“I’ll Be Wearing Ribbons Down My Back This Summer”

As you know, Barbra Streisand is my favorite actress and singer. So naturally, I chose to incorporate her into my next post. Only one year after the fabulous Funny Girl, Streisand appeared in Hello Dolly! as Mrs. Dolly Levi, a widow who believes every matter should be left to her, especially matchmaking. Mr. Horace Vandergelder, played by Walter Matthau, is the local store owner with two hardworking employees: Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker. Interestingly enough, Cornelius Hackl was played by Michael Crawford, who starred in a musical we will talk about in an upcoming entry, The Phantom of the Opera. The plot of Hello Dolly! is to find love, which happens to all of the characters. The audience may be misled by songs like “Love is Only Love,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” and my personal favorite, “Goodbye,” which give the audience the impression that love will never be found. That may have been the intention of director Gene Kelly, who was the lead in the cheerful musical Singin’ in the Rain.

Like most musical films, the story originated on the stage. Hello Dolly! was actually a musical on Broadway with the longest show run for a short time. After it opened on January 16, 1964 and closed on December 27, 1970, it lost the title of longest running musical to shows like Les Miserable and Phantom of the Opera, the longest running musical to date. The actress who played Dolly Levi was none other than Carol Channing, an actress known for her character in Thoroughly Modern Millie and her booming tenor-like voice. After the show closed with Channing in the lead, other actresses, like Ethyl Merman, brought the show back as a revival. Again, you know my not-so-warm feelings for Merman. I believe Streisand was the right choice for the movie as Channing and Merman were both too old and sang too low. Even though the Broadway version did not receive much recognition, the movie was very popular. This was due in part to the stellar cast, which also included Louis Armstrong, who played himself. The musicality of this show and many others that include Barbra Streisand, remind me that it’s always “A Grand Night for Singing!”