'Hello Dolly!' with Bette Midler Launches in March: Tickets On Sale Now

By Keith Loria emma.gaedeke@musictimes.com on Nov 03, 2016 09:03 AM EDT

Theatergoers went into a frenzy last month when it was announced that Bette Midler was returning to Broadway in a revival of Hello Dolly!, and the scramble for tickets broke Broadway records. Under the direction of Jerry Zaks the show will begin its run at the Shubert Theater in March. Tickets for Hello Dolly! can be purchased directly through Telecharge, where prices range from $69-$179.

Star of stage, screen and music, the Divine Ms. M has won four Golden Globes, three Emmy's, three Grammy's and a Tony. She's probably best known for her songs, "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "The Rose."

Midler has quite the history with the Great White Way. She was featured in both Fiddler on the Roof (as Tzeitel) and Salvation (as Betty Lou) early in her career. She also did several Broadway concerts, including Bette! Divine Madness. With Hello Dolly! she's returning to the stage for the first time since 2013's I'll Eat Your Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers. The multi-talented actress has never been shy about her desire to one day play the character of Dolly, and she follows an impressive list of actresses in the role.

When it first opened on Broadway back in 1964, star Carol Channing helped it become what was then the longest-running production in Broadway history. The show also had three successful runs in the West End though the years, and there's even a Barbra Streisand-starring movie, which took home three Academy Awards in 1969. Hello Dolly! has long been a favorite of musical theater audiences. It features memorable songs such as "Before the Parade Passes By," "It Takes a Moment," and of course, the title song.

The musical follows the story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a bombastic and outspoken widow who earns a living matchmaking wealthy clients in 1890s New York. When "half millionaire" Horace Vandergelder enters the picture looking for love, Dolly resolves to marry the wealthy hay and feed dealer herself.

Broadway veteran David Hyde Pierce, also known for his Emmy-winning role as Dr. Niles Crane in the TV show Frasier, will play Horace. Tony nominee Gavin Creel, fresh off of She Loves Me, will play Cornelius, and Taylor Trensch will play fellow clerk Barnaby. The two clerks' misadventures make up a chunk of the plot of the show. Kate Baldwin, who was nominated for a Tony for Finian's Rainbow, plays Cornelius' love interest Irene. Will Burton, Melanie Moore and Jennifer Simard are also on board.

It's not often you get the chance to see a star of Midler's pedigree take the stage, and the fact that she's doing so in such a beloved classic musical, makes this a must-see show for 2016.