The "success" of this current revival of "Hello, Dolly!" can make for a great discussion, but it depends on how you look at the run. Bette Midler had a history making first day box office total, and let's face it, Bette has the ability to do that. She has paid her dues as a performer, and as one who has loved her work since she first surfaced in the early 70's, a Bette Midler live concert is sure to please, and Midler fans always get their money's worth. Bette as Dolly is an event...there is no doubt; however, when looking at the grosses of "Hello, Dolly!" for a Bette Midler week of performances, please take into consideration the outrageous pricing of this show. The grosses for a Donna Murphy week of performances was more than respectable. Donna sold more than 3/4 of the available tickets, and quite frankly the monetary grosses cannot be compared. The Midler pricing is in another galaxy altogether. The Murphy pricing is not the same as the Midler pricing, so the potential gross for a Murphy performance is going to be less than a Midler performance. Just saying.
These two wonderful women deliver very different performances, at very different ticket prices. The pricing is out of their control. At the moment, Donna Murphy is doing a great job at the Shubert, as is evidenced by a very respectable weekly gross, given the tidal wave of demand for Bette. Bette is an event...and so is Donna. Aren't we lucky to have them both on Broadway right now? |
