David Hyde Pierce has signed on to co-star with Bette Midler in the upcoming Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly!” The brewing production, from producer Scott Rudin, has also locked in a venue, nabbing the Shubert Theater for a run that begins performances in March.
Pierce is no stranger to Broadway, with stage credits under his belt including “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” “Curtains,” “La Bete” and “Spamalot!” Last season he directed the Broadway musical “It Shoulda Been You.”
Pierce and Midler lead the cast of a production to be directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, with a nod to the original staging of director-choreographer Gower Champion. No other casting has yet been set for the new “Dolly,” which centers on the efforts of a matchmaker, Dolly Levi (Midler), to find a mate for the cantankerous but desirably wealthy Horace Vandergelder.
Midler proved herself a box office force to be reckoned with during her 2013 Broadway run in “I’ll Eat You Last.” Her casting in the title role of “Hello, Dolly!” has already gotten theater fans excited.
“Hello, Dolly!” has claimed the Shubert, the prime venue that will be vacated in January by “Matilda.” The show begins previews there March 15 ahead of an April 20 opening.
