Costume worn by Phyllis Diller in Hello, Dolly!
Object Details
- date made
- ca 1970
- wearer
- Diller, Phyllis
- Description
- Phyllis Diller wore this costume when she portrayed Dolly Gallagher Levi in the Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! for three months in 1970 at the St. James Theatre in New York City. The costume includes a full-length maroon and pale pink dress decorated with sequins, beads, and embroidery as well as elbow-length white gloves. Diller followed Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Pearl Bailey (in a version with an all-black cast), and Betty Grable in the role and was replaced by Ethel Merman, who closed out the show in December 1970. NMAH also has the dress Carol Channing wore when she portrayed Dolly Gallagher Levi in 1994 for the 30th anniversary of the 1964 production (1997.0232.01).
- Subject
- Theater
- See more items in
- Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
- Popular Entertainment
- Phyllis Diller
- Credit Line
- Gift of Phyllis Diller
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- ID Number
- COLL.DILLER.000006
- accession number
- 2003.0289
- catalog number
- 2003.0289.10.01
- 2003.0289.10.02
- Object Name
- costume
- Physical Description
- satin (overall material)
- wool (overall material)
- cotton (overall material)
- brass (overall material)
- glass (overall material)
- synthetic fibers (overall material)
- nylon (overall material)
- plastic (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall (dress): 65 in x 14 in; 165.1 cm x 35.56 cm
- overall (gloves): 21 1/2 in x 4 3/4 in; 54.61 cm x 12.065 cm
- Record ID
- nmah_1822344