Hello, Dolly!

Release Date: December 16, 1969

Watch Date: March 8 – March 9, 2025

“Dolly Levi uses her matchmaking skills in New York City to orchestrate the love lives of her friends, all the while trying to get the man she likes to fall for her.”

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 Do you remember that musical that Wall-E, and therefore Bob, loves?

 Did you know that it was a real musical and not just something made up specifically for the movie?

 Because Bob didn’t.

 But it’s true…and that movie is ‘Hello, Dolly!’ a musical that quickly launched to the top of Bob’s favourite musical list. To be fair, however, that list only contained two musicals so far. This one, and ‘The Sound of Music’. I’m hoping to convert him to ‘Six’ soon, but we’ll see how it goes.

 The songs are incredibly well performed, Barbara Streisand in this role is a classic, the dance sequences go a little too long – but that’s natural for old musicals. And it made Bob cry, which really only ‘Wall-E’ and ‘Up’ ever managed to do before. That was really the best part of this film, seeing Bob become truly moved by music – and not even one of the best love songs in a musical.

 There’s something magical about the first musical that really hits you, and yes, Bob enjoyed Hamilton. I enjoyed Hamilton. But it wasn’t the first musical that really meant something to me. That was Jesus Christ Superstar, which is an odd one, I know, but true. And Bob, it seems, has followed me into the realm of ‘favorite musical being one that no one really knows about anymore’. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s a hard club to be in when other people are going to mention Wicked, RENT, In The Heights etc. But if Broadway didn’t want us to fall in love with different musicals, it wouldn’t put so many out every year.

 There’s an energy and joy to this musical that doesn’t exist so much anymore in modern media. There’s no bigger picture it’s trying to fit into, not commentary on life that’s it’s trying to make with casting, setting, or plot. It’s just a story about a woman who is good at manipulating situations so that she can get what she wants, and that we’re all lucky she also happens to be a goodhearted woman who also wants the people around her to be happy as well. Dolly’s marriage isn’t even the main love story in the film. It has nothing to prove, it wants to gain nothing, it just wants you to listen to some good songs, watch some well choreographed dance sequences, and sit in amazement at the size of women’s hats (and what’s fashionable to put on them).

 If what you need is something happy go lucky, something low stakes, something that will leave you walking away humming a tune, this is the film for you. And maybe it’ll add a different dimension to your next WALL-E watch, I have a feeling it will for Bob.