Hello, Dolly!, goodbye musicals: Rachel Anderson’s Dolly Levi and Tim Tubbs’s Horace Vandergelder promoting Pickering Musical Society’s summer show at Pickering Station. Picture: Robert David Photography
THE buzz is building in Pickering as rehearsals intensify and preparations gather pace for Pickering Musical Society’s final musical, Hello, Dolly!
Luke Arnold’s production of Jerry Herman’s Broadway classic will bring colour, charm and musical magic to the Kirk Theatre from June 10 to 14.
Set in bustling 1890s’ New York, Hello, Dolly! follows the irrepressible Dolly Gallagher Levi, witty matchmaker, meddler and professional “arranger of things”, as she sets out to find a match not only for others, but for herself too.
Packed with such numbers as Before The Parade Passes By, It Only Takes A Moment, Put On Your Sunday Clothes and the show-stopping Hello, Dolly!, the Pickering production promises laughter, heart and glorious theatrical flair.
All aboard for Pickering Musical Society’s farewell to musicals: Luke Arnold’s company for Hello, Dolly at Pickering Station. Picture: Robert David Photography
Rachel Anderson will lead Arnold’s cast as Dolly Levi, bringing warmth, chutzpah and comedic sparkle to the role made famous by Carol Channing, Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler.
Tim Tubbs will return to the Kirk Theatre stage as Horace Vandergelder, having last delighted audiences as Henry Higgins in Pickering Musical Society’s 2023 production of My Fair Lady. Expect him to invest wit and theatrical gravitas into the stubborn half-a-millionaire.
Look out for Stephen Temple as Cornelius Hackl and Jack Dobson as Barnaby Tucker, two adventure-seeking clerks from Yonkers, alongside Paula Cook as the stylish milliner Irene Molloy and Danielle Long as her assistant Minnie Fay.
Courtney Brown will play the romantically frustrated Ermengarde, opposite Will Smithson as her passionate artist beau, Ambrose Kemper. Rounding out Arnold’s company will be John Brooks as the uptight maître d’, Rudolph Reisenweber.
Courtney Brown’s Ermengarde, left, Will Smithson’s Ambrose Kemper and Paula Cook’s Irene Molloy. Picture: Robert David Photography
Behind the scenes, the excitement is just as palpable. One of the most ambitious sets in the society’s history is coming together piece by piece to transform the Kirk Theatre stage into everything from bustling 1890s’ New York streets to the opulent interiors of the famed Harmonia Gardens restaurant.
This transition will be a huge technical feat, with masses of equipment installed already in the theatre and much more still to come. Each set piece is being constructed with care to capture the grandeur and playfulness of the era, promising an immersive theatrical experience.
Meanwhile, the wardrobe department, led by the experienced Maureen Symonds, is working tirelessly to bring 1890s’ fashion to life. From flowing gowns and parasols to straw boaters and pinstripes, the costumes are starting to arrive and they are “nothing short of dazzling”. The attention to period detail will transport audiences to a world of elegance, charm and timeless theatrical glamour.
Joined in the production team by returning musical director Clive Wass, Arnold’s Hello, Dolly! is shaping up to be a vibrant and polished production, full of energy, colour and his trademark dynamism.
Jack Dobson’s Barnaby Tucker and Danielle Long’s Minnie Fay
“It is extremely sad that this will be our final musical production,” says Luke. “However, we do not aim to go quietly! The team have pulled out all the stops to create what will be our most extravagant production ever produced by Pickering Musical Society.
“I am very grateful to friends and past members for coming out to help and support the production, both on stage and behind the scenes, bringing with them equipment, set and technical know-how that will be combined to create a spectacular result.
“The production is already emptying the coffers, so anyone who may wish to help sponsor our last musical production, or by advertising in our programme, please do get in touch.”
Tickets are selling fast for the last Pickering Musical Society musical after 106 years. Rising production costs have enforced this decision, but please note, the society’s pantomimes and music-from-the-shows productions will continue.
Pickering Musical Society presents Hello, Dolly!, Kirk Theatre, Pickering, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01751 474833 or kirktheare.co.uk. Alternatively, buy in person from the Kirk Theatre box office, open Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm.
Pickering Musical Society’s poster artwork for Hello, Dolly! at the Kirk Theatre, Pickering