Review: HELLO, DOLLY! at Olney Theatre Center

This holiday season Olney Theatre Center's Hello, Dolly! gives audiences a chance to see a rarely performed classic on the Roberts Mainstage, in an entertaining production that harks back to the Golden Age of Broadway musicals.

Hello, Dolly! opened on Broadway in 1964, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, and choreography and direction by Gower Champion. The show, based on Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker, tells the story of Dolly Levi, a matchmaker plying her trade in turn-of-the-century New York City. As the show opens, Dolly is has been hired to find a wife for Horace Vandergelder, a wealthy, widowed feed and grain store owner in Yonkers - but it quickly becomes apparent that Dolly has set her sights on marrying Horace, and she has been pairing him with unsuitable women, in an effort to make herself more appealing. Hijinx abound, as the lonely hearts of Yonkers and New York City spend the rest of the afternoon and evening coupling, uncoupling, and pairing off.

Olney's Dolly has the look and feel of a Kennedy Center Broadway Center Stage production, with minimal sets, including placing Music Director Christopher Youstra and the orchestra on stage for the scenes set in the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant. Video projections are blended seamlessly with the set design, and the two elements are nicely balanced. For the most part the overall design execution works well with the artistic vision created by Director Kevin S. McAllister. McAllister's staging and blocking keep the action moving briskly, using a very talented cast to good effect.

There is remarkable talent throughout the cast, from the leads through the ensemble. They (along with a strong orchestra) deliver the kind of musical and vocal performance that audiences have come to expect at Olney. There are a number of bring spots in Eamon Foley's choreography, as well. Paris Francesca and Julie Cray Leong have done a fantastic job costuming the show, with a rich pallet of colors and pieces that are appropriate to the social station of the various characters. Wig designer Rueben D. Echoles completes the look for each character with period hairstyles that are spot on. The show is a feast for the eyes, particularly with the elaborate costumes worn by Nova Y. Payton in the title role of Dolly Levi. A two-time Helen Hayes winner, Payton has become a "go to diva" in the DC theatre scene. She has rather large shoes to fill as Dolly - the role was originally written for Ethel Merman, and when she turned it down, it became the role that defined Carol Channing's career. In addition, Mary Martin, Pearl Bailey and Bette Midler played Dolly on stage, with Barbra Streisand covering the part in the 1969 film adaptation. Payton's Dolly can hold her own with any of them musically - her vocals are absolutely stellar, but on press night she didn't seem to fully inhabit the character until she made her entrance for the show's title song. Her deft comic timing was on display shortly thereafter, and she commands the action as the show reaches a climax.

It's refreshing to see a classic Broadway musical revived in a way that pays homage to the source material, and this production has the right look and feel. Although not quite as "kid friendly" as some  of Olney's past holiday shows, it has an energetic cast that hits all the right notes, and will keep theatergoers of all ages entertained.

Hello, Dolly! runs at Olney Theatre Center through January 4th. Because this is a family show, curtain times are 7:00 PM for evening shows, and 1:00 PM for matinees. Running time is approximately 2:40, with one 15 minute intermission. For more information about Olney Theatre Center, click here.

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