Dolly Levi

Living… in New York City in 1890. Her husband, Ephraim, has died. But Dolly embraces life with energy and determination, meddling in everyone’s lives – mostly to their benefit. All of New York City is glad to see her, it seems.

Profession… matchmaker extraordinaire. A professional cupid, she is employed by the successful half-a-millionaire and even more notorious grouch, Horace Vandergelder. She’s also involved in any number of sidelines, including mandolin and dance lessons.

Interests… almost anything. Dolly’s the kind of person who thinks things are best done if they’re done by her. Her specialty is romance – why, right now, she’s working on setting up at least five people, not including herself! As she puts it, “Mr. Kemper, everything concerns Dolly Levi!”

Relationship Status… widowed, but is now pursuing Horace. He hired her to find another woman, but Dolly’s smart enough to ensure that the only woman Horace ends up with is her. After all, what man doesn’t need a woman: “It takes a woman to quietly plan… and to gently lead him where fortune can find him, and not let him know that the power behind him was that dainty woman, that fragile woman, that sweetheart, that mistress, that wife!”

Challenge… getting Horace to fall in love with her, and making sure everyone else’s lives work out too. Dolly takes responsibility for the happiness of the people she meddles with, so she’s got to make sure she doesn’t trip over all the strings she’s pulling.

Personality… charming, funny, and full of life. Dolly has a witty response to everything, and excels at conversation. “Can’t” is not a word in her vocabulary, and she has a response to every kind of obstacle.