Hello Dolly!

Posted on 27/8/09 by Abi Siri in Camden Town (No comments)

Timothy Sheader's production of Hello Dolly! at the Open Air Theatre is all that a musical should be. Stephen Mear's choreography is immaculate and Peter McKintosh's set truly satisfying, allowing a smooth transition from hay and feed store to hat shop to grand cafe. There are a couple of particularly stunning song and dance numbers, including the whole cast's imitation of a train, complete with steam coming out of a top hat. While in the cafe scene the waiters do a slick, fast tap routine that roused some of the audience to their feet in the performance I saw.

A regular face at the Open Air Theatre, Samantha Spiro was an exuberant and gorgeous Dolly.  Alan Corduner's Horace Vandergelder – the “well known half-a-millionaire” - is as grouchy as it gets. So much so that he presents a real challenge to Dolly, who is trying to get him to marry her by some comic reverse psychology and not so subliminal messages. It is hard to see what she sees in him though, until the very end when he reveals a sensitive side and sings a very touching “Hello Dolly” number. Josefina Gabrielle plays a beautifully refined Irene Molloy – the milliner who can't stand making hats, Akiya Henry is a coy Minnie Fay and Daniel Crossley and Oliver Brenin play comedy shop assistant duo Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker with great success.

Don't expect to be challenged by this musical or to have your heart-strings tugged. Hello Dolly! is almost unbelievably straightforward - there are no twists or subtleties or downbeat moments. It is pure singing, dancing, romping performance

Hello Dolly! is on at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until 12th September 2009.

 

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