RALEIGH -- "Hello, Dolly!" opens an 11-show run in Raleigh on Saturday, but it won't have quite as much star power as expected. Cybill Shepherd is out after a fall on a staircase left her with a fractured shin and a severe ankle sprain.
"I am heartbroken," Shepherd said in a statement, adding that playing Dolly Gallagher Levi had been "a life's dream" and she was "just grateful I didn't break my neck."
Shepherd has been a star for 40 years, since her 1971 big-screen debut in "The Last Picture Show." She has done mostly television in recent years, and theater is something she wants to do more of. "It's the most fun, fulfilling thing in the world," she said in a recent interview.
But she won't be able to do that in Raleigh this time. Stepping in as Shepherd's replacement is Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, whose Broadway credits include "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon."
"It is live theater, and things happened that are beyond our control," said N.C. Theatre producer Carolee Baxter. "We feel confident that Ms. Donovan will capture your heart as Dolly Levi."
Ultimately, the show must go on.
"I'm sorry Cybill Shepherd won't be in it, but I'm sure whoever they got will be fine," said ticket-holder Sue Hill of Raleigh. "I'm fine with somebody else playing that role just because I know the quality of the work N.C. Theatre puts out."
N.C. Theatre says tickets are still available for all 11 performances of "Hello, Dolly!" at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. For details, check nctheatre.com or call 831-6941.
