Hello, Dolly!

Another warm welcome at KAOS for myself and Daniel as we got to meet the cast, chat to Liz and have a sneak-peak at the impressive set, all set the tone for a fab night at the theatre. Set in the bustling streets of New York City during the turn of the 20th century, "Hello, Dolly!" is a timeless classic which tells the charming story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a spirited widow and professional matchmaker, as she navigates love, life, and the pursuit of happiness. It is a show full of humour and although a more classic show title to perform continues to charm audiences, as I am sure it did for the Kilmarnock audience during show week.

The show is renowned for its vibrant score, showcasing Jerry Herman's brilliant songwriting, catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics. This song list includes iconic numbers such as "Hello, Dolly!" and "Before the Parade Passes By", both vocal highlights of the night. Tom’s orchestra delivered an excellent lively performance of every number in the score which in some cases had the audience singing along … and two voices might have been us! It also features several iconic dance sequences, again the title number "Hello, Dolly!" performed by Dolly herself and the waiters, and the poised "Sunday Clothes”, a song even more popular now with Disney fans of Wall-E. All the routines choreographed by Marie-Anne were fantastic, with the two numbers I mentioned standing out. All the musical numbers were striking and showcased the energy and enthusiasm of the characters. The direction by Liz was, as always, excellent, using the set cleverly, maximising the story telling and effectively capturing the shows’ charm and vibrancy. Every character whether principal, minor or featured within the ensemble balanced the humour and heartfelt moments while maintaining a lively pace that kept the audience engaged. The set, on its first outing after being produced by Prop Hire Scotland and Challum Brown was wonderful and allowed the scenes to move smoothly as the show progressed. Huge congrats to the stage crew for their hard work behind the scenes to keep this larger set working throughout the show. They will still be seeing spinning staircases in their sleep, I am sure.

The full cast truly embodied the themes of love, community, and the joy of living in all their performances and it really showed to be a team effort with everyone on stage looking like they were enjoying what they were doing and appreciating the warm feedback from the audience along with receiving lots of laughter. The main characters each contribute to the musical's narrative and have a lot to do within the show as the story takes place over only one day. So, it really is non-stop for them and the full principal line up handled this with ease. Dolly Levi played wonderfully by Mhairi Anderson, is the central character of the musical and one of the most iconic characters in musical theatre … she is barley off the stage!! Mhairi captured a witty, charismatic, and vibrant portrayal of Dolly as she embarked on a journey of self-discovery throughout the show and showcased strong vocals, comic timing, command of the stage and lead the cast well. A massive well done on an excellent performance! Playing opposite Mhairi was Neil Warrander as Horace Vandergelder. Neil was a joy to watch in the role of the cranky widower, sceptical of love and relationships, and as the story unfolded managed to reveal a softer side to Horace. His interactions with Mhairi’s Dolly were both humorous and poignant which was great to see. I loved their version of “So Long Dearie”. Michael Gallaher’s Cornelius Hackl, a young man with dreams of adventure and romance was brilliantly performed. Michael conveyed a kind-hearted and somewhat naive character, embodying the theme of seizing opportunities, as the character’s own story developed along with his sidekick and friend Barnaby and love interest Irene Molloy. His vocals were beautiful, especially within “It Only Takes A Moment”. Mrs Molly (Jennifer Stoddart) was just charming. Jennifer captured a strong-willed Irene with romantic spirit, making her a perfect match for Michael’s Cornelius. Andrew Bunting was another delight within the cast as Barnaby Tucker. His infectious smile and bubbly personality really helped to capture Barnaby’s enthusiastic and optimistic nature as he eagerly experiences the world beyond Yonkers and experiencing the thrill of first love. The first love in question was the adorable Rebecca Clark as Minnie Fay. Minne as Mrs Molly’s spirited assistant, who is eager to find love herself makes her a perfect match for Barnaby and the connection between Andrew and Rebecca was lovely to watch. Key to the story of the show is the romance between Ermengarde (Abby Harkness) and Ambrose Kemper (Neil Kerr). Abby and Neil made a very sweet couple and used all their stage time to develop the story of these two lovebirds with Neil’s charm and Abby’s comical tears making them a great duo. Bringing a little eccentricity to the principal line up was Sarah Brothers as the colourful Ernastina. The restaurant scenes with Sarah and Neil’s Horace were hysterical leading to lots of comedic situations and well delivered scene stealers. The full cast showed distinct personalities and relationships, creating a rich tapestry that kept the story of the show moving well. Aided by smooth scene changes, bright movement, flawless vocals, colourful costumes and well-fitting props it was another triumph for Kilmarnock.

Further to seeing the show and while writing this show report I was sorry to learn about the passing of Michael Gallagher, who played Cornelius Hackl. His contributions to KAOS and the local theatre community I am sure will have a lasting impact, and I would like to take this opportunity to pass on warmest condolences to Kilmarnock along with Michael’s family and friends on behalf of myself and Daniel, NODA and the NODA Scotland Committee.

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