Offbeat | Man to play iconic lead in ‘Hello Dolly’

A Boca Raton production of “Hello Dolly” is breaking ground with a male taking on the iconic lead role made famous by Carol Channing and Barbra Streisand.
Boca Raton’s Wick Theatre had to get special permission from composer Jerry Herman. The Sun-Sentinel reports it will be the first production in the U.S. where the role of Dolly Levi has been played by a man. Danny La Rue took on the role in England in 1982. This time around, Lee Roy Reams is stepping into the part.
Reams starred opposite Channing twice in the Tony-award winning show and has even directed it.
The musical tells the story of a matchmaker who sweeps into the staid lives of a Yonkers store owner and his staff, as well as two ladies in a New York millinery. The show runs through Dec. 6. AP