San Diego Musical Theatre’s Production of the Classic Musical is Fresh and Energetic
This blog has mentioned that having classic musicals and plays produced locally is a treat and a privilege. San Diego Musical Theatre pulled off the magic again, delivering a vibrant production with potent vocals and high-level choreography courtesy of Craig Noel Award recipient Xavier J. Bush, who also performs in the show.
With a book by Michael Stewart, Dolly (Heidi Meyer) is a matchmaker and -I would say, a sly con artist- who arrives in Yonkers from New York to match Horace Vandergelder (A.G. Parks), a grumpy yet half-prosperous store owner who is in the care of his niece, Ermengarde (Elle Bolton )a nonstop weeper, courted by Ambrose Kemper (Andy Ben Reynolds in the performance I saw). Vandergelder’s match will happen in New York to Irene Molloy (Katherine Chatman), a young widow who owns a hat store run by her assistant Minnie Fay (Johnisa Breault). Horace leaves the store in charge of his two clerks, Cornelius Hackl (Joe Stein in the performance I saw) and Barnaby Tucker (Jackson Taitano), who have a plot to meet girls. Dolly has a runner-up match with Ernestina Money (Sasha Weiss). Cracks start to show when the plan is in full motion, and Dolly’s true intentions also start showing.
Randy Slovocek, who was part of the 1994 touring production, showed his mastery and knowledge of the show with a clean, functional direction. Other productions have stagehands come and move props and set pieces that disturb the moment. Slovocek integrated those movements with song and dance, which resulted in a suave, enjoyable performance. Mike Buckley’s practical set design gave the idea of what was needed for the story while being creative, along with Michelle Miles’s lighting that went from right to left, and set the set apart in each scene to give them life. Jennifer Jones Glor’s props boosted most of the dance sequences and a dinner scene where Heidi Meyer is hilarious, providing a fantastic and saucy Dolly with a fabulous stage presence that went well with A.G. Parks, who you want to dislike as Horace but end up liking. The performance I saw had a couple of understudies, and it was great to see the change as sometimes, as a critic, you want to see everybody in every role and get the most out of the show. Joe Stein stepped into the role of Cornelius with great voice and movement, meshing with his clerk co-worker Jackson Taitano. He was fun and funny as he was physically plunging to the floor, jumping and banging his head. (I hope he is not too bruised from this run). Katherine Chatman has the voice of an angel and delivered an enchanting Irene. Johnisa Breault, who I last saw as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, The Musical, was charming as Minni Fay with a great voice and charisma. Shasha Weiss was a hoot as Ernestina Money, corky and fast. Elle Bolton and Andy Ben Reynolds added to the funny moments “in passing” by having the audience constantly laugh.
Additional cast members include Dan Mason, Laura Bueno, Kaia Bugler, Brice Daniel, Salima Gangani, Jack Harlow Adkins, Andres Lagang, Marlon Magtibay, Kristin O’Connell, Adrian Oviedo, Julianne Riddle, Sarah Smudz; and Kylie Stucki.
Richard Dueñez Morrison’s musical direction excelled those vocals in Jerry Herman’s music and lyrics, paralleling Jordan Gray’s sound, which made audiences enjoy each song and note. Monique Hanson’s hair and makeup contoured the time, and each character with Chong Mi Land’s costumes that showed her rendition of the beautiful red Dolly is known for and colorful dresses for the dancers and the ensemble.
There are a few performances left before the show closes this Sunday, and it is well worth the trip. For more information, click here.
Hello, Dolly!’s production manager is Ron Christopher Jones, the technical director is Rogelio Rosales, and the stage manager is Shirley Johnston.
And remember, theatre is not expensive when gifting yourself. There is always a way to find good seats at a price that fits every wallet.
