Hello, Dolly!

Hello, Dolly! is an American musical by Jerry Herman (1931-2019)[1] and Michael Stewart (1924-1987)[2]

The original text

Based on The Matchmaker (1955) by Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)[3], A rewrite and expansion of his own 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers. The musical has a book by a book by Michael Stewart and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman.

The musical follows the story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a strong-willed matchmaker, as she travels to Yonkers, New York, to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder.

The musical made its debut at the Fisher Theater in Detroit on November 18, 1963, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion, produced by David Merrick and starring Carol Channing, moving to Broadway in 1964, winning 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.[4]

Translations and adaptations

The musical was filmed in 1969, directed by Gene Kelly, with Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford and others[5]

Performance history in South Africa

1980: Produced at His Majesty's Theatre in South Africa in 1980 by Brickhill-Burke, with Joan Brickhill, Mike Huff, Iain Henderson, Victor Melleney, June Hern, Andrea Catzel, and Charles Stodel. It was directed by Louis Burke. Designed by Andrew Botha.

1987: A CAPAB/PACOFS collaboration was staged at the Nico Malan Theatre, opening 14 November 1987, directed by David Matheson, musical direction by Raymond Hughes, choreography by Geoffrey Sutherland, decor by Johan Badenhorst, costumes James Parker, lighting John T. Baker, with the CAPAB chorus and orchestra. The cast: Judy Page, Alfred Rietmann, Keith Grenville, Christina Farr, Philip Godawa, Duncan Bouwer, Saea Cohen, Ann Stradi, Virginia Davids, Anton Stoltz, Angus McBride and Paul van Zyl.

1988: A CAPAB/Dramatic Society of East London production, staged at the Guild Theatre in March 1988, directed and choreographed by David Matheson, musical direction by Norbert Nowotny, assistant choreographer Carol Groenewald, utilising the CAPAB/PACOFS sets and costumes. The cast included: Judy Page, James Durno, Don Titford, Janine Openshaw, Gary Ashdown, Darryl Nel, Cathy Pulford, Michele Brandenburger, Helena Archer, Pim de Boer and Keith Durno.

1988: Staged by the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society in 1988.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Wilder

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Herman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Stewart_%28playwright%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello,_Dolly!_%28musical%29

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matchmaker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Merchant_of_Yonkers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einen_Jux_will_er_sich_machen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Nestroy

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064418/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello,_Dolly!_(film)

Hello, Dolly! theatre programme, 1987.

Hello, Dolly! theatre programme, 1988.

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