| re: David Merrick and the Black Hello, Dolly! 1967? | |
| Posted by: Musicals54 09:15 am EDT 05/31/24 | |
| In reply to: re: Was there resistance to the all-Black cast of HELLO, DOLLY! in 1967? - den 09:53 am EDT 05/30/24 | |
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| Dolly sold out with Channing, did well for a year and a half with Rogers, not well at all for three months with Martha Raye (She did the same with No, No, Nanette and closed that show. Business picked up a bit with Betty Grable in late spring 1967, but it still was very shaky. Twentieth Century Fox thinking it would soon close filmed it with Streisand. At the time, it was believed that a film version would kill the stage version..(since proven wrong) Merrick was planning an all Black tour. It opened to raves in DC and he decided to bring it in. Grable left in early Nov and Merrick put Bibi Osterwald (the standby or understudy) in to give her few performances in the show. And the Bailey company moved in. It was a smash. Fox had a problem a $$$$$ problem it was sitting on the interest on the now 40 million dollar movie which could not be released until the show closed. So Merrick struck a deal, they could release the movie if Fox paid 10% of the box office of the show each week. That was pure gravy with Bailey and it kept the show running with Diller and Merman. |
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| Previous: | re: Was there resistance to the all-Black cast of HELLO, DOLLY! in 1967? - den 09:53 am EDT 05/30/24 |
| Next: | re: Was there resistance to the all-Black cast of HELLO, DOLLY! in 1967? - NewtonUK 10:05 am EDT 05/30/24 |
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