Agreed...anyone new coming into this production would have to be EVENT CASTING. If they could get Reba McEntire or Dolly Parton, that would do it (Parton, especially, since she would be making her debut on Broadway as an actress). Streisand returning to the role, of course, would be the replacement casting heard 'round the world.
I'd love to see Glenn Close do it. She exhibits a sense of humor and mischief in real life (in interviews and talk show appearances...I don't actually know her) that she rarely gets to employ in her work and which, I think, would work well for Dolly Levi. And, whatever one has to say about her singing voice, she certainly can handle this role. She might not be interested in being a replacement Dolly, but, then again, she has spoken about the dearth of interesting roles for women past a certain age, and when again would she ever have the opportunity to do this one on such a grand scale?
But I imagine that discreet inquiries have already been made to every actress, singer, and comedian that Rudin thinks would sell out the house and, if any of them were interested, as you say, the show wouldn't be closing. |
