Hello Dolly! West End revival is still happening says Imelda Staunton
Put on your Sunday clothes… in 2024
It feels so long ago that we were getting excited for a brand new revival of Hello Dolly! with Imelda Staunton set to take on the titular role.
The musical that was set to run in the summer of 2020 was put aside following the COVID-19 pandemic leaving many of us wondering if the revival was ever going to take place.
Is the Hello Dolly! revival still happening?
Yes it is! Ahead of her appearance as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's The Crown, Imelda told Deadline that the production is "definitely" going ahead. The news outlet has also reported that a West End venue has been secured but we don't know which one.
When is Hello Dolly! coming to London?
With Imelda still filming the sixth season of The Crown until June, the revival of Hello Dolly! is looking to arrive at some point in 2024 so there's still a bit of a wait.
What is Hello Dolly the musical about?
Set in 1890, Hello Dolly the musical is all about Dolly Gallagher Levi, a matchmaker who travels to New York for her latest job. Tasked with finding the "half millionaire" Horace Vandergelder a wife, Dolly soon released that the next person she needs to match make is in fact herself.
Is Hello Dolly! based on a true story?
No, it's not a true story but still a romantic, funny and slightly awkward tale that we can all relate to.
Is Hello Dolly! based on the play The Matchmaker?
Hello Dolly the musical is indeed based on The Matchmaker. The play, which was wrote by Thornton Wilder, was first brought to Broadway in 1964.
Who wrote Hello Dolly!?
Jerry Herman wrote Hello Dolly the musical. Jerry Herman died in December 2019 aged 88 and has left a huge legacy behind him with notable songs from Hello Dolly including 'Penny In My Pocket' and 'Before The Parade Passes By'.
Jerry Herman was also famous for writing La Cage aux Folles, MAME and in 2009 received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
Prior to his death, Jerry gave permission to Imelda and director Dominic Cooke to make changes to the show including switching over the opening scenes and making changes to one of the songs.
Who is Imelda Staunton?
If you haven't heard of Imelda Staunton then where have you've been? She is one of the greatest actors with an incredible career on both stage and screen.
On the stage she has won Olivier Awards for her roles in Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd and Gypsy. She also was nominated for roles in Uncle Vanya, Guys and Dolls and Follies to name but a few.
WATCH: Imelda Staunton performs 'Losing My Mind' from Follies
Who else is in the cast?
When the show was set to run in 2020, Andy Nyman and Jenna Russell had been announced as Horace Vandergelder and Irene Molloy respectively. It has not confirmed if they will still be playing the roles in 2024.
How long is the performance of Hello Dolly!?
A performance duration has yet to be confirmed but, on Broadway, Hello Dolly lasts just over two hours and 35 minutes with an interval in-between.
Where can I see Hello Dolly! the musical?
Although a West End venue has been secured we don't know which one just yet.
How can I get tickets for Hello Dolly!?
Tickets for Hello Dolly! have not been put on sale yet.
Has Hello Dolly! won any awards?
The original Broadway production swept the 1964 Tony Awards with 10 wins out of their 11 nominations. The most recent Broadway revival picked up three wins in 2017.
On this side of the pond the Regents Park Open Air Theatre production won all three Olivier Awards it was nominated for in 2010 including Best Musical Revival.
Check out the Oliver winners for Best Musical Revival:
1991 - Show Boat
The first ever winner in this category was the Opera North and Royal Shakespeare Company's co-production of Show Boat which ran at the London Palladium in 1990.
1992 - The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys From Syracuse is a Rogers and Hart musical based on Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. This production ran at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in the summer of 1991 and was directed by none other than Dame Judi Dench.
1993 - Carousel
The National Theatre's first win in this category was their revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel which enjoyed a sellout limited run from December 1992 to March 1993. The revival then re-opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in September of that year.
1994 - Sweeney Todd
Alun Armstrong and Julia McKenzie starred in the first London revival of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd. The production ran at the Cottesloe Theatre (now named the Dorfman) from June 1993 before transferring to the Lyttleton Theatre December of that year.
1995 - She Loves Me
She Loves me was revived at the Savoy Theatre and was directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Marshal, the pair had just done a Broadway revival of She Loves Me the year prior.
The West End revival starred John Gordon Sinclair and Ruthie Henshall with the pair both winning Best Actor and Actress in a Musical.
1997 - The Who's Tommy
This year the name of the award changed to Outstanding Musical Production, which lasted through until 2007.
This rock musical is based on the 1969 rock opera, Tommy by The Who.
1998 - Chicago
In 1997, the Broadway revival of Kander and Ebb's Chicago transferred to the West End with Ute Lemper as Velma Ruthie Henshall as Roxie. The West End revival ran until 2012 and the Broadway revival is still running to this day!
1999 - Oklahoma!
The National Theatre revived Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma in 1998 with a cast that included Hugh Jackman as Curly, Maureen Lipman as Aunt Eller, Josefina Gabrielle as Laurey and Shuler Hensley as Jud Fry.
2000 - Candide
A second win in a row for the National Theatre with their 1999 production of Candide which includes music by West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein.
2001 - Singin' in the Rain
The West Yorkshire Playhouse's production of Singin' in the Rain directed by Jude Kelly quickly got a West End transfer and ran at the National's Olivier Theatre for a month in 2000.
2002 - My Fair Lady
The National continued their winning streak with their production of My Fair Lady which starred Martine McCutcheon as Eliza and Jonathan Pryce as Higgins. The production then transferred to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane after four months.
2003 - Anything Goes
The National Theatre got their fifth win in a row with their production of Anything Goes which starred Sally Ann Triplett, John Barrowman and Yao Chin. Like My Fair Lady, the production then transferred to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
2004 - Pacific Overtures
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Pacific Overtures transferred to the Donmar Warehouse where it ran for a short period in 2003.
2005 - Grand Hotel
A second win a row for the Donmar Warehouse with their revival of Grand Hotel starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
2006 - Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls was revived at the Piccadilly Theatre running between 2005 and 2007. The cast of this production originally included Ewan McGregor as Sky, Jenna Russell as Sarah, Jane Krakowski as Adelaide and Douglas Hodge as Nathan Detroit.
2007 - Sunday in the Park with George
The Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Sunday in the Park with George transferred to the West End at the Wyndham's Theatre in 2006. The West End production starred Daniel Evans as George and Jenna Russell as Dot, both of whom won Olivier Awards for their respective roles.
2008 - The Magic Flute
After a run in Cape Town and at the Young Vic, The Magic Flute transferred to the West End with a run at the Duke of York's Theatre.
2009 - La Cage Aux Folles
Following the success of the Menier Chocolate Factory's scaled down production of La Cage Aux Folles, it got a West End transfer at the Playhouse Theatre with Douglas Hodge as Albin.
The success of the revival saw it get a Broadway transfer with Douglas reprising his role.
2010 - Hello Dolly!
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre started a streak of wins in this category with their revival of Hello Dolly! which starred Samantha Spiro in the titular role.
2011 - Into the Woods
The second win in this streak was for their revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods - which was very fitting for an open air theatre!
2012 - Crazy For You
Ira and George Gershwin's Crazy For You was Regent's Park's third win in a row for this category. This production got an extended life when it transferred to the Novello Theatre in October 2011.
2013 - Sweeney Todd
Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd broke an Olivier record this year when it became the first musical to win Best Musical Revival for a second time. This production began at the Chichester Festival Theatre and transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2012.
2014 - Merrily We Roll Along
Stephen Sondheim got a second win in a row for this category with the West End transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Merrily We Roll Along which ran at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
2015 - City of Angels
Cy Coleman, David Zippel, and Larry Gelbart's City of Angels was revived at the Donmar Warehouse in 2014 directed by Josie Rourke.
2016 - Gypsy
Another win for Sondheim (as a lyricist at least) with the West End transfer of the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Gypsy which starred Imelda Staunton in the iconic role of Mamma Rose.
2017 - Jesus Christ Superstar
The first Andrew Lloyd Webber revival to win this award was the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar. This production went on to get runs in the US as well as the Barbican Centre in London.
The production returned to Regent's Park as a socially distanced concert in the summer of 2020.
2018 - Follies
The winner in 2018 was the National Theatre's revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's Follies which starred Peter Forbes as Buddy, Imelda Staunton as Sally, Janie Dee as Phyllis, Philip Quast as Ben and Tracie Bennett as Carlotta.
The production was filmed and screened in cinemas as well as making a return to the Olivier Theatre in 2019.
2019 - Company
A modern reimagining of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company saw the leading role gender-swapped and played by Rosalie Craig. Patti LuPone reprised the role of Joanne (which she played in the 2011 Broadway concert).
The production is now running on Broadway.
2020 - Fiddler on the Roof
The Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Fiddler on the Roof directed by Trevor Nunn got a West End transfer. The West End production opened at the Playhouse Theatre in March 2019.
2022 - Cabaret
London's Playhouse Theatre has been transformed into the Kit Kat Club for this brand new revival of Cabaret directed by Rebecca Frecknall. As well as winning Best Musical Revival the production won in all four acting categories and now joins Hamilton and Matilda as one of the most awarded musicals with a total of seven wins.
2023 - Oklahoma!
Following a Tony-winning run on Broadway, Daniel Fish's stripped down revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! transferred to the Young Vic in London. Since then it transferred to the West End at the Wyndham's Theatre.
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