Big Spring, Texas born, Fort Worth raised, TCU graduate and Broadway legend Betty Buckley had the audience at DSM’s Hello Dolly in her hand with her singing and acting from the opening curtain to the final ovations!
The four-time Tony Award-winning, including Best Musical Revival, is a gorgeous presentation that lifts moods to an extremely happy state. This rendition pays tribute to the original work of Gower Champion and lives up to past praise as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history. A tip of the Saint’s Halo to Thornton Wilder’s play “The Matchmaker” and Michael Stewart’s book, without whom, none of this would’ve been possible.
The entire creative team of the Broadway production lead by four-time Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks reprise their fabulous roles. It transported me to late 19th century New York City.
Betty Buckley is indeed “The Voice of Broadway” and drew the adulation of the entire audience as Dolly. Lewis J. Stadlen delivered some witty lines at Horace Vandergelder, but his constant changing of vocal range was annoying.
Nic Rouleau as Cornelius Hackl, Analisa Leaming in the role of Irene Molloy, Sean Burns as Barnaby Tucker and Kristen Hahn as Minnie Fay were wonderful, adding more romance and humor.
I can’t say enough about Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle’s choreography, especially the athletic “Waiters’ Gallop” from the Inside the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant scene and “Dancing” from Inside the Hat Shop.
Jerry Herman’s music and lyrics are obviously memorable, rousing and touching. Who doesn’t know the title tune? Other favorites for me are “It Takes a Woman”, the touching “Before the Parade Passes By” and “It Only Takes a Moment”.
Don’t miss this high wow factor, musical comedy dream, through July 28, at Fair Park Music Hall in Dallas.