| Dolly Levi, born Gallagher, is old enough to have been married and widowed a while. That's it. Carol Channing was 43 when the show first went up. Little thought was given to Dolly"s age or that the show would become iconic and forever be on people's minds. Ethel Merman was 56 when she closed Dolly's first run. Between 1964 and 1970 just about every theater woman who could move played Dolly, no concern for age. More, since. No matter Dolly's age, the creater of stage Dolly, Ruth Gordon, was 59. Having created such an iconic role, Channing at 40 or 80 would be worth seeing doing it again. In a few years any big-time production with a star 40+, one a name-draw, will work |
