Local Betty Buckley Triumphs in “Hello, Dolly!”
“I couldn’t stop smiling.”
That statement right there came from the woman sitting behind me last night at the opening of “Hello, Dolly!” at the Musical Hall at Fair Park. I couldn’t have agreed with her more.
There is so much to like about this hit musical – it’s no wonder NPR called it “the best show of the year” and it was the winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival.
“Hello, Dolly!” is about Dolly Gallagher Levi, a middle-aged New York busybody who has her sights set on marrying a half millionaire in Yonkers – only it’s not that easy. She was hired to find a young wife for the half millionaire.
See Dolly is also a marriage broker in 1880s New York City who also runs side hustles including music lessons, long-distance hauling, varicose-vein reduction, and surgical corset-reboning, which she advertises with business cards pulled from a carpet bag.
Here are three reasons to catch this revival:
- It’s still relevant: Although the production has an 1885-via-1960s tone with its cartoonish flare (think the original “Mary Poppins:), it’s incredibly relevant to today’s climate of female empowerment. With lines such as “marriage is a bribe to make a housekeeper think she’s a householder,” it reminds viewers how far we’ve come.
- It’s just fun: From the beautiful costuming to the dance numbers that cause you to tap your feet, the show is impressive. Some of the choreography is also downright impressive, such as in scenes at a hat store in the city and a restaurant number that blew me away. It really is a tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
- Betty Buckley: This Tony-Award winning Broadway legend (and Fort Worth native) is reason enough to see this show. Ms. Buckley is beyond talented. She is engaging. She is captivating. She can SING! She has so much fun with songs like “I Put My Hand In” and she soars with “Before the Parade Passes By.” She is also hilarious and had me and just about everyone else rolling in the rows when she slurped gravy from a gravy boat in a court scene.
Tickets are on sale online by clicking here.
