*Well hello Betty Buckley! A Los Angeles welcome is extended to you and your effervescent cast and crew.
Wednesday, January 30th 2019 the Hollywood Pantages rolled out the red carpet for a plethora of stars and a full house of theatre fans as diva supreme Betty Buckley donned the role of the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly!
It was a taste of Broadway royalty and Hollywood nostalgia rolled into one, from the opening number straight through to the stellar finish. It’s the classic tale of a busy body, match making widow with her eyes set on clinching the grouchy and wealthy Horace Vandergelder, played by Lewis J. Stadlen.
Each cast member and dancer deserves a review all their own, as they encased the story with song, dance and splendorous choreography by Warren Carlyle. Costume and scenic designer Santo Loquasto outdid himself with a stage that morphed from train stations, to city sidewalks, to the town boutique, the general store and then behind the velvet curtains of the elegant 5 star restaurant, where romantic entanglements intertwined.
Amid keeping up with Dolly, Horace and their escapades, the dancing waiters were a visually appetizing tour de force!
The Tony Award winning Ms. Betty Buckley (Cats, Sunset Blvd, Pippin, Eight is Enough, Chicago Med) scores a flawless performance, however at least in this reviewer’s heart was an echo of the late great Ms. Carol Channing (Jan. 31, 1921- Jan. 15, 2019), whose star rests upon the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just outside the front doors of the Pantages.
And of course, who can forget the late great Louis Armstrong and his iconic rendition of Hello Dolly.  They are assuredly smiling upon their legacy, as the grand Betty Buckley is the Dame du Jour and a praise worthy Dolly Gallagher Levi, who shines and simmers in a class by herself.
Hello, Dolly! is worth taking a break from the daily news and enjoying a fanciful matinee or night out on the town, sans the frigid temperatures of Broadway in the Big Apple of course.
Enjoy this hit show on the palm tree lined Hollywood Boulevard instead, and just try to resist tapping your toes in your seat and singing along for a California style match made in Broadway heaven.
Stars in attendance opening night of Hello, Dolly! at the Hollywood Pantages included Jeffrey Anderson Gunter, Reginald Vel Johnson, Kiki Shepherd, Sophia Milos, Patricia Ward Kelly, Carly Hughes, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Ruta Lee and many more.
Led by four-time Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, the entire creative team of the Broadway production reprises their roles for the national tour of HELLO, DOLLY!, including four-time Tony Award winner Santo Loquasto (Scenic & Costume Design), six-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz (Lighting Design), Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer (Sound Design), Andy Einhorn (Music Supervision), Robert Billig (Music Direction), Tony Award winner Larry Hochman (Orchestrations), Tony Award winner Don Pippin (Vocal Arrangements), David Chase (Dance Arrangements), and Telsey + Company (Casting).
The performance schedule for HELLO, DOLLY! is Tuesday through Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1 pm & 6:30 pm. HELLO, DOLLY! is recommended for all ages. Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre. All patrons must have a ticket, regardless of age. Individual tickets for HELLO, DOLLY! start at $35. Prices are subject to change without notice. A complete list of cities and dates for the national tour of HELLO, DOLLY! can be found at www.HelloDollyOnBroadway.com. For more information on Hollywood Pantages Theatre, visit HollywoodPantages.com, Facebook.com/PantagesTheatre and Twitter.com/Pantages.
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