BWW Reviews: Boise Shouts, HELLO DOLLY! To National Tour

I started out my week arriving at work on Tuesday thinking, "it's ONLY Tuesday" The week felt like it should have been over already. This is the mood I took with me to to the first night of HELLO DOLLY! Luckily, HELLO DOLLY! is the perfect show to go to when you are in this mood, it is an almost instant mood changer.

I have loved HELLO DOLLY! since I was young and Barbara Streisand would belt her songs on television. I did not know what to expect and it is hard to get something like that out of your mind, but I did my best. I was not disappointed.

Once the overture started to lift above the audience, so did my mood. The music is so memorable (some may notice it in the Disney Pixar film Wall-e) and toe-tapping it cannot fail to lift your spirits.

Sally Struthers portrays Dolly Levi in this production. In the age of YouTube there are many versions of Dolly out there to find by famous divas of the stage and each has made Dolly their own part. Sally Struthers can now be added to that list of "Dolly divas". Her little quirks and joyful sounds throughout the production has created a Dolly Levi that those of us in Boise who were lucky enough to see, will not forget.

HELLO DOLLY! is about Dolly Levi whose self-proclaimed profession is meddling. She is a widow who is arranging a marriage for Horace Vandergelder. At the same time, she is arranging the marriage for his niece and a few others. - including herself! It is set in New York and Yonkers in 1897, when life was simpler. It was also written in the time of madcap comedies.

The entire cast was talented and full of energy. The waiters were so acrobatic I was just enthralled during that entire scene. However, I do want to mention one other actor from this production who made "Ribbons Down My Back" sound both sad and hopeful. I hadn't enjoyed that song before as much as I did when Lauren Blackman sang it as Irene Malloy in this production.

This tour of HELLO DOLLY! is full of talented beautiful people. Boise was fortunate to be included on this tours route. If you get a chance, see it!

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