By Amber Stevens
Tonight, I was privileged to see Hello, Dolly at the Opera House presented by the St. George Musical Theater Company based in St. George, UT. Hello Dolly is a well-loved classic or so I was told last night by a multitude of patrons prior to the show. I decided that I must have been living under a rock to have escaped seeing either the play or the movie before tonight. However, it was fun not knowing what to expect. Playbill.com observes that Hello, Dolly “was the Hamilton of its time” when it opened on January 15, 1964, starring Carol Channing in a role that helped to define her career and win her a Tony. Dolly has had a varied past, with multiple incarnations and reinventions, and it still delights audiences to this day.
The Opera House is a historical theater located in downtown St. George that played an important part of the social lives of early pioneers. I enjoyed learning more about its eccentricities at intermission along with sampling some of the delicious goodies offered by a local bakery The Sweet Tooth Fairy. The theater is set up in the round with the audience on all sides and the cast is split into two groups, blue and yellow. We saw the yellow group. Both groups participate in each production and work well together, whether playing a lead role at the time or not. The most powerful sense I got from this production was that the cast Is truly at ease with each other and having a great time, so I give kudos to Director Michael Eaton for creating this camaraderie. This production takes audience participation very seriously and I would recommend not sitting on the front row if you don’t fancy being part of the show. For my part, I found the audience involvement refreshing and frankly a lot of fun. The costumes, created by Wendy Walton, are perfect for every part and I especially loved Dolly’s red dress at the end with the feathers, very reminiscent of the original Broadway version and perfect for the character.
Brooke Bang’s portrayal of the lead character Dolly Levi is sensational, a performance that effortlessly draws the audience and the other characters into a world that she crafts down to the last detail. In the story, Dolly has her heart set on Horace Vandergelder (Dan Workman), who has a commanding presence and knows how to fill up the stage. Dolly pulls the puppet strings to get him exactly where she wants him. Dolly begins by nudging Horace’s daughter Emengarde, played by a spunky Brinlie Leonard, and her perfectly naive boyfriend Ambrose (Thomas Gierishch) into doing what young people want to do anyway: rebel against authority. The interaction between Leonard and Horace is great. This misadventure starts with a hilarious day trip into New York city, led by the bumbling yet adorable Cornelius and Barnaby (Scott Leonard and Ryan Olsen) as they accidently encounter the shop of Mrs. Malloy (Leslie Leonard) and her employee Minnie Fay (Megan Williams), with whom they fall instantly in love. Williams’ performance of Minnie is hilarious, she is just the right amount of annoying and endearing. The two women make perfect partners to the funny clerks, and their antics are enjoyable to watch.
The theme of the play confronts some serious stereotypes about gender head-on and shows that there is often more than meets the eye in each of us. I was rooting for each of the couples caught in Dolly’s designs and loved the variety of trouble they managed to get into and out of in the same breath. The small interactions among the ensemble are well-done and often easy to miss because the focus was drawn away from them, so make sure to look around at all the cast members especially when there is a lot going on, as each one does such a great job.
One pair that had me in stitches was the judge and the court clerk during the trial scene. I just happened to look up into the corner and noticed their playful interaction, which is very funny. I am also pleased to announce that I finally know where that catchy song “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from the Disney-Pixar movie WALL-E comes from and am happy to report that it is only one of many delightful ensemble numbers presented by this wonderful cast. The dance numbers are spot-on, entertaining, and well-executed, which shows that choreographer Becky Reed must have put in a lot of time with the entirely volunteer cast. Some of the songs in this production are quite difficult and I was impressed by the harmonies and commitment shown by the actors. As an actor myself, I felt it would be nice to work with a musical director that is as capable as Norm Lister. I am impressed by the talent showcased in this production and look forward too many more trips to the old Opera house.
St. George Musical Theater Company’s Hello, Dolly is fun for the whole family, with music, dancing, a fun storyline and a sweet message to share. Come see this show as soon as possible and bring all your friends and family.
St. George Musical Theater Company presents Hello, Dolly, based on a book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman
St. George Opera House, 212 N Main Street St. George, UT 84770
August 16-September 15, 2018 Mon, Thurs-Sat, 7:30 PM
Contact: 866-967-8167
Tickets
St. George Musical Theater Company Facebook Page
Hello Dolly Facebook event
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