Sally Struthers to Star in 50th-Anniversary National Tour of Hello, Dolly!

<i>Hello, Dolly!</i> show art (courtesy of Big League Productions) — *Hello, Dolly!* show art (courtesy of Big League Productions)

Hello, Dolly!, Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s classic musical, will launch its 50th-anniversary national tour this October, with two-time Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Sally Struthers as its headlining star.

Struthers is best known for her role as Gloria in the iconic television series All in the Family and, more recently, as the spunky Babette on the popular Amy Sherman-Palladino series Gilmore Girls. She has appeared on Broadway in productions of Annie, Grease, and The Odd Couple, and has performed regionally in The Full Monty, Mame, Legally Blonde, and Chicago.

Hello, Dolly! follows matchmaker Dolly Levi (Struthers), who travels to Yonkers, New York, to find love for the grumpy Horace Vandergelder. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1964, earning 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Composer and Lyricist (Jerry Herman), and Best Actress (Carol Channing). It includes some of musical theater’s best-known tunes including “Hello, Dolly!,” “Put on Your Sunday Clothes,” and “Before the Parade Passes By.”

Jeffrey B. Moss will direct the upcoming tour, with choreography by Bob Richard, lighting design by Charlie Morrison, and musical supervision by Skip Brevis. The tour, which will launch in New Jersey, is slotted to visit a total of over 70 cities.