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| SPECIAL TO THE TIMES-TRIBUNE "All in the Family" star Sally Struthers takes on the lead role in "Hello, Dolly!" this weekend at Scranton Cultural Centerat The Masonic Temple. |
Everyone knows the scene: Dolly Gallagher Levi, returning to a restaurant after a years-long absence, enters down a grand staircase as the waiters sing their greetings to her.
It's the part of "Hello, Dolly!" that star Sally Struthers loves the most because the audience enjoys it so much. She described it as a "magical" scene that people remember long after they see the musical.
"It's the most memorable moment in the show for anyone that's ever seen it," she said last week by phone from New Jersey, where the 50th anniversarynational tour was undergoing technical rehearsals.
The classic musical will open Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania's 2013-14 season Friday at 8 p.m. at Scranton Cultural Center at The Masonic Temple, with additional performances following Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6 p.m.
Played role previously
Two-time Emmy winner Ms. Struthers - known for her work on the television shows "All in the Family" and "Gilmore Girls" plus numerous roles in films and on Broadway and other stages - returns to the theater as Dolly the widowed matchmaker, a role she has played five times previously around the country. Ms. Struthers described Dolly as "the best role ever written for a woman in American theater."
"It's 1897 on stage where women dressed as beautiful women, and men all had lovely jackets and hats on, and people were genteel and had manners. It's just a whole other time of life that's just so sweet to play. I love it," Ms. Struthers said, jokingly adding, "I wish the world were like that now, but I wouldn't want to lose the air conditioning."
Based on Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker" and with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, the musical follows Dolly as she pursues the rich, single Horace Vandergelder and ends up trying to fix up some of his young workers.
Ms. Struthers praised Mr. Herman as "one of the most brilliant, melodic, songwriting lyricists of our time." People had approached Mr. Herman about taking "Dolly" on tour again, Ms. Struthers said, but - until now - the last time it went on the road was years before with original "Dolly" star Carol Channing at the helm.
"He gave me the nod, and to me that only takes second place to me standing one day in front of St. Peter and him deciding I can get into heaven," Ms. Struthers said.
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