Show People With Paul Wontorek

When it was announced that DONNA MURPHY would be filling in for Bette Midler on Tuesday evenings in the Tony-winning revival of Hello, Dolly!, the two-time Tony winner described the opportunity as "heavenly." That's the word audiences are surely using when they see Murphy in the role of the meddlesome matchmaker. With few opportunities left to catch the elegant star as Dolly Levi (she will perform on August 12, 19 and 20) before the production takes its final bow on August 25, we jumped at the chance to speak with her about how the loss of her husband, actor Shawn Elliott, informed performance as a Dolly, widow starting her life anew. Murphy also opened up her early days on the New York theater scene, where she keeps her Tony Awards and much more on Show People with Paul Wontorek.