Bernadette Peters replacing Bette Midler in ‘Hello, Dolly!’
Tony winner Bernadette Peters, seen here on July 25, 2017, will step into the lead role in "Hello, Dolly!" in January after Bette Midler leaves. Credit: Getty Images for Lincoln Center / Michael Loccisano
Hello, Bernadette!
The almost impossible task of taking over for Bette Midler in “Hello, Dolly!” falls to Bernadette Peters, producer Scott Rudin announced Tuesday. “I’m absolutely thrilled to continue in the tradition of the incomparable Bette Midler, Carol Channing, and all of the other wonderful actresses who have played Dolly Levi,” said Peters in a statement. She takes over on Jan. 20, 2018.
Peters has won two Tonys, her first in 1986 for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Song and Dance,” the second for the 1999 revival of “Annie Get Your Gun.” Most recently, she been seen as a controlling symphony impresario on the Amazon series “Mozart in the Jungle.”
Midler, who leaves on Jan. 14, seemed pleased with the decision. “I cannot imagine leaving Dolly Levi in better hands.”
