ARC Theatre, Heidelberg
Reviewed on July 4, 2010
The iconic Broadway classic, Hello Dolly, is a canny choice for ARC Theatre.
Presented by a fresh – faced cast and crew, the Preston – based repertory company must be congratulated at every level for this season’s sumptuous new creation. Not only can veteran theatre lovers revisit the playful comedy and embraceable score, Dolly’s whimsical charm and delightful toe – tapping numbers will undoubtedly win over a new generation of fans in 2010.
Based on Thornton Wilder’s 1955 play, The Matchmaker, Hello Dolly holds a key position in American musical theatre history. With Jerry Herman’s tunes, and a book by Michael Stewart, it was one of the last major hits staged during Broadway’s halcyon years.
Sweeping the 1964 Tony Awards, Hello Dolly made its leading lady, Carol Channing, the toast of Manhattan. Also, a signature recording of the title number sent Louis Armstrong to the top of the American pop music charts.
However, a troubled pre-season out of town was highlighted in the 2003 documentary, Broadway: The Golden Age.
Charles Nelson Reilly (who played Cornelius Hackl in the original cast), admitted on screen that during this tense period, the show could not have been a bigger bomb. Scathing reviews prompted Hello Dolly’s creative team to completely overhaul the show, adding new songs and amending its intended title.
The show briefly held the record for the most performances of a Broadway staging. Running until December 27, 1970 with more than 2,800 shows under its belt, subsequent actresses to follow Channing included Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Pearl Bailey, and Ethel Merman (for whom Jerry Herman’s score was first intended).
Directed by Gene Kelly, Barbra Streisand played Dolly in a big – budget 1969 filming. A successful local production featured the first lady of Australian theatre, Jill Perrymann.
Affairs of the heart are the perfect springboard to memorable entertainment. In the spirit of period pieces like Half a Sixpence (by David Heneker & Beverley Cross) and Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man, with their colourfully woven and far – fetched plots, Hello Dolly is no exception.
A self – confessed one woman dating service, turn of the 20th century matchmaker and recent widow, Dolly Levi, sets the story’s big wheels in motion. Aiming her sights on the local half – a – millionaire, tyranical grump Horace Vandergelder, her spirited energy and zest for life inspires everyone in her path. This includes Vendergelder’s pair of shackled assistants, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker. A rare opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of New York first hand, allows the youthful duo the taste for adventure they have only dared dream about.
Thanks to the experienced team of Stephen Valeri (direction), Nathan Slevin (assistant direction), Christine Munro & Simon D’Aquino (musical direction), Marijke Franken (choreography), and Lyndal Pope (assistant choreography), ARC’s production of Hello Dolly has a sharp attention to detail. Of particular note, convincing character accents are successfully maintained not only through lengthy scenes of dialogue, cast members take on the bigger challenge of singing with them too.
The small orchestra, conducted by Christine Munro, handles Jerry Herman’s bouncy score with precision and flair. Though situated behind a curtain to the rear of the stage, sound engineering by Marcello Lo Ricco creates an easy synergy both between the musicians and the cast.
Choregraphic highlights include Before The Parade Passes By and The Waiter’s Gallop; each display of dance acrobatics is confidently executed.
Pleasantly stylised sets designed by Mark Kearney, tastefully suggest colonial America. Matt Wheatland’s constructed realisation allows the performers full freedom of movement on stage, and some clever interaction with both props and scenery. This is particularly effective in the numbers, It Takes A Woman, Put On Your Sunday Clothes, and the title number itself. Thanks to a sensible economy, components can be easily dismantled, moved or rotated, keeping the pace of the show smooth and uninterrupted.
Rich, detailed costuming by Tanya Aston and Louise Parsons evokes turn of the 20th century New York City to the letter. It appears no expense has been spared. Dolly’s numerous outfits are are particularly stunning, and worth the price of admission alone.
The ensemble dance and chorus work is uniformly strong. The large cast doesn’t hold back in letting the music and choreography sparkle. Individual solos from Rowena Brown, Dominique Hennequin, and Ashleigh Psaila are also excellent.
Harrison Wall, as Cornelius Hackl, and Anthony Economou as Barnaby Tucker, share the eager drive necessary for their characters to develop. Together, they play off one another like the best comedy pairings.
Michelle Crupi is Hackl’s destined love interest, Irene Molloy. Together, she and Wall build a genuine chemistry.
As Molloy, Crupi’s pretty soprano voice is showcased in such numbers as Ribbons Down My Back, and It Only Takes A Moment. Reminiscent of MGM’s Vera Ellen or Jane Powell, she acts and sings with an effortless and worldly charm.
Rebecca Mignone as Irene’s shop assistant, Minnie Fay, is the perfect counterpart and fun foil for Barnaby. They make a cute young couple.
As a foursome, Wall, Crupi, Mignone and Economou excel, particularly in the song, Elegance, and the strategically staged Harmonia Gardens sequence. Their work together is a treat to watch.
Mark Kearney as Ambrose Kemper and Stefania Gatt as his betrothed, Ermengarde, ulitlise and communicate their characters’ fun and frustrating relationship. It is clear both actors enjoy their roles.
On hand to help Dolly win Vandergelder’s heart, Ashleigh Kreveld brings the house down as Levi’s secret ally, Ernestina. Chewing the scenery for all its worth, she is deliciously over the top.
As Rudi, the Harmonia Gardens’ head waiter, Nicholas Durbridge takes full advantage of his character’s comic pomposity. Dominique Hennequin, Meaghan Kominiarski and Douglas Costello make a splendid judge, Mrs Rose and Stanley in their respective scenes.
Robert Clark is an appropriately flustered Horace Vandergelder. His part is particularly challenging, in that he not only journeys from grouch to gentleman, Clark has to win over both Levi and the audience in the process. A rich singing voice, shown in It Takes A Woman, and to full effect in a final reprise of Hello Dolly, cements the deal.
Finally, as the pivotal title character, Jaclyn De Vincentis was born to play this role. Her strong vocal ability and infectious Brooklyn shtick keep the hijinx moving. Also, combining Levi’s persuasive talkaholism with a knack for broad comedy, De Vincentis is both vivacious and dynamic during Hello Dolly’s more demanding set pieces. In the show’s quieter moments too, particularly in conversation with her character’s deceased husband, the young actress has tenderness to spare. What a find!
Image Source: Muse Productions (Dayton, Ohio)