What: Waupaca Community Theatre presents the classic Broadway musical “Hello, Dolly!”
When: 7 p.m. July 26; 2 p.m. July 27; 7 p.m. July 31, Aug. 1 and 2; and 2 p.m. Aug. 3
Where: Waupaca High School Performing Arts Center, E2325 King Road.
Admission: $17 for adults and $12 for children 12 and under. Purchase online at our.show/dollywct or at the door.
Background: Set at the beginning of the 20th century, “Hello, Dolly!” is centered on a middle-aged matchmaking widow named Dolly Levi and an ensemble of characters who are desperately searching for love in New York City. The 2-act musical follows Dolly herself, the well-known half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, his niece Ermengarde, her painter paramour Ambrose Kemper, Vandergelder’s Hay & Feed store clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, and milliners Irene Molloy and Minnie Fay, in their quest to find romance.
The show, with its tuneful and memorable score by composer Jerry Herman, features the title song along with “Before The Parade Passes By,” “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “It Takes A Woman,” “Ribbons Down My Back,” and “It Only Takes A Moment” and is supported by a 14-piece pit orchestra.
What they’re saying: “This is a fun and true “feel-good” show with a lot of laughs, beautiful costumes, and so many enjoyable features that will keep audiences entertained and amused,” said Pam Gusmer of Waupaca. “Dolly is a bright and vibrant character and I am excited for taking on the challenge of this dynamic role.”
“It’s such a thrill to see the stage full of both new faces and old favorites,” said Riley Nusz of Waupaca. “While the stage might be glamorous and the costumes elegant, it’s the chorus that makes the show.
Take-home message: “This classic show is a wonderful piece of Americana,” said Holly Saunders, director. “Considering the division in our country right now, it’s really great to offer audiences a beautiful piece of live musical theatre that has themes we can all agree upon.”
Provided by John Kelley, Waupaca Community Theatre
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Theater spotlight: Waupaca theater group to perform musical, ‘Hello, Dolly!’
Reporting by Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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