Tag: Jerry Herman

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Pickering Musical Society’s final musical, Hello, Dolly!, will be ‘our most extravagant show ever’ says director Luke Arnold

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

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REVIEW: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Hello, Dolly! ***

Helen Spencer’s Dolly Levi in Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s Hello, Dolly!

Hello, Dolly!, Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, 7.30pm tonight; 2.30pm, 7.30pm tomorrow. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk

THE Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s fifth production as the JoRo’s in-house fundraising troupe since 2017 is their “most ambitious yet” and first to be directed by company regular Kathryn Lay.

She brings experience of directing for several Gilbert & Sullivan companies to the task, along with a familiar right-hand man for this bright and breezy production, husband Martin Lay, a figure in constant motion in white tie and tails as conductor and musical director in the dozen-strong orchestra pit.

Hello, Dolly!, with its book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, had its day as the longest-running show on Broadway after its 1964 debut, further buoyed by Gene Kelly’s 1969 film starring the irrepressible Barbra Streisand.

Based on Thornton Wilder’s 1938 farce The Merchant Of Yonkers, re-written as The Matchmaker in 1954, it is a lightweight, gently amusing piece, not dissimilar in spirit to those works from the other side of the Big Pond, G&S’s light operas. Or, you could call it “an absolute hoot”, as the JoRo’s publicity puts it.

The setting is 1885 New York, where wily widow and meddling matchmaker Dolly Levi (Helen Spencer) has her eye on hooking tight-fisted half-a-millionaire Horace Vendergelder (Alex Schofield), a man short on joy and even shorter on humour.

Ever chirpy Dolly has calling cards for all manner of skills she claims to have, but resourcefulness is her primary asset, along with an ability to confuse all around her in pursuit of her goal. Spencer triumphs, both in song, especially her ballads, and as leading lady with an artful yet appealing air and bags of brio. Vandergelder is a stick in the mud, all the more so for Schofield playing him so straight.

The path to love may not run smoothly, but Hello, Dolly! is giddy with a supporting bill of billing and cooing involving Stuart Sellens’s Cornelius Hackl and Jennie Wogan-Wells’s Irene Molloy, alongside Jamie Benson’s Barnaby Tucker and Jennifer Jones’s Minnie Fay. They make a swell foursome, amusing, smartly attired and characterful in their singing.

“Flouncing around in a feather boa”, Sophie Cooke is a good sport as Ernestina, the butt of Dolly’s meddling with a voice to launch a thousand cough lozenges.  Abigail Atkinson and Jonathan Wells make their mark too as artist Ambrose Kemper and young Ermengarde.

Supporting roles and ensemble players add to the jollification, particularly in the big numbers, whether beneath twirling brollies or on waiter duty in Lorna Newby’s lively choreography.

Tickets are in limited supply for tonight’s show and tomorrow’s matinee with better availability for tomorrow night’s finale. All proceeds go back to the JoRo in support of York’s community theatre and the chance to put on more big musicals with big casts to match.

Review by Charles Hutchinson

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Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s Hello, Dolly! will be their most ambitious show yet

Helen Spencer: Leading the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in the role of Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!

THE Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company are putting on their Sunday best from tonight until Saturday in Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s Broadway classic Hello, Dolly!.

This 1964 musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s 1938 farce The Merchant Of Yonkers will be staged by the JoRo’s in-house fundraising company with glitz, glamour and a troupe of tap-dancing waiters in their most ambitious performance to date.

Noted for such musical theatre favourites as It Only Takes A Moment, Put On Your Sunday Clothes and the title song, Hello, Dolly! follows strong-willed widow and self-proclaimed meddling matchmaker Dolly Levi in her wooing of wealthy but tight-fisted Horace Vandergelder, while she spreads joy and confusion among everyone she encounters in 1885 New York.

Premiering on Broadway on January 16 1964 with Carol Channing in the title role, Stewart and Herman’s show played for 2,844 performances, making it – at the time – the longest-running Broadway musical in history.

The show has been revived several times on the New York stage, most recently in 2017 with Bette Midler in the title role, while Barbra Streisand famously starred in Gene Kelly’s 1969 film version.

Playing Dolly for the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company (JRTC) will be Helen Spencer, a regular in the company’s shows and on the wider York theatre scene, who works as a psychiatrist in the NHS.

Platform to entertain: Hello, Dolly! principals Jamie Benson’s Barnaby Tucker, left, Helen Spencer’s Dolly Levi and Stuart Sellens’s Cornelius Hackl

Hello, Dolly! will be even more special for her, beyond the lead role, because she will be sharing the stage with her two children in their first theatrical performance.

This will be JRTC’s fifth full-scale production, following on from their flash, bang, walloping hit Kipps: The New Half A Sixpence Musical last February, with a continuing focus on producing high-quality, low-budget productions to maximise profits to give every penny straight back to the JoRo.

Taking the reins this time is Kathryn Lay, who steps off the stage to make her JRTC directing debut, alongside her husband Martin Lay as musical director. Both have been performing with the company since its inception in 2017.

“Hello, Dolly! perfectly showcases the company’s diverse and talented members,” says Kathryn. “There’s a large ensemble, which has allowed us to embrace our inclusive ethos, and the variation in roles really plays to everyone’s strengths. It’s a feel-good musical and the cast and creative team are having a wonderful time bringing it to life.

“The Joseph Rowntree Theatre is such a valuable asset for the York community, helping make theatre accessible for wider audiences. So, as well as being treated to a wonderful evening of entertainment, you’ll also be supporting a great cause and helping to play a part in keeping theatre alive in York.”

Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company, Hello, Dolly!, at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, February 8 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee.Tickets: £15, under 18s, £13, on 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company cast members rehearsing the title number in Hello, Dolly!

Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company’s cast for Hello, Dolly!

Dolly Levi: Helen Spencer

Horace Vandergelder: Alex Schofield

Cornelius Hackl: Stuart Sellens

Irene Molloy: Jennie Wogan-Wells

Barnaby Tucker: Jamie Benson

Minnie Fay: Jennifer Jones

Ambrose Kemper: Jonothan Wells

Ermengarde: Abigail Atkinson

Ernestina: Sophie Cooke

Rudolph: Nick Sephton

Mrs Rose/Ensemble: Vanessa Lee

Judge/Manny/Ensemble: Ben Huntley

Clerk/Ensemble: Lois Cross

Louis/Ensemble: Cameron O’Bryne

Harry/Ensemble: Gary Bateson

Hank/Ensemble: Jack James Fry

Ensemble: Michelle Atkinson; Helen Barugh; Victoria Beale; Pamela Bradley; Ashley Ginter; Lorna Newby; Jennifer Payne; Susanne Perkins; Zoe Sellens; Heather Stead and Jane Woolgar

Production team

Director: Kathryn Lay

Musical director: Martin Lay

Assistant director/choreographer: Lorna Newby

Assistant director: Rosy Rowley

Producer: Stuart Sellens

Stuart Sellens’s Cornelius Hackl, left, and Jamie Benson’s Barnaby Tucker