As Dolly Levi tells the audience each night in Hello, Dolly! at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, she is a matchmaker, "object: matrimony."
Matrimony was already on the mind of Blake Adams when he and his girlfriend Adrianne's Gualtney discovered her favorite musical would be on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre through May 2.
"I was planning on popping the question, and she'd mentioned that it was one of her favorite plays," he said , admitting he didn't know the storyline for Hello, Dolly!
"After I did a little research and found out that it was a matchmaking play, I thought it was perfect," he said. "I wanted to include that as part of the day."
On the day they had tickets to see the show, Blake had a special day planned. He stopped over to her place, made her breakfast, and then proposed to Adrianne during an afternoon picnic. A surprised Adrianne accepted - but it wasn't the only surprise Blake had planned for his new fiancée.
"I just have always been a behind-the-scenes kind of guy," he said. "I like to know what goes on behind the stage."
So he called the staff at Beef & Boards and arranged for Adrianne to meet Iris Lieberman, the actress who plays Dolly Levi, after the show.
"She was fantastic," Blake said. "She was such a nice lady. I think we both commented afterward that was one of the best parts of the day."
Happy to have been a part of their special day, Iris Lieberman said, "They are a very sweet couple."
A 2011 wedding is being planned by the Indianapolis couple.
"It was a great show, a great performance," Blake said. "It was just awesome. I can't say how much I appreciated it."
Hello, Dolly! is on stage through May 2 in the intimate space of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. For reservations, call the Beef & Boards Box Office at 317.872.9664. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays.
For complete show schedule, visit www.beefandboards.com.
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