Bette Midler to return to Broadway in ‘Hello, Dolly!’

“Many times through the years I’ve been asked about bringing back Hello, Dolly!

“Producer Scott Rudin calls Bette Midler his “dream Dolly” for the revival of the classic musical”. Partly it was the difficulty of who could play Dolly.

He adds, “It had to be someone who could take it to a different level”.

Midler, who’s wanted to play Dolly for years, seems a natural fit for the flamboyant comic lead of of the show, and the match seems likely to draw musical-theater fans in droves. “Never has there been something more inevitable than her in this role”. The staging will begin rehearsals “one year from today”, according to a press release, and is set to begin previews March 13, 2017, with an official opening night of April 20, 2017. Jerry Zaks will direct, and Scott Rudin will produce, Playbill reports.

This time around, she’ll be getting a lot of help on stage for Hello, Dolly! and we can’t wait!!

Midler made her Broadway debut as Tzeitel in the original production of “Fiddler on the Roof” and later returned in concerts, including “Bette Midler’s Clams on a Half Shell Revue” and “Bette!”.

The Divine Miss M is heading back to Broadway next year, in a role suited to her formidable presence. In the meantime, this is a great excuse to watch the 1969 film version. “I don’t know about a show of 30 people and choreographers shrieking”. It went on to win a record-shattering ten Tony Awards, including those for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Producer of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design, and Best Costume Design. “Shows used to be built around a star like this”, he said.