Hello, Dolly!

Hello, Dolly! is a musical comedy based on Thornton Wilder’s play, The Matchmaker, a title which rather better reflects the plot.  Set at the turn of the twentieth century, it features Dolly Levi, a lady with the gift of the gab (courtesy of a book by Michael Stewart), making a tenuous living as a marriage broker around New York and, particularly, the suburb of Yonkers.  She is, on the surface, busily seeking a spouse for well-known half-millionaire, Horace Vandergelder but her er real aim is to secure him for herself.  To achieve this, she engages in a rapid fire, scattergun verbal approach, totally confusing poor Horace as well as most of those she encounters. 
 
On the Broadway stage (1964) Dolly was created by Carole Channing but the version everyone remembers is Barbra Streisand in the 1969 film.  In Hexham’s version Ellen Armstrong definitely channels Streisand and manages to command the stage completely whenever present.  Steve Mobbs, as Horace, looks perplexed and bemused, whenever he finds himself in her presence.  The more he maintains having no matrimonial interest in Dolly, the deeper he falls into her clutches.
 
Much of the humour is provided by Dolly’s whip smart wisecracking but, running parallel, there are the amusing and touching romantic dalliances of Horace’s oppressed employees, Cornelius Hackle (Ben Rutherford-Orrock) and Barnaby (James Bell).  Unknown to Horace, they sneak off to the city for some fun, and encounter a pair of charming shop-girls, Mrs Irene Malloy (Sarah Scott-Haigh) and Minnie Fay (Rosie Pearce).  Hayley Grant cries impressively, as Horace’s daughter Ermengarde, and fortunately she has Ambrose (Stu Rutherford-Orrock) to dry her tears!  All of the principals sing and perform their musical numbers very engagingly.
 
Dolly contrives to make her grand return to New York society (and to “inadvertently” encounter Horace at the Harmonia Gardens restaurant).  This just happens to be the spot the boys and their young ladies are gravitating towards.  They have no money to pay the bill but find a wallet stuffed with cash.  Meanwhile Horace seems to have lost his wallet!  Needless to say, it all works out in the end.  Dolly, after her bravura entrance, is welcomed back fulsomely by the waiters, and starts to work on Horace.

The show is liberally peppered with very familiar songs from Jerry Herman (words and music)  including It Takes a Woman (Horace and the boys), Put on Your Sunday Clothes (Cornelius, Barnaby, Dolly and others), Ribbons Down my Back (Mrs Malloy), Before the Parade Passes By (Dolly), Elegance (Miss Malloy, Minnie Fay and the boys), Hello Dolly, of course (the waiters and Dolly), It Only Takes a Moment (Cornelius, Mrs Malloy) and So Long Dearie (Dolly) amongst others.  The chorus sing their hearts out, when required, although the waiters did seem a little lost, occasionally, during the Waiters Gallop.

 Hexham always put on a bright, entertaining show and this was no exception.  Well done to everyone on stage, backstage, front of house and in those dusty rooms where all the important decisions are made.  I’m looking forward to next year already!

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