Performance dates: 9th - 13th March 2010
Venue: The Haymarket, Basingstoke

Synopsis

The widowed Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi is a New York matchmaker by trade. In 1898, she travels to Yonkers to ostensibly arrange the second marriage of the rich, friendless and mean millionaire, Horace Vandergelder. In truth she is intending to marry him herself.

Dolly meets Horace in his Hay and Feed store, and skilfully plants doubts in his mind about Irene Molloy, herself a widowed milliner living in New York City who Horace has been courting. Promised by Dolly that he will meet an heiress that afternoon, Horace goes off to New York City to meet Irene and to march in the 14th Street Association Parade. He is followed by his two rebellious clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, who decide that they want to live a little for once. Dolly also arranges for Horace' downtrodden niece Ermengarde to travel to New York with her intended, Ambrose Kemper.

Once in New York, Cornelius and Barnaby end up in Irene Molloy's hat shop after having dodged Horace on the streets of the city. Both are forced to suddenly hide from their employer who has gone to pay his respects. Though he doesn't find out who the men are, he knows that "men" are in the shop and breaks off all contact with Irene. Dolly smooths things over with Irene and arranges for the almost penniless Cornelius and Barnaby to take Irene and her assistant Minnie Fay to dinner at the very elegant Harmonia Gardens Restaurant.

When the 14th Street Association parade has finshed, Dolly arranges for Horace to meet Ernestina Money, the "heiress", at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in the evening.

After walking for 4 hours, Cornelius, Barnaby, Irene and Minnie Fay arrive at the restaurant and are escorted to their tables by Rudolf, the autocratic Head Waiter. Shortly after, Horace meets the overpowering Ernestina outside and is dragged into the restaurant by her. Dolly enters the restaurant alone and is serenaded by the waiters, who have missed her since her husband's death.

When Dolly meets Horace, she arranges for them to eat together with a good view of the dancing competition that the restaurant is famous for. Things get complicated when Horace discovers not only Ermengarde and Ambrose in the Harmonia Gardens competition, but also the two errant clerks. After a scuffle, Horace is arrested for causing a disturbance. Dolly successfully manages to get the charges for everybody quashed apart from Horace's.

Released but now clerkless and nieceless, Horace realizes the woman he really wanted to marry was Dolly. Dolly returns, and allows herself to be convinced to marry him.

Review - "It's Dolly Good"

From the opening tap-dance to the final bow, the talented members of Basingstoke Amateur Operatic Society (BAOS) inject a real energy into this production of Hello, Dolly!

To begin with the lady herself, Helen Palmer, as professional meddler Dolly Levi, has a powerful voice and lends the role the quietly self-assured feel that it requires. As the lynchpin of the show, the role of Dolly comes with a lot of lines, which led to a few memory slips under the pressure of opening night nerves, but Palmer recovered quickly and will doubtless settle into the part as the week goes on.

Her pairing with David Scanlan as Horace Vandergelder works well, and as a BAOS veteran in his 18th production with the society - Scanlan brings a real stage presence to the part of the gruff half-millionaire who is looking for a new wife.

A key strength of this production is its casting, with no finer example than Robin Walton, in his first show with BAOS, as the loveable chief clerk Cornelius Hackl. Through his mannerisms, accent and energy, Walton is in his element and is clearly a talented performer - let's hope he is part of many BAOS productions to come. Teamed up with David Chadwick as Barnaby Tucker, they make a great duo. They feed off each other's energy and Chadwick is a particularly gifted physical comedian.

The deft casting is extended to Kim Knights and Charlotte Barnes - as their romantic interests Irene and Minnie - and the foursome each put a stamp on their parts. Barnes comes across very naturally and Knights brings a real sadness to Ribbons Down My Back with her lovely voice.

Kate Aherne's choreography for the ensemble and individuals is lively throughout, but no audience will come away without marvelling at the show-stopping Waiters' Gallop. A team of young Basingstoke rugby players give their all in a brilliantly energetic and imaginative series of athletic displays, which had the audience in stitches.

As well as a skyline sihouette backdrop, the production team has created simple but effective sets that allow for plenty of movement and wardrobe mistress Shelagh Thompson injects a wealth of colour, frills and ribbons into the spectacle.

Overall, Adam Bayjou has directed a very creative, animated and colourful production that all the company seem to enjoy - something which professional shows do not always achieve - and the good news for the audience is that the tickets are also cheaper.

Lucie Richards

Reprinted with the kind permission of the Basingstoke Gazette
Page 34, Thursday March 11, 2010