Review: THE HELLO GIRLS at Beavercreek Community Theatre

It has been 5 years since I last saw a production at Beavercreek Community Theatre. It didn’t hit me until writing this, but it was June 2019 when I saw CABARET at BCT, and it’s a little baffling to me that it has been that long. Part of the reason is, of course, due to the pandemic which halted many of the local theatre companies, and because of that, it has taken me some time to get back into participating in the community. A big reason why I was drawn to writing about Dayton productions is so I could stop being a hermit and start seeing more shows again, and of course, to provide support for the many groups that Dayton has. BCT is a special place to me, it was one of the first groups I got involved in right out of college, and any patron of BCT will tell you that it is both a great place to work at and to see shows at. Coming up on their 30 year anniversary, BCT put on a production of a musical that I would like to talk about.

If you are a fan of the new Broadway musical SUFFS, an epic telling of the women’s suffrage movement, then you would’ve enjoyed THE HELLO GIRLS. Set during World War I, the story follows 5 women who served as telephone operators during the war, and would be considered the first ever women soldiers had they been credited as such. As expected, the story deals with these women undergoing misogyny from their higher-ups and colleagues, and even at the end of the war, almost being forgotten by history without the recognition they deserved. This musical is only 6 years old, having debuted at the Prospect Theater Company in New York, and this production is brought to us by Matt Owens, who has been a long-time director in Dayton. His team includes Assistant Direction by Drew Roby, Stage Management by Phoenix Perry and Emily Sands, Music Direction by Jenn Clark, and Choreography by Gretchen Obergfell. The production team is also stacked with a multitude of coaches that help bring a sense of authenticity to the story, and it shows through the performances, including Jaclyn Felver as the French Consultant, Diane Strohm as the Military Consultant, and Kelli Locker as the Dramaturg.

The scenery designed and constructed by Chris Harmon is one of his finest designs, featuring telephone switchboards as the panels of the set with small light bulbs and criss-crossed wires, and a mural of Grace Banker, the real-life chief operator and leading character of the story, as the focal point of the set. Andrew Darr’s lighting design also pairs well with the action of the story and gives the set a vintage feel. When the show began, the cast came out one by one in modern-day attire before transporting us back to the early twentieth century. This premise did take me a while to discover as I was unclear of the modern-day wardrobe for the cast, but once the story got going, it clicked for me. Anne Heitker’s costume design is accurate for the period of the 1910’s especially with the army uniforms. The band for this production was very solid, but I do question the decision to substitute the guitar part for a second keyboard, as the opening number relies heavily on the strums of a guitar and without it, it feels like a sense of authenticity and energy is lost in the song. 

The cast is very strong in the acting ability, you can tell this group is tight-knit and they trust each other to deliver the story. The five women who portray the hello girls are vocally strong and are convincing in their sisterhood. The role of Grace Banker is portrayed by Adee McFarland, who is a veteran in the theatre scene. You can tell she understands this character’s motivations and insecurities, and she gives Grace that human balance between standing strong as a leader and eagerly proving herself with touches of uncertainty in how the war will play out and what her legacy will be. Combating the women’s efforts in this story is Captain Riser portrayed by David Sherman, who starts out as the cynical man-in-charge. As captain, he gives off a great know-it-all energy as he has to accept the women into the army despite his personal opinions about their place. But as the story progresses, you see his character soften as he  reveals that he does respect womanhood to the point that they shouldn’t have to succumb to the madness of battle. Sherman and McFarland share a great rivalry throughout the show and go from veteran vs. newbie to equals.    

Lindsey Cardoza portrays Suzanne, the street-wise broad who convinces her friend Grace to enlist, she gives the story breaths of humor and charm and matches McFarland in stage presence. Jordan Lopez as Louise is the native French operator who is brought to the stage with youthful vibrancy and excitement, every reaction is larger-than-life and she brings reckless fun to the group. Amber K. Todd as Helen is the Rose Nylund-esque farm girl who shows a lot of heart and gives her panicky moments an adorable spin. Shana Fishbein as Bertha gives motherly energy to her character, serving level-headedness combined with a hopeful outlook. A highlight in the second act is Todd, Fishbein, and McFarland singing the trio, “So Good So Far” where their harmony game is sweet and heart-breaking, showing the painful experience of being away from home and family in the midst of war. 

Other notable highlights include Michael Plaugher as General Pershing where his classical baritone is powerful and commanding, and Aaron Hill as Matterson who plays off of Cardoza’s character as the romantic wise-guy with a soaring voice. This is a musical that I believe more people should learn about, its importance in American history signifies its need to be shared since the real-life figures of this story never fully got the recognition for their service during the war. That is what good musical theatre does in my opinion, like SUFFS, THE HELLO GIRLS provides due justice for the five women operators who were instrumental to the army. If you are interested in seeing what else Beavercreek Community Theatre has in store, their 2024/2025 season kicks off in late August with a wide variety of plays and musicals. You can check them out on their website bctheatre.org, and on Facebook and Instagram for any show updates.

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