Diablo Theater Co Presents HELLO, DOLLY At Lesher Center For The Arts 6/5-28

Celebrating 50 years of presenting "the music and magic of Broadway," the Diablo Theatre Company, formerly known as DLOC (Diablo Light Opera Company), is honoring repeated patron requests for a full-scale, eye-popping production of the classic Broadway musical "Hello, Dolly!" The show opens June 5 for 14 performances through June 28 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.

It will be the first time the award-winning Jerry Herman musical, the show most often requested by the company's patrons, has been presented in the center's Hofmann Theatre since the facility opened in October of 1999.

Tickets ($29-$41) are on sale at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek (925) 943-7469, www.lesherartscenter.or. More information is available at www.dloc.org

Starring in the title role is Terry Darcy D'Emidio, a widely known Bay Area performer. This year marks her 25th anniversary of performing in regional theater for a total of 42 productions, of which 15 were Diablo Theatre/DLOC shows. She first performed in "Hello, Dolly!" at age 12 in the Mt. Diablo Fine Arts Summer Program, directed by Diane Kamrin, the founder of Diablo Theater's Stars 2000 teen program. Her first main stage show for the company was "Pirates of Penzance" in 1985.

She made her professional debut in 1984 in "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Willows Theatre in Concord. In December, she performed the title role of "Mame," another Jerry Herman musical, at the Willows.

" We pride ourselves in re-imagining elements of our classic musicals," said Daren Carollo, Diablo Theatre Company's artistic director.

He said set designer Mark Mendelson, who began his career in DLOC's Stars 2000 teen theatre group, is creating 3-D buildings that fly, pivot and spin in ways that audiences haven't seen before. " In all, there are seven full stage sets in the show.

Adds Carollo: "I can guarantee The Audience will see the most beautiful Harmonia Gardens they have ever seen. "

Mendelson also designed the sets for the Diablo Theatre Company's production of "The Will Rogers Follies" last fall and will be in charge of scenic design for the Stars 2000 production of "Guys and Dolls" in July.

"Hello, Dolly!" will have a cast of 36 singers and dancers and an orchestra of 16 musicians led by music director Cheryl Yee Glass.

Curt Denham, who played in Diablo Theatre's productions of "La Cage Aux Folles" and as the king in " The King and I," will play Horace Vandergelder in " Dolly."

Also in the cast are Rena Wilson as Irene Malloy; Will Giammona as Cornelius Hackl; Andrew Willis-Woodward as Barnaby Tucker; John Walbolt as Ambrose Kemper; Meghan Ihle as Minnie Fay; Jessica Knudsen as Ermengrade, and Mary Kidwell as Ernestina.

The Ensemble is comprised of Carolyn Bealmear, Jennifer Kosta, Linda Davis, Steve Budd, Joe Martin, Jody Black, Tony Conaty, Ben Bogen, Brian Sterling, Derek Miller, Luke Chapman, Pablo Jara, Joaquin Jara, Kyle Frattini, Simone Bouffard, Lindsey Scanlon, Amelia Zack, Milly Boyce, Laura Pyper, Elaina Garrity, Ella Penninton, Barbara Pond, and Madi Kay.

In addition to Mendelson and Glass, the show's technical staff includes Dennis Lickteig, whose previously directed Diablo Theatre Company's "The King and I;" Lawrence Pech, choreographer, who staged the dancing in the company's "Peter Pan;" MariAnna Ford, costume designer, and Rod Lucich, production manager.

 

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