During the bleak month of March, Darien High School’s Theatre 308 brought us all something to look forward to through its highly anticipated production of the Broadway classic, Hello Dolly! The musical is based off of the 1964 play, The Matchmaker, Hello Dolly! and has won more than 10 Tony awards. Additionally, Hello Dolly! made it to the silver screen in 1969 starring Barbra Streisand as Dolly. Middlesex Middle School and Theatre 308 Director Tim Sorensen remarked, “It’s been over 30 years since Dolly has been on the DHS stage. I’m so excited to bring this classic back, reinvigorated by a phenomenal group of young artists!”
The play tells the story of Dolly Levi’s quest for love and leaving behind her status as a widow after her late husband Ephriam Levi’s death. Dolly has a wide array of roles and occupations, as seen through her never-ending assortment of business cards ranging from matchmaker to lawyer. The play begins as Dolly is going through the early phases of her grand scheme to marry the cranky Horace Vandergelder and share his sums of money with the masses. Along the way, she lives up to her matchmaking name, setting up multiple couples and doing it all with a heavy Brooklyn accent. As Dolly pursues her mission for love and riches, Vandergelders mistreated employees Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker journey to New York City with the goals of living their life to the fullest and hopefully kissing a girl. The play continues on over the course of a single day, and the audience watches to see if Dolly will execute her plan and if Hackl and Barnaby will escape from Vandergelders wrath.
The stage, designed and coordinated by Chris Andrade and Lily Morgan, is set with meticulously crafted props and backdrops to transport the audience back to the New York of the 1890s. In addition, the costumes, designed and executed by Amy Raskopf, are vibrant and extravagant as well as an ode to the time period. The play also features a wide variety of songs along with impressive choreography, directed by Matt Treacy and Kelsey Kaminski, respectively.
Throughout the play, the audience is kept entertained, engaged, and excited by the many talented cast members. There were stellar performances by all, but some standouts shone brighter than the rest. Junior Cece Cummins was exceptional as Dolly Levi, but that goes without saying. Cummins’ displayed her wide range of talent throughout the show. She nailed Dolly’s Brooklyn accent and comedic timing as well as Dolly’s emotional monologues and solos. Another standout was Sophomore Hugh Winegar, who played Cornelius Hackl, Vandergelders timid employee turned rebellious. Winegar, along with his right hand man Barnaby Tucker played by Junior CJ Schorr, were able to bring the laughs with their ridiculous antics and physical comedy. Yet another highlight to the cast was Senior Mallory Sloan, who played Irene Molly, a hat-maker looking for love. In my opinion, Sloan’s solo Ribbons Down My Back was one of the best in the production, showcasing her impressive vocals and ability to stir emotion in the audience.
All in all, myself and others would say that this year’s production of Hello Dolly! was a roaring success. The show brought love, laughs, longing and everything in between. After yet another outstanding musical, the audience can only count down the days until Theater 308 graces the DHS Auditorium stage next.
