MEMO TO: The Dollys FROM: David Merrick

I want to bring you up to date on my secret scheme to turn the whole darn country into one big musical extravaganza. I have just hired Pearl Bailey to play the lead in my all-Negro traveling company of my wonderful hit Hello, Dolly! Not only that, I have signed Dorothy Lamour for a twelve week stand as Dolly at the Riviera in Las Vegas. That brings to eleven the number of you broads who have played, are playing and will play the role. I'm not counting Barbra Streisand, who will do the movie next year because--well, Hollywood just isn't legit. Besides, I only had a piece of Funny Girl.

This is a good opportunity to welcome the Misses Bailey and Lamour to the ranks and to tell you all how grateful I am. On occasions like this, I like to recall the words of Horace Vandergelder and his clerks in Act I: "It takes a woman, a fragile woman, to bring you the sweet things in life." I must say, it gets me right here.

I also want to thank Carol Channing for introducing Dolly on Broadway way back in January 1964, and for her 1,271 other glorious performances here in town and all over these United States. Thanks go also to Mary Martin for her Dollys in Dallas, the Midwest, on the Coast, Viet Nam, London and Tokyo (Haro, Dori!). A hearty kiss goes also to Ginger Rogers for those 18 swell months on Broadway after Carol went on tour, and looking to the future--as I am wont--for sharing the forthcoming two-shows-a-night binge with Dorothy in Vegas. How about that?

While we're at it, I want to thank Betty Grable for the wonderful job she is now doing on Broadway, and for her 15 months on the road earlier. I want to thank Eve Arden for those three months in Chicago last year, and Carole Cook for the Australian tour, and Dora Bryan for replacing Miss Martin so superbly in London, and Martha Raye for her stand this spring on Broadway, and Bibi Osterwald for her brief stands on Broadway.

I see a little bit of Dolly in every woman, but in each of you I have seen the perfect Dolly. I adore you all, my Dollys.

P.S. As of this month, the total North American box-office gross is 35 million dollies--I mean dollars.

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