BWW Q&A: Tyler Hardwick Talks HELLO, DOLLY! at OFC Creations Theatre Center

We spoke to Tyler Hardwick about joining the company of Hello, Dolly! as Cornelius Hackl at OFC Creations opposite The Parent Trap star and Dancing with the Stars finalist Elaine Hendrix.

Hardwick is best known from the Broadway productions of Once On This Island and Motown The Musical as well as the National Tours of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, Once On This Island, and Motown The Musical. As well as his holiday performance on Good Morning America.

Hello, Dolly is OFC’s fourth musical in the 2025-2026 Broadway in Brighton Series. Performances January 29-February 15, 2026 at the OFC Creations Theatre Center.

Based on Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker, the show debuted on Broadway in 1964 as a storming success, winning an unprecedented 10 Tonys at that year's ceremony and was adapted for the big screen five years later.

The story is set in 1880's Yonkers, where a rich and cantankerous widower by the name of Horace Vandergelder is on the lookout for a wife. To help him on his quest he engages the services of professional matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi, but little does he know that Dolly has his perfect match in mind from their very first meeting - herself! Now all she has to do is make Horace realize it as well!

Hello, Dolly features the timeless songs "Put On Your Sunday Clothes," "Before the Parade Passes By," "It Only Takes A Moment," and the title song, Hello, Dolly! is an extravagant old-school treat, following the efforts of the titular matc

Can you tell us about your character, Cornelius Hackl, in Hello, Dolly! and how you are approaching this role?

Cornelius Hackl is someone who desires more than just the mundane routine of his life and dreams of experiencing the "big city" and finding love! As someone from Upstate, NY, I always knew NYC was going to be "home" for me even before I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Cornelius thrives off of the idea of possibility. That is close to home given my chosen career path as an artist and I'm connecting to the little kid in myself that dreamt of more. After recently closing Tartuffe Off-Broadway with Andre De Shields which was a huge farce, that style carries over to the world of Hello, Dolly and it's so much fun to get to play around with that.

How has your experience on Broadway influenced your preparation for this role in Hello, Dolly!?

My past year has been wrapped up in a little more film which can be a fast process, similar to Broadway depending on how big the show is. My favorite part of a show is the process and building it from the ground up. I like to learn everything in real time and build with the company which can be a heavy lift depending but also things come out more organically than "preplanned." We only have 2 weeks for this rehearsal period which is shorter than usual but it makes it all the more exciting, unless that's my cortisol talking...haha

What makes this production of Hello, Dolly! unique or different from others?

What's unique for me is getting to partner dance with Elaine Hendrix in the show as Dolly after her most recent season of Dancing With The Stars as a finalist! It's so cool for me to be able to partner with her and be "taught to dance" from her in the show. We get to do an awesome Tango moment that is really fun!

How has working with Elaine Hendrix, who is playing Dolly Levi, influenced your portrayal of Cornelius?

Working with Elaine has been so much fun—we're both dog lovers and I got to meet her dogs who are with her, which was so cute. We're both jokesters and love a good time, so it's been a great quick journey so far. I'm really excited to continue to build the show with her and the rest of the company. This one is going to be special!

How does it feel to debut in OFC Creations Theatre's Broadway in Brighton Series?

I'm so happy to be here in my hometown. It's really hard for friends and family to make it out to NYC or around the country when I'm doing shows, so this "homecoming" feels really special to share what I do, right at home with the people that saw that first sparkle in my eye at Rush-Henrietta to pursue a life in the arts. It's special for me to share this with my niece and nephews, so they can see "Uncle Ty" do his thing!

Can you talk about returning to your hometown of Rochester, NY for this show?

In conjunction with coming to Rochester to do HELLO, DOLLY!, I'm doing a one night only "coming home" concert to share with the community that built me on February 1st at 6:30pm at OFC Creations. I'm so happy to share A NIGHT WITH TYLER HARDWICK with Rochester. It's going to be a great night and I'm honored and humbled to be back in my old stomping grounds.

Why must audiences come and see the show?