"Loud, slap dash and uproarious...extraordinarily original and funny."--New York Times
Now, for the first time in a standalone edition, Thornton Wilder's brilliant, hilarious play which was adapted into the hit Broadway musical Hello, Dolly with an afterword by Wilder's nephew, Tappan Wilder.
Horace Vandergelder, a wealthy old merchant residing in Yonkers has decided it's time to take a wife and hires a matchmaker. But Dolly Gallagher Levi is no ordinary matchmaker. She's a force of nature, with a plan of her own. Levi soon becomes involved in the affairs of the hearts of all those around her--including Vandergelder's niece, his store clerks, assorted young and lovely ladies, and the headwaiter at an expensive restaurant, where this swift farce inevitably runs headlong into hilarious complications. Indeed, after a series of slapstick situations involving mistaken identities, a secret rendezvous behind carefully placed screens, separated lovers, and a trip to night court--everyone involved eventually finds themselves paired with a perfect match.
A delightful, deliciously funny classic by Thornton Wilder, The Matchmaker is astonishingly modern and is sure to resonate with audiences and readers today.
Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) was an accomplished novelist and playwright whose works, exploring the connection between the commonplace and cosmic dimensions of human experience, continue to be read and produced around the world. The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of his seven novels, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, as did two of his four full-length dramas, Our Town (1938) and The Skin of Our Teeth (1943). The Matchmaker was adapted as the musical Hello, Dolly! Wilder also enjoyed enormous success with many other forms of the written and spoken word, among them teaching, acting, opera, and film, including his classic screenplay for Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt (1943). The writer's many honors include the Gold Medal for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the National Book Committee's Medal for Literature.
Formerly Quint of Ain't It Cool News, current co-host of The Kingcast (@Kingcast19). Bylines at Slashfilm, Collider, Syfy Wire, Fangoria. ericvespe@gmail.com
The Matchmaker is absolutely delightful and innovative for its time. The titular Matchmaker breaks the fourth wall all the time. Super slept on movie and my preferred version of Thornton Wilder’s story.
Theatre Aficionado/Writer/Raconteur. Tea Enthusiast. Alleged short king. Soprano Connoisseur. Tony Awards Researcher. Raised on TCM. Kimberly Akimbo Fan. He/Him
Robert Morse as Barnaby Tucker and Anthony Perkins as Cornelius Hackl (and friend) in the 1958 film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker. https://t.co/VDoQjCVcvF