I swim laps everyday after work. It's very therapeutic. I do some of my best thinking when I'm submerged in that blue water with a pair of goggles that aren't mine plastered to my face and letting small trickles of water in where the suction doesn't quite grab ahold of my skin. I dream a lot while I'm swimming. I've been dreaming quite a lot about my dream "Hello, Dolly!" cast. It's one of my favorite Broadway musicals- so classic, so fun, so entertaining. And I love to think up my own starry revival cast. Here's what I am thinking:
Dolly Gallagher Levi: Meryl Streep. I mean, come on. How perfect! She's a commanding presence, a delightful comedienne and a respectable vocalist... not to mention a HUGE star name. Can't you just imagine? "MERYL is DOLLY!"
Irene Molloy: Anne Hathaway. This seems to be the most obvious "star" choice for Irene. Hathaway is so classically beautiful and her voice is very nice. And wouldn't a "Devil Wears Prada" reunion just be fabulous? Amy Adams, Kristin Chenoweth or, for a pretty strictly Broadway name, Laura Benanti would be my other choices.
Horace Vandergelder: Alec Baldwin. He'd work so perfectly opposite Streep and wouldn't seem too odd to be paired with Hathaway.
Cornelius Hackl: Sean Hayes. Though I doubt he'd ever sign on for a show where he'd likely receive fourth billing, I think he'd be dynamite in this role. I think this is a part that is so often overlooked, but you've really got to have a gifted comic actor in this role to make it work. Hayes has proven he's just that.
Barnaby Tucker: Justin Bartha. The perfect awkwardly charming presence. If Michael Cera could sing the role, he'd be wonderful as well.
Minnie Fay: Leigh Ann Larkin. This is definitely the most difficult for me to cast in my head. I keep thinking to myself "a young Kristin Chenoweth, a young Kristin Chenoweth." I think, on Broadway at least, that's Larkin at the moment. She's been mostly well-received for her last two performances- both of which were rather lofty reinventions of characters in two very high profile revivals.
A boy can dream. But wouldn't that be fabulous? Now, all they need is me to direct, and we've got TONY GOLD!
