Hello, Dolly! (NYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"At the top is exactly where Peters belongs. In tandem, too, with the indispensable Victor Garber...With Peters, Dolly’s melodically wistful musings about not wanting the parade to pass her by — did any parade ever dare pass Midler by? — are more heartfelt...The thoroughly winning Garber, who embodies Horace here not so much as the requisite tiresome grouch but as a big, entitled kid, asserts his own comic energy; it’s the loosest I’ve ever seen him on a stage, and the funniest."
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“All the visual and audible cues suggested that no one in the building that night had the slightest interest in being anywhere else but in that room. With this adored star. In this beloved show…David Hyde Pierce squeezes some laughs out of what can often seem like a thankless part…I don't want to imply there is some revisionist revelation at work here, for there is not, nor any deep emotional probation. But you can easily intuit the really, really good time everyone seems to be having."
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"So much of the charm of this production is in what hasn’t changed...Where Midler’s personality soared to the back of the balcony, Peters engages with the audience on a more intimate level, at times working the crowd like a comedian singling out a spectator...The marriage of actor and role here is so neat, you’d think Dolly made the match; Garber does stodgy, befuddled warmth better than anyone in the business...The other new cast members are strong across the board."
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“A favorite star finally performing the role she was destined to play...The blissful production operates under the principle that golden age musicals should keep intensifying the pleasure of the audience until a state of euphoria is achieved…A touch of hoarseness may have diminished Midler's range, but it didn’t interfere with her ability to communicate the emotional truth…Half the fun of seeing Midler and Pierce face off comes from watching two pros at the top of their game."
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"I’ll just come right out and say it: I prefer Donna Murphy over Bette Midler in 'Hello, Dolly!'...Murphy fires from all cylinders and never lets up, bursting with vitality and comic ingenuity...Murphy is also in full voice. Her powerhouse singing takes the production numbers up by more than just a notch...People should not shy away from this lavish, lovingly old-fashioned, euphoric revival simply because they cannot score tickets to see it with Midler."
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"One for the ages…Under Jerry Zaks' masterful direction, this screwball of a show bounces from scene to scene with joyful abandon. What could so easily turn into parody or shtick is here a refreshing diversion that enthralls for the nearly three-hour running time…The company, across the board, is sensational…The 23-piece orchestra plays the score to perfection. And with the Divine Miss M to sing it, we've got a match made in heaven!”
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"The production has made its own happy match with the show and its new lead — the vivacious, ethereal Peters, who has us in her palm the instant she lowers her newspaper in the opening scene...This is the theater magic we come to Broadway for, and it delivers right from the get-go...In an otherwise rollicking musical, Peters gives us a new, beautifully moving portrait of a well-known character, and it only takes a moment for us to fall in love with her and 'Dolly!' all over again."
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"A superbly written work of bubbly fun and warm sentiment...full of memorable melodies and smart lyrics...Peters expertly delivers the exact kind of Dolly a seasoned theatregoer would expect from her...Her knack for high comedy is spot on and her quiet moments alone...are tender and heartwarming. Her vocals are pure and masterful...The production hasn't lost a step...Peters shimmering performance makes this wondrous production glitter even more brightly."
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