Hello Dolly! At the Dominion

It’s too include a hot tub for Bette!

You can add me to that list. From what I can tell this seems to be a massive event for big Bette Midler fans - the musical itself almost inconsequential. 

I know who Milder is but not a huge fan. And as for Hello Dolly - based on the new CD it's a pleasant old school musical but not a patch on the likes of My Fair Lady etc etc. I wouldn't say a classic.

Having said that I would be curious to check this out due to the hype. But at a discounted £75 to £40 top price non premium job. Feel sure however that this won't discount and the producers will have $$$ in their eyes and it will end up like Hamilton - pass!

(Oh and sorry to continue the moaning but I am so over the West End being a sea of Broadway imports. Where on earth are our new shows coming from? Why can't we have a massive revival featuring a UK megastar? Like EP. (Or Jane McDonald lol)).

I saw both Bette’s runs on Broadway (both excellent).

First run, you’d be looking at £200 to £1000.

She came back too soon and I did manage to get discounted side stalls in her second run for around £100 (and some restricted view seats at the back of the balcony were as cheap as £50).

I don’t think the UK will quite support those prices, but the Dominion has a lot of seats so they can reduce the prices a bit. But Bette has a lot of fans and the limited run will sell.

As I understand it they want to renovate some of the stage features that have prevented some big productions coming in in the past. They have attempted to get some big productions/producers to pay for these changes as part of their rental deals in the near past (one very rich American production company came close with a big transfer but then went elsewhere) but the owners are now accepting the venue itself will need to pay to bring it in-line with the needs of big modern shows.

Come and almost gone!

Isn’t everyone over-reacting a bit?
The Dominion has 600 more seats than the Shubert.
The “average” price in New York was around $200 for most of Bette’s run. That said, London is notoriously cheaper than New York anyway. Yes, you’ll pay for a good seat but really at the Dominion it’s a pretty decent view from anywhere.

I paid $229 right in the heights of its popularity, just before Bette won the Tony. Worth every penny. And as folk have said, if you want it cheaper, go to a non-Bette performance.

What are the stage features preventing the big productions and hindering the stage?

To be honest I have no idea! 

When she came back this summer, one of the conditions was that DHP would come back with her, so it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s a condition again? Or at least some familiar faces from the broadway run

You do realise that the stage for BAT isn’t the theatre stage right?every show that goes in there puts their own floor in.

After tonight, just hire the 42nd Street case. Find a role for one of Ashley Day/Robert Fairchild/Stuart Neal producers please.