Originally published in the britannica book of the year. Matchmaker dolly levi travels to yonkers to find a partner for halfamillionaire horace vandergelder, convincing his niece, his nieces intended, and his two clerks to travel to new york city along the way. A matchmaker, only one her many talents, dolly was a friend of. Chances are if you hear the names horace vandergelder, cornelius hackl, barnaby tucker, irene molloy, and dolly levi you will likely think of the musical hello dolly and not the matchmaker. Attempting to escape unnoticed, they slip into irene molloys hat shop, the very place vandergelder has arranged to meet with mrs.
You may know the happilyeveroutcome of the story going in, but the stakes. Dolly gallagher levi, cornelius hackl, barnaby tucker, minnie fay, irene molloy and dancers before the parade passes by mrs. Joining imelda will be andy nyman fiddler on the roof, judy, ghost stories as horace vandergelder, jenna russell into the woods, sunday in the park with george, guys and dolls as irene molloy, clare halse 42nd street, gypsy, white christmas as minnie fay, harry hepple follies, romantics anonymous as cornelius hackl and tyrone huntley. Having arranged a marriage for horace with lovely new york milliner irene molloy shirley maclaine, dolly has a lastminute change of heart when she decides that she wishes to marry the crusty old widower herself. A 1996 graduate of archbishop wood high school in warminster, pennsylvania, she has starred in broadway musicals and dramas, television series and appeared in. Dolly and irene attempt to hide the boys from vandergelder who, much to dollys delight, quickly comes to the conclusion that his intended fiancee is hiding a roomful of strange men. In 1926, his first novel, the cabala, was published, and his first play.
She is nostalgic for her late husband, peter, because he was so good at marital fights. The musical, which adheres closely to the original plot of. She is what sparks all the romance, especially the romance in her own life with horace vandergelder. Irene molloy irene molloy, a milliner who hates hats. While the matchmaker is a classic theatrical work by itself, it is perhaps better known as the basis for the legendary musical hello, dolly. These asides are cute, and they give a great deal of background about dabney in high school, in college, while pregnant, and every stage of her life in between. The matchmaker, its versions and its history at first glance, the matchmaker might inspire a feeling of dejavu. Irene molloy academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Luckily for the audience, theres plenty of mischief, humor and misdirection as dolly works. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this the matchmaker study guide and get instant access to the.
Malloy has been set up as a prospective wife for vandergelder. The matchmaker by thornton wilder a play guide from the desk of. Dive deep into thornton wilders the matchmaker with extended analysis. The matchmaker is a 1954 play by thornton wilder, a rewritten version of his 1938 play the merchant of yonkers. Dolly levi, an old family friend who has been mediating the match but secretly has her sights set on horace herself. Her most influential client is mr horace vandergelder paul ford, a halfmillionaire and the owner of the yonkers generalstore. The screenplay by john michael hayes is based on the 1955 play of the same name by thornton wilder. Dolly gallagher levi, horace vandergelder and company. The matchmaker, comedy in four acts by thornton wilder, produced in 1954 and published in 1955 the matchmaker is more traditional than wilders earlier plays, specifically our town and the skin of our teeth, although it does employ one of the playwrights favourite nontraditional devices of having the characters address the audience directly. Irene molloy a character in the matchmaker by thornton wilder author description. Irene molloy born december 1978 in doylestown, pennsylvania, usa is an american actress, singer and songwriter. The matchmaker, comedy in four acts by thornton wilder, produced in 1954.
Overview of the matchmaker, 1958, directed by joseph anthony, with shirley booth, anthony perkins, shirley maclaine, at turner classic movies. She has no personal interest in him, but she is interested in. With shirley booth, anthony perkins, shirley maclaine, paul ford. The matchmaker characters thornton wilder this study guide consists of approximately 45 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the matchmaker. For his nexttolast novel, the eighth day, he was given the national. Thornton wilders tale of a matchmaker who desires the.
John oxenford s 1835 oneact farce a day well spent had been extended into a fulllength play entitled einen jux will er sich. John michael hayes wrote the adaptation, which was directed by joseph anthony. Never judge a book by its cover choose a fiction book based on just four words or by its genre the book matchmaker was originally. With barbra streisand, walter matthau, michael crawford, marianne mcandrew. In the play, wealthy merchant horace vandergelder, a widower, hopes to marry the milliner irene molloy. Here in a shrewdly mischievous performance by carol channing is the endlessly resourceful widow, mrs. Rose sells vegetables from a street cart, a friend of mrs. A 1996 graduate of archbishop wood high school in warminster, pennsylvania, she has starred in broadway musicals and dramas, television series and appeared in one movie, according to imdb. In the matchmaker, vandergelder enlists marriage broker dolly gallagher levis help in securing irene molloys hand in marriage, but dolly is determined to pair him up with a woman she believes will be a much more equitable match for him. The matchmaker was made into a film by paramount pictures in 1958, starring shirley booth as dolly levi, anthony perkins as cornelius, and shirley maclaine as irene molloy. The matchmaker original, play, comedy, broadway opened in new york city dec 5, 1955 and played through feb 2, 1957.
She is joined by andy nyman as horace vandergelder and jenna russell as irene molloy. This study guide consists of approximately 45 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the matchmaker. I tell you for the hundredth time you will never marry my niece. Vandergelder hires the man and sends him ahead to new york to book a hotel room. At the beginning of the play, vandergelder intends to marry mrs. In fact, in order to cool his ardor for irene molloy, mrs. It won 10 tony awards and ran for 2,844 performances, closing in 1970. A matchmaker, only one her many talents, dolly was a friend of vandergelders late wife. She has to be rooted in reality because she is the matchmaker. N2 the phrase e proboscis unum, a parody on the more familiar latin phrase that means out of many one is taken from the courtroom scene.
Dolly is currently trying to arrange a marriage between yonkers drygoods. New york timesnow, for the first time in a standalone edition, thornton wilders brilliant, hilarious play which was adapted into the hit broadway musical hello, dolly with an afterword by wilders nephew, tappan wilder. He sets out to spend the day in new york visiting his intended, accompanied by mrs. Meddlesome socialite turned matchmaker dolly levi travels to yonkers, new york to find a match for the miserly, unmarried halfamillionaire horace vandergelder, but everything changes when she decides that the. Horace vandergelder, a wealthy old merchant residing in yonkers has decided its time to take a. Act two begins with irene molloy explaining to her assistant, minnie fay, that she will accept horaces. The film stars shirley booth in her final film, anthony perkins, and shirley maclaine.
The matchmaker is a story about a middleaged woman, dabney, who at first glance appears to have it all. N2 the phrase e proboscis unum, a parody on the more familiar latin phrase that means out of many one is taken from the courtroom scene of the 1964 broadway musical hello, dolly. Thornton wilders tale of a matchmaker who desires the man shes supposed to be pairing with another woman. Its a joy to see a book musical with so much fluidly integrated dancing, even if, paradoxically, dancing, in which dolly conducts an impromptu polka class in irenes pretty pink hat shop, is.
Mar 18, 2016 the matchmaker is a play thats bursting with heart and laughter. His goodman theatre directing credits include the little foxes, the world premiere of ask aunt susan, his own adaptation of animal crackers jeff award nomination, a christmas carol 20 and 2014 productions, other desert cities and talking pictures. Chances are if you hear the names horace vandergelder, cornelius hackl, barnaby tucker, irene molloy, and dolly levi you. You may know the happilyeveroutcome of the story going in, but the stakes of the matchmaker are real and high under wishcampers. T2 law, literature, love, and the limits of sovereignty au murav, harriet. The original production, which featured music and lyrics by jerry herman and a book by michael stewart and was based on thornton wilders play, the matchmaker, opened in 1964. The matchmaker is a play thats bursting with heart and laughter. The matchmaker news newspapers books scholar jstor november 2010 learn how and when to remove this template message. The musical, which adheres closely to the original plot of the matchmaker, is known for its jerry herman score. Irene molloy a millineress with a hat shop near 14 th street in new york city. When he expresses his intent to travel to new york city to woo milliner irene molloy, dolly shows him the photograph of a woman she calls. February 17, 2016 goodman theatre revives the matchmaker. The matchmaker is a 1954 play by thornton wilder, a rewritten version of his 1938 play the. This book has several narrators, and includes little asides, much like the film, when harry met sally, where the couples dabney worked her matchmaking skills on told their love stories.
The matchmaker tells the story of a rich widower, horace vandergelder, who employs the services of a matchmaker, dolly levi, to find him a wife. In this film version of thornton wilders stage play, shirley booth stars as 19thcentury matchmaker dolly gallagher levi. She lives on nantucket, where she grew up, is married to a harvard professor, has a beautiful daughter and a wonderful job. Based on thornton wilders 1938 farce the merchant of yonkers which wilder revised and retitled the matchmaker in 1955, the musical follows the story of dolly gallagher levi a strongwilled matchmaker, as she travels to yonkers, new york, to find a match for the miserly wellknown. Elizabeth ledo irene molloy and postell pringle cornelius hackl in the. She is also an amazing matchmaker with 42 couples that she set up still together. Then there is the love story between cornelius hackl and irene molloy. Imelda staunton is back where she belongs in hello, dolly. A brief history of courtship and matchmaking in america. The matchmaker is a 1958 american comedy film directed by joseph anthony. In the hat shop that she owns, irene molloy tells her assistant, minnie. Henry wishcamper director is a member of the goodmans artistic collective. The cantankerous curmudgeon, the naive ingenue, the brass and buxom heroine, the bumbling servant, and the sly servant conjure up feelings of nostalgia for other theatre experiences of the past. The matchmaker is a play by thornton wilder, first performed in 1954 horace vandergelder, a prosperous merchant of advanced years, has decided to remarry.
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