BWW Reviews: Ruth Williamson Leads The Magnificent HELLO, DOLLY!

When putting together an entertaining revival of a beloved musical theater entity such as HELLO, DOLLY! it helps to have a fresh perspective of such a familiar show, yet still have enough reverence to produce a work that honors its source material. With absolute certainty, 3D Theatricals' production of the Jerry Herman classic achieves this goal with great sincerity, providing the audience with a thoroughly splendid, fun, and engaging new show. Thanks to its adorable premise that's been brought to life by an outstanding ensemble cast-wonderfully led by Broadway vet Ruth Williamson in the title role-HELLO, DOLLY! will no doubt continue to please its audiences at the OC Pavilion Theatre in Santa Ana through to its final performance on August 1. The songs are well-sung, the dancing is exceptional, and the comedy is beguiling.

Originally produced on Broadway in 1964, HELLO, DOLLY! went on to win 10 Tony® Awards including Best Musical and Best Actress for original star Carol Channing. On top of three Broadway revivals over the years, the show was adapted into a hit motion picture in 1969 starring Barbra Streisand and directed by Gene Kelly. The musicalized version of Thorton Wilder's farce The Matchmaker, HELLO, DOLLY! tells the story of a meddling widow (Williamson), who is sassy, quick-witted and quite an unexpectedly gifted grifter, with an endless supply of schemes designed to elevate her status, no matter what circumstances lay ahead. She is always at the ready with a curiously-specific business card, advertising her expertise in, well, everything-from teaching shy artists the art of dancing to, yes, finding the perfect man or woman for a person in need of love and companionship.

This helpfulness on her part is only slightly genuine, though she holds no malice in her core. Dolly, in essence, is a woman whose motives are encouraged by her survival instincts. Those instincts demand a comfortable life that others perceive her to have-when, in actuality, she is desperate to get it in the first place. If she winds up helping others in the process, then these are the perks of her job. Cunning in her thoughts, Dolly works within the system to make things turn out in her favor. With a woman like this-so revolutionary for her time-at the center of the show, how can you not want to root for her to triumph every time?

As the story opens, Dolly is enlisted by grouchy "half-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder (a terrific David Allen Jones) to find him a wife-though we soon learn that Dolly herself wants a marriage with Horace, a vow she promises to her late husband in order to secure herself a more stable, poverty-free life. Meanwhile, Dolly also offers to help Ambrose Kemper (Garrett Deagon), a young artist in love with Horace's perpetually whiny niece Ermengarde (Dani Kerry). Horace is completely against their relationship, mostly because Ambrose is occupationally-challenged and, therefore, unworthy to be betrothed to her niece. Via train, naturally, Dolly and Ambrose travel to Yonkers to see Horace, the owner of the local Hay and Feed store. While there, Dolly hopes to not only get Horace to accept the young lovers together, but to also sell the wealthy Mr. Vandergelder on the idea that a fictional woman in New York City named Ernestine Money is his perfect match.

In Yonkers, we also meet a couple of lovelorn, overworked clerks: Cornelius Hackl (Bryan Feldman) and Barnaby Tucker (Taylor Simmons), slaving away in the storage basement of Horace's store. Out of the blue, their boss announces that he's leaving for New York City, leaving the store in Cornelius' slightly promoted hands. But Cornelius has another idea: convinced that love is out there waiting for himself and Barnaby in the big city, he concocts an "accident" that will force the temporary closure of the store. This, he is convinced, will open the day to adventures in New York, where their ultimate goal is to not only see the sights but to also each... kiss a girl!

Hilarity ensues when Cornelius and Barnaby pretend to be wealthy in order to impress sophisticated hat-shop owner Irene Molloy (the radiant Virginia Weber) and her shop assistant Minnie (quirky Hannah Simmons). While there, they try their best to hide from their boss who, it turns out, is in town to meet up with Ms. Molloy-an introduction that was initially devised by Dolly that Dolly is now trying to undo. Eventually, we all witness Dolly's plans fall neatly according to her blueprints, and the results prove uproariously comical.

Sandwiched between the rollicking high jinks in Michael Stewart's Tony-winning book are many memorable songs by Jerry Herman, including theater staples "Before The Parade Passes By," "It Takes A Woman," "Put On Your Sunday Clothes," and "It Only Takes A Moment" (which became an emotional, musical signpost in the hit Disney•Pixar film Wall-E). While the plot and its situations beckon a bygone era of broad farce that seems-on the surface-slightly dated, the show itself is just so full of wit and charm that it ceases to be just another antiquated property. Rather, what is revealed in 3D Theatricals' version is a revitalized classic American musical that is so cleverly put together and is quite ahead of its time (A self-sufficient, clever independent woman? Check. A man ruled by his heart and not the size of his...wealth? Check). The music, the dance numbers, and the story that envelops this delightful show actually makes it a refreshing change from serious modern musicals. In the case of 3D Theatricals' lovely revival, the show becomes fresh, simply because it seems to celebrate its very nature of being so affectionately square.

It helps that the production is surrounded by talented creatives that bring 1895 New York so vividly alive on the OC Pavilion's ornately appropriate stage. Under the direction of director Calvin Remsberg, HELLO, DOLLY! has that palpable plucky spirit of a show trying its darndest to entertain you... and succeeds. This means assembling a team of noteworthy artists to help the world of Dolly Levi come to life: from the impressive, gravity-defying choreography of Kami Seymour and lively musical orchestrations of Jerry Sternbach, to the eye-popping sets by John Iacovelli and the beautiful costumes by Sharell Martin.... all provide stellar work. The production values of this 3D Theatricals presentation is deftly comparable to some of the country's best regional houses and civic light operas.

And then, of course, HELLO, DOLLY! boasts a superb cast-a mix of Equity and Non-equity talent that have come together to form an appealing ensemble that sing and dance so harmoniously together, that you could swear that they've all somehow been playing this tightly-staged show for years. The happiness of the cast beams to its audience like a beam of humorous light. Williamson, one of the theater world's most impressive character actresses, effortlessly melts into the role of Dolly and successfully makes it her very own.

A brilliant comic with room for touching moments of beautiful melancholy, Williamson doesn't resort to merely riffing on the iconic "Dollys" before her.... she embodies Dolly, letting some of her own signature personality traits (and plenty of her uniquely deep voice) shine through with great aplomb. Whether shoving an endless parade of dumplings into her mouth or dispensing quick retorts at all comers, she is one funny, fearless broad. And the title role doesn't necessarily require one to be this polished opera singer... but, rather, it calls for a ballsy, highly-theatrical, go-for-broke singer that can effortlessly belt those soaring Jerry Herman notes up to the rafters, like a grand finale of a fireworks spectacular. This role is so undeniably tailor-made for her.

She is also quite the quick thinker. On opening night, Williamson provides one of the best improvised moments of the evening: when one of the ensemble actors forgets to set her huge carpetbag next to her (during the scene in which Dolly is giddily polishing off the grand buffet at her Harmonia Gardens dinner table), she goes into the wings (with mic still on) and-in a voice that can only be described as a "drunk-on-food" slur-warbles "where's my... purse?" She magically emerges with the bag moments later, and the audience erupts in uproarious laughter. Only a gifted comic actress of Williamson's caliber can pull that off without missing a beat (here's hoping the gaffe is kept into the show).

Though Williamson plays the title role, she is also quite generous in letting her co-stars have their own moments of brilliance. Among the standouts: the gorgeous voices of the exquisite Virginia Weber (as Ms. Molloy) and lovably cantankerous David Allen Jones (as Horace). Weber's buttery-smooth vocals are just perfect. Jones is so convincingly gruff that by the end of the show, when he sings a love ballad, you are pleasantly surprised by his impressive musical chops. Also worth mentioning is the endearing performances of Hannah Simmons (as scene-stealer Minnie), Bryan Feldman (as 'adorkable' Cornelius), and newcomer Taylor Simmons (as Barnaby). The show's excitement level also reaches its ultimate highpoint during the acrobatic "Waiters' Gallop" which provide some of the most explosive dancing that alone is worth the price of a ticket. 

Aside from some microphones not coming on (an unfortunate technical difficulty that was a constant problem all evening), 3D Theatricals' admirable production of HELLO, DOLLY! is, overall, a truly winsome musical treat, where the smiles and laughs are plentiful and well-earned.

Photos from HELLO, DOLLY! by Alysa Brennan for 3D Theatricals.
From Top to Bottom: Ruth Williamson as Dolly Levi, The "Waiters' Gallop,"
Taylor Simmons and Bryan Feldman, and Virginia Weber.

Read Broadway World's exclusive interview with star Ruth Williamson HERE.

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3D Theatricals' production of HELLO, DOLLY! is directed by Calvin Remsberg with musical direction by Jerry Sternbach, choreography by Kami Seymour, set design by John Iacovelli, lighting design by Jared Saveg, and sound design by Julie Ferrin. In addition to Ruth Williamson as Dolly, the cast also includes David Allen Jones*, Bryan Feldman*, Taylor Simmons, Virginia "Viva" Weber, Hannah Simmons, Garrett Deagon, Dani Kerry, Clare Solly, Jay Wallace, Michael Hill, Sheila Karls, Paul Romero Jr.*, Ami Russ, Archer Altstaetter, Brittany Hammond, Jenny Rose Hobbs, Dennis Bendersky, Jenn Aedo, Jenna Wright, Karlee Ferreira, Kevin Ling, Maggie Howell, Michael Milligan, Nathan Wise, Neil Starkenberg, Shannon McFarland, Stephanie Draude, Zsolt Banki.

*Denotes member of Actors Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Tickets to 3D Theatricals' production of HELLO, DOLLY! at the OC Pavilion are available online at www.ocpavilion.com or by calling 714-550-0880. Performances run from July 9 through August 1, Thursdays through Sundays. Tickets start at $20. Student and Youth (16 and under) tickets are available for $15.

The OC Pavilion is located at 801 N. Main Street in Santa Ana. Visit www.ocpavilion.com for more information.

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