"Peters makes it clear that Dolly is talking about real hardships...She sings the Jerry Herman songs thrillingly, of course...I don’t mean that she isn’t funny; she is...The other new principals match the bright polish of the original cast, which has grown a bit zany with time...Ms. Peters goes along with all this, to a point. But sometimes I felt she would rather observe the parade than be in it. Personally, I’m a sucker for that: I think it gives this 'Dolly' a fascinating new valence."
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“A blissful Broadway revival…The part of Dolly is exquisitely suited to Midler’s enormous warmth, savvy and drive. It’s hard to imagine a better match of actor and role: It is, in a word, perfection…‘Hello, Dolly!’ may be a vehicle for its star, but this revival treats it like a vintage Rolls-Royce. From the rousing overture on, everything about the production, directed with joyful aplomb by Jerry Zaks, gleams with old-fashioned charm…Jerry Herman’s exuberant score is a show-tune bonanza.”
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"The characters address the audience from time to time, which gives Midler a chance to connect with us by drawing on who she really is, as well as whom she wants to portray...The role of Dolly isn’t necessarily tailor-made for Midler—she’s infinitely more complicated and funny and there isn’t a corny bone in her body—but she has remade the character in her own image: as a scrappy trickster with needs and vulnerabilities."
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“Ms. Midler’s singing voice is in a desperate, sometimes shocking state of disrepair…As for the rest of the performance, Ms. Midler doesn’t even bother to act…She can’t dance and isn’t funny…David Hyde Pierce is all wrong as Horace…What’s more, he and Ms. Midler have no romantic chemistry at all, which makes the show even less dramatically plausible...Every supporting performance is a grotesque caricature…As for the musical numbers, they’re camped up to the hilt.”
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"Murphy is absolutely wonderful as the meddling, multitasking matchmaker...Murphy’s Dolly is gabby, game and gleeful as she dispenses the pleasures of Jerry Herman’s songs and Michael Stewart’s lines...Jerry Zaks’ production is better. The dancing of Warren Carlyle’s choreography is sharper and funnier. The sound is more crisp, the ensemble more assured and the accompanying stars perfectly aligned."
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"The two-time Tony winner brings high spirits, warmth and a voice that will make you laugh and cry with joy...Victor Garber is gruff and blustering...Molly Griggs lends humor as straight-laced hat-shop girl Minnie Fae and London star Charlie Stemp lights up the stage with his bright smile and brilliant dancing feet as boyish clerk Barnaby...With the terrific current cast, wall-to-wall musical gems and ace dancing, design and direction, it remains a star vehicle that purrs."
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"This Dolly’s personal style is to twinkle and charm people into getting her way. She also has the acting chops to moisten eyeballs when she entreats her late husband to bless her renouncement of widowhood...A new addition to the cast, Charlie Stemp, seems a bit too broad in the comic role of Cornelius’s sidekick...As usually happens when a director and a choreographer keep a sharp eye on their baby, the overall production of this classic never looked better."
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"The two-time Tony Award winning performer has brought a poignancy to the production that wasn't quite in evidence with her predecessor...Which is not to say that she falls short of the role's comedic demands. Her performance is less vivacious than Midler's, but no less hilarious...If Garber's more restrained performance is less gut-busting, it's also less of a caricature...Stemp is a revelation...Zaks' perfectly tooled staging hasn't lost a step, dancing or otherwise, since the show opened."
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