Empress Theater’s Hello Dolly is a Darling of a Show

A Utah Theater Review by Joel Applegate

There’s a couple of venerable old ladies I’d like you to meet. The Empress Theatre in Magna, Utah has seen many lives. And now with Hello, Dolly!, Jerry Herman’s Broadway classic, the Empress is enlivening many more with this inspired pairing.

The Empress Theatre’s Hello, Dolly! is mounted with two alternating casts. The show I saw on the evening of Oct 19^th featured “Cast B”, so my comments will refer only to that performance.

Director Jake Andersen is also the Artistic Director of the Empress Theatre. His enthusiasm for his work must have been transfused directly into his cast, because this is a fun, energetic production to watch. Though not flawless, the outstanding feature of the show is that he paced his cast well throughout the evening. Scenes popped along and there was never any lag between them.

While attention is focused on the leads in most musicals, it’s an unstated truism that the chorus is the musical element that really holds it all together. The small playing space of the stage was well-used and the large chorus dances their moves accordingly, always staying on their toes for entrances and cues. Sometimes audiences are not aware of how important the chorus is to giving a show cohesion and forward momentum. Mr. Andersen obviously is, and paced the opening number with great enthusiasm.

I think, however, that the chorus could have been improved by a few tweaks. It seemed the soundtrack volume overwhelmed some of the chorus members in their solo moments. In the opening number,”Call on Dolly”, and on “It Takes a Woman”, while they showed great verve, the chorus needed to have a fuller, more robust sound, taking into account the theater’s high ceiling. Though nearly all chorus members seemed to have a mic, their numbers never really filled the air space like they could have. But in fact, all of the chorus numbers were well done despite the challenge of fitting onto the small stage and narrow staircases.

Moving up the cast ladder, there were several actors who provided laughs and fun. In the hat shop there’s the shop assistant, Minnie, played by Devin Johnson, who gives off a great personality and clear sense of who she is. Emalee Easton’s Irene Malloy has a sweet voice, and easily conveys touching expression in her number, “Ribbons Down My Back.”

As the nerdy feed store clerks, Cornelius and Barnaby (Logan Gifford and Curtis F. Nash, respectively) click together with great energy and are really fun to watch. Their New York accents were on and off a bit, but that certainly didn’t affect theirs – or the audience’s – apparent enjoyment. They really play off each other very well. Nash’s Barnaby is hilarious. He knows his character and his timing. Although it seemed Gifford had a little trouble projecting in his lower singing range, both actors come off as relishing the roles they are playing. The Hat Shop scene, featuring the aforementioned four actors, was very funny and cleverly blocked, in a manic game of hide and seek with lead character, Horace Vandergelder.

Our male lead, Vandergelder, is played by Nate Rasmussen. His cantankerous comic timing really works, whether he’s at the Feed Store he owns in Yonkers, or on swanky 14^th Street in New York. There is a great moment when he tells maligns Ambrose with the snarky “all facts about you are insulting”. As played by Sam Birge, poor Ambrose was very sympathetic in the play’s opening scene from the moment of his entrance.

And now to Dolly herself. Rachel Rasmussen as Dolly Gallagher Levi is confident the moment she steps onto the stage. Her relaxed delivery gives her good command of the character, and her laugh all by itself defined her after she utters the confession, “I meddle.” As a marriage broker, that’s her job. But this performance is more than one-dimensional. In her more quiet moments, Ms. Rasmussen gives Dolly humanity and longing. Of course, you can’t talk about Dolly without talking about the play’s signature moment: Her grand entrance into the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant. The moment is highlighted beautifully with Ms. Rasmussen coming down a long stairway in perfect pitch, carrying a beautiful tone. Then the whole cast steps up to make the defining musical number of this show worth the price of admission. (One slight glitch I noted, however, was that the mic for one of the soloists (“Perry?”) did not seem to be on during the patter section of the title song.) Later on at the restaurant, Ms. Rasmussen once again shows great command of her character at dinner with Horace, countering his every move.

The “Waiter’s Gallop” number that opens the second act featured some great choreography in a small space. It was a blast to watch with so much going on that the audience couldn’t possibly take it all in – not that there’s anything wrong with that! The Empress’s stage was almost too small for the closing restaurant scene. When Horace is arrested for not paying the bill, the ensuing riot seemed a little too muddled. I think it didn’t quite work because Horace was not effectively separated in the action from the rest of the large cast.

If I were to quibble at all with any aspect of the performances, I would mention that the song, “So Long, Dearie”, should have exploited its Ragtime roots a little more. That’s in its nature and I would have liked to hear that old “grind” in the vocals, differentiating it from the other musical numbers, as I believe it’s intended to be. There were some slow pickups on cues toward the end, but this is a cast with some chops. Case in point: the musical soundtrack cut out in a scene with Dolly, Barnaby, Cornelius and the hat shop ladies on stage. No one was fazed. These actors carried on in classic trooper tradition until the sound was restored.
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Production values overall were good, given the space and typical budget for small theaters. The lighting on the top steps of the stairways left some actors standing in shadow. Obviously, it is a challenge in the Empress’s space. The tech booth is out in the open, but the configuration of the theatre is such that it is not a distraction; hardly noticeable except by those in the top two rows.

Director Jake Andersen also designed the set, and I was quite impressed with a beautiful set piece: The train from Yonkers. I must say that the turkey prop in the restaurant was so obviously fake it drew a laugh – intended or not – from the audience. It bounced when it was tossed on the platter. Dolly and Horace tucked in anyway, seemingly in on the joke.

As with all Broadway classics, this is a big show for costumes. With dozens of dresses – and oh, those hats! – Amy Martinez gave the audience lots of color and variety to enjoy.

I fell in love with the ambiance of the 99-year-old Empress Theatre the moment I walked across the tiles into the lobby. The refurbished space with its brick walls and tiered seats provide great views. The unusual three-sided stage is set in a stadium-like pit. Originally home to Burlesque shows for Magna’s miners, the Empress spent another 50 years as a movie house. In 2006, she returned to live shows with the current company of artists and technicians who have mounted an ambitious slate of shows every season since. There’s a great deal for next season: Ten shows for just $90.00. During the current run, Friday night audiences will be treated to a bonus. With your ticket stub, you also gain admission to the Empress’s comedy improv troop, “Jesters Royale”, who perform after Dolly at 10:15 pm.

Don’t keep these two great ladies waiting upon your attendance!

 

Empress Theatre
9104 W Magna Main St. (2700 South), Magna Utah 84044
Runs Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, October 12 to Nov 10, 2012.
Tickets $10 on Mondays, $12 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Runs Mon, Fri and Sat at 7:30 PM
Matinees on Saturdays Oct 27 and Nov 3 at 2:30 PM
Call 801.347.7373 or go on-line: www.empresstheatre.com