For those who care about such, and full accuracy, I realized something else I should have added to my analysis of the four versions of "Hello, Dolly!" and have added it back into the piece. It's a second reason why Ethel Merman's rendition may be trumped a bit by the other three. In addition to what I wrote -- that she's likely the best to have seen live, rather than just on a recording -- there's this:
It's that this isn’t The Best song for Ethel Merman. It’s an amazing song for the character of Dolly, but it’s as much a chorus number. Far better for Merman were probably, “So Long, Dearie,” “Before the Parade Passes By” and “I Put My Hand In.” I suspect she blew the bejeepers out the theater on those.
It's that this isn’t The Best song for Ethel Merman. It’s an amazing song for the character of Dolly, but it’s as much a chorus number. Far better for Merman were probably, “So Long, Dearie,” “Before the Parade Passes By” and “I Put My Hand In.” I suspect she blew the bejeepers out the theater on those.
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