Palladium, London
For all its Broadway dazzle and gags, this musical’s story of midlife bereavement and a second chance at love carries intense feeling
How often do you see an old-style musical romance with a middle-aged widow as its lead? And not only a widow but one looking to live and love again?
Hello, Dolly! might seem like a quintessential Broadway throwback with its ballroom glamour, booming chorus numbers and squeaky New York accents, but its central subject is emotional and unorthodox: midlife bereavement and the journey towards renewal, all shown and felt from the point of view of one indomitable woman in Dolly Levi.