Welcome to a new Musical Theatre Monday! This month, we’re celebrating the 110th anniversary of Ginger Rogers’ birth with an audio — which I’m offering for subscribers who comment below to alert me of their interest — from her run in the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! It’s a lot of fun — a rare treat for fans of this Jerry Herman classic.
Rogers was the first official replacement for Carol Channing, playing the role in New York from August 1965 to February 1967. This particular audio, which is untracked outside of Dolly’s numbers that I clipped out myself, was taken near the end of her tenure, and it features a few key replacements (including The Bob Newhart Show’s Pat Finley, then going by “Patte Finley,” as Irene Molloy). Here’s an ever-so-slight taste: the finale, with Rogers and David Burns.
Come back next month for another musical rarity! And stay tuned for more sitcom fun!