I think the emphasis on the "Dolly" character as the leading role came with Wilder's revision of THE MERCHANT OF YONKERS, his first take on the story, into THE MATCHMAKER. I seem to recall reading a bio of Wilder where he was quoted as saying something to the effect that he and others just loved the character so much that he kept writing more for her and she eventually took over the piece to the extent that he renamed it for her.
