Overview
Synopsis
Jerry Herman’s energetic Hello, Dolly! is a musical filled with charisma and with heart. Matchmaker Dolly Levi is a widow, a matchmaker, and also a professional meddler --but everything changes when she decides that the next match she needs to make is to find someone for herself. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Hello Dolly! is boisterous and charming from start to finish. Hello, Dolly! features such memorable songs as “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes a Moment,” “Put on Your Sunday Clothes,” and - of course - the title number, “Hello, Dolly!” Dolly herself is one of the strongest and richest starring roles for a woman ever written for the musical theatre, and famous Dolly Levis have included Carol Channing, Ethel Merman, Pearl Bailey, Mary Martin, Barbra Streisand, and most recently, Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters.
Show Information
- Book
- Michael Stewart
- Music
- Jerry Herman
- Lyrics
- Jerry Herman
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1964
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- yonkers and new york city, the end of the 19th century
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Professional Theatre, Religious Groups, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Hello, Dolly! is based on Thornton Wilder’s farce, The Merchant of Yonkers. The play premiered in 1938, and itself was based on an earlier English play, called A Day Well Spent, written by John Oxenford. Wilder later revised and retitled his play in 1955, calling it The Matchmaker. In doing so, he shifted the emphasis from the character of the merchant (Horace Vandergelder in the musical) to the role of Dolly Levi, the matchmaker.
When the musical opened on Broadway
to read the context for Hello, Dolly! and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
ACT ONE
At the turn of the 20th century, New York City is abuzz because brassy widow Dolly Gallagher Levi is in town (“Call on Dolly”). Dolly supports herself by “meddling” - providing matchmaking and other services such as dance instruction and mandolin lessons (“I Put My Hand In”). Currently, Dolly is on the lookout for a wife to match with grumpy Horace Vandergelder, a well-known half-a-millionaire. Despite her intentions to look, it becomes clear that Dolly would like to marry Horace
to read the plot for Hello, Dolly! and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
Songs
Act One
- Prologue ("Hello, Dolly!") - Orchestra
- *Call On Dolly - Ensemble
- I Put My Hand In — Dolly
- *It Takes A Woman — Horace and the Men
- It Takes A Woman (Reprise) - Horace and Dolly
- World, Take Me Back - Dolly (This song was cut for the Broadway opening, but reinstated when Ethel Merman played Dolly. The song has since been removed from some revivals)
- *Put On Your Sunday Clothes — Cornelius, Barnaby, Dolly, Ambrose, Ermengarde, and Ensemble
- Ribbons Down My Back — Irene
- Ribbons Down My Back (Reprise) - Irene
- *Motherhood March — Dolly, Irene, Minnie, and Horace
- *Dancing — Dolly, Cornelius, Barnaby, Irene, Minnie, and Dancers
- Love, Look In My Window - Dolly (This song was cut for the Broadway opening, but reinstated when Ethel Merman played Dolly. The song has since been removed from some revivals)
- Before the Parade Passes By — Dolly, Horace, and the Company
- Finale Act I: Before The Parade Passes By - Dolly
Act Two
- Entr'acte - Orchestra
- Penny in My Pocket - Horace (Originally cut prior to Broadway opening, this song was re-added for the 2017 revival but currently not available in the licensed version of the show)
- *Elegance — Cornelius, Barnaby, Irene, Minnie
- *The Waiters' Gallop — Rudolph and the Waiters
- *Hello, Dolly! — Dolly, Rudolph, Waiters, Cooks
- Hello, Dolly! (Reprise) - Male Chorus
- *The Waiters' Gallop (Reprise) - Rudolph and Waiters
- The Polka Contest — Orchestra, *Ensemble (Replaced with “Come and Be My Butterfly” for the Broadway run)
- It Only Takes a Moment — Cornelius
- It Only Takes a Moment (Part II) - Cornelius, Irene, and Chorus
- So Long, Dearie — Dolly
- *Finale Act II: Hello, Dolly! / Dancing / It Only Takes A Moment / Put On Your Sunday Clothes / Hello, Dolly! — The Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A show-stopping song that occurs late in the second half and signifies a lead character's realization, change of heart, or another big moment.
A play, musical, or opera that has been adapted from a written work.
A period of rapid economic growth in America during the last thirty years of the nineteenth century.
A Broadway musical written and produced between 1943 and 1965.
A type of song, usually early in the musical, in which the protagonist expresses their desires. The "I Want" song establishes the character's objectives.
A production designed especially to show off the talents of a particular performer.
A form of humor in which a sarcastic or insincere statement is expressed in a serious way.
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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