Hello, Dolly!

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Hello, Dolly!

musical by Herman [1964]

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July 16, 2026

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Hello, Dolly! is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. It is based on Thornton Wilder's 1954 play The Matchmaker. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1964 and was a massive success, winning ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.12

The story follows Dolly Gallagher Levi, a widowed matchmaker in 1890s New York City, as she attempts to arrange a marriage for the wealthy Horace Vandergelder. However, Dolly decides Horace would be a better match for herself. The musical is known for its energetic songs and memorable characters, with Carol Channing originating the iconic role of Dolly Levi on Broadway. The musical was adapted into a film in 1969.12

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Pearl Bailey
…all-black production of the musical Hello, Dolly!, first on Broadway (1967–69), then on tour in the United States and Canada (1969–71, 1975–76). She made frequent television appearances and hosted her own show, The Pearl Bailey Show (1971).
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…all-black production of the musical Hello, Dolly!, first on Broadway (1967–69), then on tour in the United States and Canada (1969–71, 1975–76). She made frequent television appearances and hosted her own show, The Pearl Bailey Show (1971).
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Cab Calloway
…Broadway and on tour in Hello, Dolly!, portraying the role of Horace Vandergelder opposite Pearl Bailey as Dolly Levi, and he again starred on Broadway in the 1970s in the hit musical Bubbling Brown Sugar. His best-known acting performance was also his last, as a jive-talking music promoter in director…
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…Broadway and on tour in Hello, Dolly!, portraying the role of Horace Vandergelder opposite Pearl Bailey as Dolly Levi, and he again starred on Broadway in the 1970s in the hit musical Bubbling Brown Sugar. His best-known acting performance was also his last, as a jive-talking music promoter in director…
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Carol Channing
The Broadway show, Hello, Dolly!, based on a Thornton Wilder play, was widely acclaimed; Channing received the Tony Award for best actress in a musical. She starred in a number of revivals of the show throughout her career, though Barbra Streisand was awarded the role of Dolly for…
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The Broadway show, Hello, Dolly!, based on a Thornton Wilder play, was widely acclaimed; Channing received the Tony Award for best actress in a musical. She starred in a number of revivals of the show throughout her career, though Barbra Streisand was awarded the role of Dolly for…
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Jerry Herman
The wildly successful Hello, Dolly! (1964; film, 1969) won 10 Tony Awards. Later Herman musicals include Mame (1966) and La Cage Aux Folles (1983). He was named a Kennedy Center honoree in 2010.
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The wildly successful Hello, Dolly! (1964; film, 1969) won 10 Tony Awards. Later Herman musicals include Mame (1966) and La Cage Aux Folles (1983). He was named a Kennedy Center honoree in 2010.
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Betty Grable
…of the long-running Broadway musical Hello Dolly!
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…of the long-running Broadway musical Hello Dolly!
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Ethel Merman
…into the title role of Hello, Dolly! Her later movies include There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954) and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). The apparently ageless first lady of the American musical comedy stage, Merman was noted for her unflagging humor only slightly less than for…
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…into the title role of Hello, Dolly! Her later movies include There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954) and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). The apparently ageless first lady of the American musical comedy stage, Merman was noted for her unflagging humor only slightly less than for…
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Bette Midler
…performance in a revival of Hello, Dolly!, which debuted in 2017. In addition, she continued to act onscreen. She starred in the movie Parental Guidance (2012), lent her voice to the animated feature The Addams Family (2019) and its sequel (2021), and appeared on the Netflix series The Politician (2019–20).…
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…performance in a revival of Hello, Dolly!, which debuted in 2017. In addition, she continued to act onscreen. She starred in the movie Parental Guidance (2012), lent her voice to the animated feature The Addams Family (2019) and its sequel (2021), and appeared on the Netflix series The Politician (2019–20).…
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Bernadette Peters
Sondheim and other works
…over the titular role in Hello, Dolly! from Bette Midler in 2018. She was nominated for Emmy Awards for her roles in Ally McBeal in 2001, Bobbie’s Girl in 2003, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist in 2021. She also had a guest appearance in the Lin-Manuel Miranda movie tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)…
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…over the titular role in Hello, Dolly! from Bette Midler in 2018. She was nominated for Emmy Awards for her roles in Ally McBeal in 2001, Bobbie’s Girl in 2003, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist in 2021. She also had a guest appearance in the Lin-Manuel Miranda movie tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)…
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Martha Raye
…as Ginger Rogers’s replacement in Hello, Dolly! (1967), and in No, No, Nanette (1972). Raye made few films in her later years, but she continued to work in burlesque shows, nightclubs, radio, and television. On TV she was well known for her "Big Mouth" advertisements for a dental adhesive. For…
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…as Ginger Rogers’s replacement in Hello, Dolly! (1967), and in No, No, Nanette (1972). Raye made few films in her later years, but she continued to work in burlesque shows, nightclubs, radio, and television. On TV she was well known for her "Big Mouth" advertisements for a dental adhesive. For…
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Ginger Rogers
…performing the title role in Hello Dolly! from 1965 to 1967 and introducing Mame to London audiences in 1969. In addition, Rogers occasionally appeared on television, with guest roles in such series as Here’s Lucy and The Love Boat. Her last acting role came in a 1987 episode of Hotel.
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…performing the title role in Hello Dolly! from 1965 to 1967 and introducing Mame to London audiences in 1969. In addition, Rogers occasionally appeared on television, with guest roles in such series as Here’s Lucy and The Love Boat. Her last acting role came in a 1987 episode of Hotel.
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