Toni Tennille photo courtesy B. Harlan Boll Public Relations
Beloved musical legend Toni Tennille comes out of retirement to play matchmaker Dolly Levi—an iconic theatre role that has always been on her bucket list—in a limited-run production of Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! that will take place Thursday, Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center in Prescott, Arizona.
Toni Tennille comes out of retirement to play matchmaker Dolly Levi in a lavish new production of Hello, Dolly that will run Thursday, Nov. 3 thru Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Yavapai Performing Arts Center in Prescott, Arizona. Photo courtesy B. Harlan Boll Public Relations
The unforgettable voice behind Captain & Tennille, whose hit “Love Will Keep Us Together” ruled the airwaves in the mid-1970s, Ms. Tennille adds her name to a long and illustrious list of actresses—including Ether Merman, Mary Martin, Pearl Bailey, Ginger Rogers, Eve Arden, Phyllis Diller, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, and, of course, Carol Channing—who have spread the thrill of romance and the joy of living “before the parade passes by” as Dolly. “It’s one of the roles I’ve wanted to do, but never had the opportunity,” she said.
Ms. Tennille’s musical theatre roots trace back to the late 1960s, where she composed music for South Coast Repertory’s musical Mother Earth. After years of live performances and TV guest appearances, she signed to play Victoria Grant/Count Grazinski in the national tour of Victor/Victoria and performed the show for nearly a year.
Happily retired in Northern Arizona, where she is a generous benefactress of local arts organizations, Ms. Tennille will share the stage with more than fifty student performers at Yavapai College in a production that promises a few other surprises. “People are going to walk out of this show, and they’re going to be humming.” Tennille said. “There are some moments in there where we hope to get a few tears—which you don’t think about in a big comedy show—but they’re there. And we’re going to show them to the audience.”
Hello, Dolly! runs Thursdays through Sundays, Nov. 3-6; Nov. 10-13; and Nov. 17-20 at The Yavapai College Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon Street, in Prescott, Arizona. Curtain times are 7pm Thursdays-Saturdays, with 3pm. Sunday matinees. NOTE: The Saturday, Nov. 12 performance will also be a 3pm matinee. Tickets run $35/$45/$55 and $65 for adults, with $15 Youth tickets available.
The Yavapai College Performing Arts Center ticket office is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9am-6pm; and Thursdays and Fridays, 9am-4pm. For reservations or more information, please call: (928) 776.2000 or visit: YCPAC.com
