News

Jim Carter, who famously played Carson the master butler on Downton Abbey, clearly was taken by the leading artist giving a terrifically moving performance as Dolly Gallagher Levi upon the London Palladium stage. “That’s my wife,” he declared during the interval.

Indeed it was. Imelda Staunton was creating a gold-standard portrait of the meddlesome fixer at the heart of the landmark musical Hello, Dolly! created by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker.

“It’s a brilliant production,” Carter told me.

A tearful Jim Carter at the Palladium. Photo by Baz Bamigboye/Deadline.

“The problem is,” he continued, ”I can’t see anyone else on stage. I can only look at her. I’m sitting there going, ‘Wow!’”

Totally understandable, because the other 2,200 members of the audience were falling in love with her as well.

Imelda Staunton (center) and the ‘Hello, Dolly!’ company at the...

Exclusive: Imelda Staunton, swathed in glamorous red taffeta, descends a staircase on the London Palladium stage to lead a line of eager waiters in a chorus of “one of our favorite songs from way back when” from Hello, Dolly!

”Let’s reset,” a production assistant’s voice suddenly booms over the pubic address system.

We’re at a rehearsal run-through of a brand-spanking-new revival of the classic Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart musical adapted from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, starring an outstanding Staunton as Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi, a widow who over the course of just one day emerges from grief to rediscover life again.

The show started previews last Saturday where it was rapturously received, but the creative team knows there’s still work to do before official opening night July 18.

Imelda Staunton received a rapturous standing ovation at the first preview of ‘Hello, Dolly!’ At the London Palladium (...

Winners of the 42nd annual edition of the Olivier Awards were revealed in ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall on April 8 hosted by Catherine Tate. Unlike the Tony Awards, which are showcased live on CBS, the Olivier Awards gets only a clips package on ITV later that evening and a live feed on BBC Radio 2.

“Hamilton” won a record seven Olivier Awards, including Best Musical and for both leading man Giles Terera and supporting player Michael Jibson. “The Ferryman” took home Best Play as well as the combined award for directing (Sam Mendes) and Best Actress (Laura Donnelly).

See Dish the Tony and Olivier Awards with theater insiders in our notorious forum

Musicals

Best Musical

An American In Paris

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Girl From The North Country

X – Hamilton

Young Frankenstein

Best Musical Revival

42nd Street

X – Follies

On The Town

Best Actor (Musical)

Ciarán Hinds...

Two years after sweeping the Tony Awards, Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s musical “Hamilton” is poised to do the same at the British equivalent, the Olivier Awards. On March 6, it reaped a record 13 bids for these top theater prizes, shattering the record set by the musical “Hairspray” in 2008 and equalled by the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” last year. On the play side, the leading contender is Jez Butterworth‘s “The Ferryman,” a dark drama about the Irish troubles which is set to come to Broadway in the fall.

Winners will be announced in a ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall on April 8 hosted by Catherine Tate. Unlike the Tony Awards, which are showcased live on CBS, the Olivier Awards get only a clips package on ITV later that evening and a live feed on BBC Radio 2.

“Hamilton” is clearly the frontrunner for Best Musical. Conor McPherson’s “Girl From The North Country,...