| Kathy Bates has health issues that would almost certainly make it impossible for her to play Dolly. Ann-Margret had terrible trouble on the Best Little Whorehouse tour she did back in 2001, although to her credit she did it for more than a year. But I heard from more than one person who saw it that she had very evident mobility problems that limited what she was able to do physically, and that she was not ready with her lines early in the tour. I don't think there's the slightest possiblity of her doing a role like Dolly onstage now. Tyne Daly might be swell, but she is the same age as Midler, and I'm not sure that at 71 she'd really be up to eight performances a week of this particular role (or even seven). And then there is the question of whether she's really much of a draw at this point. Michele Lee is 75, and I think she'd be less of a draw than Tyne Daly. |
