Hyde Pierce as Horace Vandergelder and Tony-winner Gavin Creel as Cornelius Hackl.
Said Pierce in a statement: “Bette Midler is a crazy woman and I can’t wait to get back on stage with her.”
