Hello, Dolly! - London Palladium (2024)

[SilverFox]

I wonder if these actors were as strongly in favour of age-blind casting 40 years ago?

[amyja89]

I think it comes down to a case of Harry Hepple playing a convincing 33 despite being 40, and Jenna simply looking her age (56, and looking great). Perhaps I didn't express myself as well as I could have, but I was more interested in whether the seeming age difference in the characters is something that is traditional within the story, rather than being put off by it.

It just felt slightly curious that Cornelius' age is explicitly mentioned as 33, and his being so seemingly inexperienced in love, and having a 17 year old best friend, made him feel even younger than his age. Whereas the very notion of Molloy being a widow (to modern audiences anyway), sets her up as a potentially older character to begin with.

As for Nyman and Staunton, they read as more or less the same age to me on stage.

[ladidah]

I agree, she did seem a lot older, and it didn't help that he was very innocent and gosh-golly.

[Being Alive]

amyja89 says it exactly as I feel - I enjoy Jenna a lot in most things she does, but she's just a bit miscast here (and Ribbons really needs a proper soprano like Kate Baldwin to let that number soar)

[iwanttix]

I saw this last night and actually really loved it. I didn't know anything about it and had only heard the title song at some point, but I was tempted by the front row for £20.

It's old fashioned, but that's perfectly OK. I enjoy old fashioned with big belting group numbers and the scale at the Palladium seemed perfect. Imelda was adorable as Dolly and I did feel a bit emotional for her when the title song was sung! Yes Jenna maybe felt older - but it didnt bother me because love strikes regardless of age, and I've liked her as a performer since Sister Sarah in Guys & Dolls.

The stage felt high, but in the front row I didn't feel like it was a problem, I've had far worse views in a seat which cost more before.

[appoul]

Good discounted seats for Saturday's and Monday's shows.
ticketing.lwtheatres.co.uk/event/364?PROMO=HDESHOT&utm_campaign=1622704_Hello+Dolly++%C2%A338.50+Offer++August+2024&utm_medium=email&utm_source=LW+Theatres&dm_i=504T%2CYS34%2C1PYBPU%2C4HE8Z%2C1&date=2024-08

[d'James]

Aug 21, 2024 6:11:52 GMT jr said:

There are quite a few comments about Jenna Russell's age and partnering her with a younger actor. To me that sounds a lot like ageism. I don't think it affects the chemistry between both of them and I didn't have any issues believing the relationship.

I think people need to get a grip and stop discriminating because of age. I remember when Vanessa Redgrave & James Earl Jones did Much ado and the reviews mostly focused on their ages. The production was terrible, really boring, but they were fantastic.

There was an interesting article in the Guardian about age blind casting a few days ago.

www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/aug/14/age-blind-casting-geraldine-james

It might not affect the chemistry, if there’s meant to be zero, which is what I found. I’m a big fan of him, not seen her in anything else, but they didn’t work together in this.

[Dawnstar]

Back 100+ years ago younger men marrying somewhat older widows did happen, especially if said widow had been left money or property by her first husband. So as Cornelius Hackl is only a clerk then marrying Irene Molloy, owner of a shop, would be marrying up economically for him. (I'm not saying the relationship was written like that but the age gap could be rationalised that way to fit with the mores of the period the show is set.)

[colelarson]

Saw this today for the Matinee and it was a packed house and a well deserved standing ovation was given.

Imelda was a sensation and sparkles as Dolly. I enjoyed Andy Nyman as the moody Horace and Jenna Russell singing "Ribbons Down My Back" was beautiful.

I throughly enjoyed the classic musical and was impressed by the staging including a train!

[Steve]

Aug 19, 2024 6:33:43 GMT jr said:

Aug 18, 2024 18:13:20 GMT Talisman said:

Yes   
Writer of book often gets little credit

Even less credit is given to Thornton Wilder as writer of the original play, when probably around 75% of the book is taken directly from The matchmaker.

Yes. And in the text of his play, at the beginning, Wilder does acknowledge his own sources:

"This play is based upon a comedy by Johann Nestroy,
Einen Jux will er sich machen (Vienna, 1842), which was in
turn based upon an English original, A Day Well Spent
(London, 1835) by John Oxenford."

So it all starts in 1835 with Oxenford lol.

These two comedies are basically the Cornelius and Barnaby storyline, and Wilder says he used that as the basic plot, then popped in a scene from Moliere's "The Miser," which included the matchmaker, Frosine, and developed the character of Dolly wholecloth out of that one scene to arbitrate the other plot.

In his preface, Wilder wrote "Literature has always more resembled a torch race" lol.

[sph]

When it comes to age, for me it was less about the age of the actors and more about the maturity level of the characters.

Hepple's Cornelius came across as very fresh and innocent with no experience with women. Russell's Irene came across as a mature widow who had seen a bit of life and now runs her own business. Quite opposite in many ways.

The age difference between Staunton and Nyman was not noticeable because the characters came across as being at the same point in their lives.

[shownut]

I was there last night and sat front row mezzanine so no complaints whatsover about the seat. :-)

Overall I found the evening very lacklustre. It had a few moments that were thrilling but nothing, aside from Imelda that really held my attention.

The sound was a huge issue. The orchestra sounded wonderful but the voices were often drowned out, especially Imelda's. The choreography lacked imagination and spark. The pacing, especially in the first five minutes was a mess. And while I adore Jenna Russell, she just wasn't up it last night (vocally underwhelming, perhaps from trying to be heard over the orchestra?).

I went in expecting to love it but was a bit bored by it all. It didn't help that I had two elderly couples sitting behind me that couldn't shut up, occasionally singing along or clapping (off-beat) and behaving as if they were at a panto. Very distracting.

But despite my many quibbles, I loved Imelda and thought she nailed the comedy while projecting a lot of heart.

Three stars from me.

[saral]

Got to see this today. I wasn't sure about seeing this, didn't have a clue what it was about, hadn't seen the film and only knew 2 or 3 of the songs.

After all that i gave it 4 out of 5, i actually really enjoyed, when things are described as musical comedies, i usually don't get it, but this had way more comedy than i was expecting. Audience seemed to love it, not ridiculously over the top love, but genuinely enjoying love.

I probably wouldn't need to see another production of it, but I enjoyed what i saw and was glad i went

[david]

I finally got to become a member of the £20 front row club tonight and had a really great night watching this one. I’m not normally one for the front row at the Palladium (I last sat there for Saturday Night Fever, so a good few years ago), but at £20 it was an absolute steal and despite missing legs and feet from cast members during the evening from my seat, overall, I certainly got full value for the ticket and to see that wonderful cast and orchestra at work up close tonight more than made up for it. 

An absolutely brilliant performance from Dame Imelda as Dolly, nailing the comedy aspects whilst still giving the character plenty of depth and heart.  Andy Nyman was great fun as Vandergelder, though watching it I would have liked a bit more with their relationship development. Going from a bickering couple to walking down the aisle at the end without much will they / won’t they development maybe meant that their story arc didn’t seem quite as satisfying as it could have been. The other aspect of the show that I had an issue with was the Molloy / Hackl plot strand. Whilst I had no issue with either Jenna’s or Harry’s performances which were both very watchable, how the characters came across for me didn’t work in making that relationship a believable one that I could be emotionally invested in. 

A really lovely score performed the cast along with that fantastic 21 piece orchestra under the directorship of MD Nicolas Skilbeck was a definite highlight for me. Though I would have liked the orchestra volume to of been turned down a notch or two as there were moments when they overpowered the vocals.

The appearance of the train in Act 1 was good fun and that video screen at the back of the stage certainly gets a good work out with this show. Designer Rae Smith has also done a nice job with the dresses in this show. 

Overall, despite the issues raised, an enjoyable 4⭐️ show for me.

[jr]

Booked 2 stalls tickets with their lottery. £29.50 each midstalls. Great option and you can choose, unlike Rush tickets on the day. Think originally around £100 each.

[fullofangerandhope90]

I saw the show last Tuesday. Seeing Imelda Stautnon was unreal. I had dreamed of seeing her in anything since I first heard her as the Baker's Wife on the OLC cast album of Into the Woods, and she was truly fantastic. Her Dolly was so multifaceted. So glad I saw it, but hoping she does another Sondheim show soon! Would love to see her in A Little Night Music...

[interval99]

First time seeing the whole show and it was an entertaining evening. Did find it chemistry free between the various couples and it seemed if they were in the same room they were matched, none gave me a they lived happy ever after feeling.
Had only seen clips of the normal powerhouse star singing the title song (Barbara, Carol, Danny la rue) but the lower key playing of Dolly worked fine until that number. If we are meant to belive the entire male staff of the restaurant are in drop everything awe of Dolly then she should have one hell of a charisma vibe. Instead they seem to wheel her around like the elderly aunt who wants a dance at the family party. Imelda was fine but hard to see her character any more commanding than any others in the show.
Overall certainly enjoyed more than kiss me kate and even discovered that we've got elegance is from this show.
Now need to finally watch the movie.
Was in row C and no issue with having to look up.

[Mr Crummles]

Aug 26, 2024 21:32:34 GMT interval99 said:

First time seeing the whole show and it was an entertaining evening. Did find it chemistry free between the various couples and it seemed if they were in the same room they were matched, none gave me a they lived happy ever after feeling.
Had only seen clips of the normal powerhouse star singing the title song (Barbara, Carol, Danny la rue) but the lower key playing of Dolly worked fine until that number. If we are meant to belive the entire male staff of the restaurant are in drop everything awe of Dolly then she should have one hell of a charisma vibe. Instead they seem to wheel her around like the elderly aunt who wants a dance at the family party. Imelda was fine but hard to see her character any more commanding than any others in the show.
Overall certainly enjoyed more than kiss me kate and even discovered that we've got elegance is from this show.
Now need to finally watch the movie.
Was in row C and no issue with having to look up.

It is interesting the different ways we perceive the same thing. For me the Hello, Dolly! scene here worked exactly because of its warmth. I imagined the old Dolly being a lively happy woman, happily married to her husband, happily distributing her happiness around, which was why she was fondly remembered and appreciated by the butlers. Now she is older, a bit less effusive as people who went through tough times tend to be, but still very warm and loving - and resourceful. She retains a little of her Irish roots, as her name and colour of her dress indicates. I thought the scene was charmingly textured, reflecting what I would expect from a lady in those days. The sentimental return works much better for me than the usual vedette descent, in red, with arms and legs being thrown in all directions, in a more show-business manner. I have seen a few different clips of the stair scene, and I feel they lack that touching atmosphere that mixes nostalgia, humanity and joy.

[fluxcapacitor]

Finally saw this last night and enjoyed it, but was left frustrated that it doesn't ever quite "get there". Cards on the table, I was lucky enough to see the Broadway revival with Bette Midler in 2018 which was heavily based on the original production with Carol Channing. That was one of the best nights I've ever spent in the theatre. It was funny, big, colourful, camp, touching and unapologetically broadway. This is a very different production, but I couldn't help but feel the changes were usually to its detriment.

Thankfully, Imelda Staunton is wonderful as Dolly. As many others have mentioned, she injects real warmth to the character and this reworking makes her journey out of mourning the backbone of the narrative more explicitly than it has been before. Everything around her just never quite hit the heights it could have for me. It's not helped by some of the reordering/additions. The new opening scene means the show doesn't start sprinting straight out of the blocks, rather limping slowly into 'Call on Dolly', and the placement of "Love, Look in My Window" kills the pace and takes away from Dolly's original first second act entrance on the staircase. The choreography overall seems unfocused, with the narrative purpose of many dance numbers (Dancing, The Polka Contest) seemingly forgotten, or they've just become sloppy and broad during the run. The constant use of the conveyor belt is also frustrating. It's effective a few times, but then often used for the sake of it so takes away from scenes where characters could just be connecting with each other instead of walking.

It's enjoyable enough because the original material is just so good, and maybe I'm being picky due to the high expectations, but ultimately I'd choose the Midler version over this one any day.

[dahlia]

I saw this one quite a while back, and I still don’t know what to think. It was a four star production, but apart from that… I don’t know.

The story, so I suppose the book, is not for me. I don’t find the romance (f it’s supposed to be romance?) believable or enjoyable. I liked the performances, but not the characters. I find the character Horace so revoltingly unattractive that I can’t enjoy him being tamed. I suppose you could say that’s sort of successful in terms of the story, but this story doesn’t resonate with me at all.

I did enjoy IS’s performance a lot, and HH, but I still can’t think of a reason why I should care about the story. I think the point made earlier in the thread of a lady making a life for herself in spite of grief and struggles is great and I would have loved that to have been my night at the Palladium, but that wasn’t what I was feeling while I was there.

[max]

Not long into this I realised I was enjoying it for the unique match of material and venue; ‘Hello Dolly!’ may not be my thing but… it’s the London Palladium!, and special to see a show sitting amongst the rich history of song and dance entertainment there. A great seat front row A18, with a fabulous orchestra in view too.

Admittedly, playing off that Palladium tradition, you might expect a higher wattage ‘I know I’m a star’ wink from the lead: that sort of knowingness between audience and performer that flips between serving the material ‘just enough’, and colluding in some indulgent gilding of legend and ego (‘camp’). Not playing that showbiz game, I’m glad to have seen Imelda Staunton playing it for real. The book is cartoonish at times, so there’s some mismatch if played real, but the line writing in the dialogue is great and Staunton savours every bit of it.

On where that reality level was pitched, I didn’t find this too different from the Anita Dobson tour where her spotlit monologues were just as grief tinged (perhaps more). I didn’t see anything new on that from Dominic Cooke at the Palladium. Dobson is a physical actress with her whole body - you can imagine the puncture of grief reading from the back row of the circle (it did, I sat there). Staunton’s timing and gestures were impeccable; though from the front row her facial expressions were so subtle I wondered how they’d read from the back. If recorded for screen she wouldn’t need to modify for camera purposes at all.

What a strange character Dolly is. Though “Here’s my hat fellas” seems always played figuratively (‘where I lay my hat is my home’), I’ve not heard any sayings about sitting on an “empty knee” or “empty lap”! Poor old Ephraim - perhaps that’s what killed him. It’s certainly invited a whole load of portrayals of Dolly as a desperate attention seeking vamp, sometimes barely human let alone a real woman.

On that score I liked Dominic Cooke’s inclusion and placement of ‘Love, Look In My Window’ just before ‘Hello Dolly!’, for some self-reflection before daring to go back to the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant. It still doesn’t quite do the job of making that title song make sense. A slight glimpse of the dress she’s about to wear, and her tentativeness to wear it, might do that (perhaps it was there and I couldn’t see it from my low angled viewpoint).

I looked at some Broadway bootlegs just to compare song list and placement, and stumbled across some staggeringly crude ‘comic business’ from Bernadette Peters in Dolly’s set-piece eating routine. Eating like a pig, drinking out of the gravy boat, dabbing gravy behind her ears, putting stupidly sized butter blocks on a piece of meat and dropping them down her front (Channing did the same). Midler’s version is less crude, though when she turns her back to the audience to peek into the dining booth she waggles her bottom repeatedly for…the audience….laughs?

I guess those are the two sides of the coin: play it real, or play the star - both leave something wanting. I finally saw what Dominic Cooke did and didn’t do in the London version - and I liked it.

[crabtree]

It would be interesting to see the Thornton Wilder source material produced.

[max]

Aug 31, 2024 10:21:51 GMT crabtree said:

It would be interesting to see the Thornton Wilder source material produced.

Agreed. I think someone here has said that the 'manure...spread it around speech is from the play, so I'm guessing that a lot more of the excellent line writing from the musical comes from Wilder too.

[sph]

When was The Matchmaker last done here? It seems to have been fully eclipsed by Hello Dolly even in the US - very little about past productions of it on Wikipedia outside of its original Broadway run.

[oldstager]

Aug 31, 2024 12:12:35 GMT sph said:

When was The Matchmaker last done here? It seems to have been fully eclipsed by Hello Dolly even in the US - very little about past productions of it on Wikipedia outside of its original Broadway run.

The original Thornton Wilder play was called THE MERCHANT OF YONKERS and was revised as THE MATCHMAKER as a
vehicle for the great Ruth Gordon. I saw her in it  at the Haymarket in 1954 (God, I am old!) after a run at the
Edinburgh Festival with Sam Levene as Horace and, among others, Arthur Hill as Cornelius, Prunella Scales as Ermengarde,
Alec McCowen as Barnaby, Lee Montague as Ambrose and Eileen Herlie as Mrs.Molloy. I can't recall seeing it in London since the musical version
in 1965.  That was basically the USA road tour with Mary Martin and other Americans plus some British artistes in small
roles and as covers.  Dora Bryan took over in 1966 and the box office flourished and she played it for the next few years
apart from a holiday break when her understudy Eleanor McCready took over.  The original star Carole Channing lead the revival in 
the early 1980's first at Drury Lane and then the Shaftesbury. THE MATCHMAKER was a delight and many of the best lines are in the book of the musical.  But I guess the lack of a revival is due to the fact that audiences would recognise the "cue for songs" in the text.
Not that that has stopped anybody from reviving PYGMALION endlessly!