Jerry Herman, Marge Champion and More Reminisce on HELLO, DOLLY!, to Open at Ford's Theatre, 3/15

In preparation for Ford's Theatre Society and Signature Theatre's co-presentation of the Tony-winning musical HELLO, DOLLY!, which will be directed by Eric Schaeffer and runs March 15 through May 18, 2013 in Washington, D.C., The Washington Post conducted a series of interviews with those involved onstage and behind the scenes during the original Broadway production.

Click HERE to read what composer-lyricist Jerry Herman, Marge Champion, David Hartman (Rudolph, the head waiter), Mary Jo Catlett (Ernestina, chorus), Ronald Young (Waiter, chorus), Sondra Lee (Minnie Fay), dancer Bonnie Mathis, dancer Joel Craig, dancer Nicole Barth and carpenter Artie Siccardi had to say about their work on HELLO, DOLLY!

In this beloved musical classic, the cantankerous half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder hires matchmaker Dolly Levi to find him a wife. Dolly soon hatches a plan to woo and win Vandergelder's hand herself, while simultaneously arranging romantic prospects for his niece, his clerks and two of Manhattan's most eligible shop girls.

The original Broadway production of HELLO, DOLLY! played 2,844 Broadway performances and won 10 Tony Awards. With book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, HELLO, DOLLY! is based on "The Matchmaker" by Thornton Wilder. The original production was directed and choreographed by Gower Champion.

For Signature and Ford's production, Broadway veteran Nancy Opel will make her Ford's Theatre debut as Dolly with Washington favorite Edward Gero in the role of Horace Vandergelder.