Young People's Theatre Workshop Presents HELLO, DOLLY!

Celebrating its 40th year, Young People's Theatre Workshop (YPTW) presents Tony-Award winning musical sensation Hello, Dolly!, on stage at The Players Club of Swarthmore May 25 to June 3. The Hello Dolly! cast includes 60 actors, ages 8-18, from the Philadelphia regional area. Show dates are May 25, 26, and June 2 at 7:30 p.m., May 29, 30, 31 at 7 p.m. and May 27 and June 3 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, and all seats are reserved. Call 610-558-0988 to reserve tickets.

Hello, Dolly! is the story of turn-of-the-century, irrepressible widowed matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi (Zoe Bock, Swarthmore and Meredith Forman, Radnor), who, after strategically negotiating marriages for others through a series of comic romantic entanglements, ultimately finds her own match in the miserly half-millionaire Horace Vandergelder (Nick Shaffer, Swarthmore). Hello, Dolly! is a magical piece of musical theatre filled with memorable songs such as Put on Your Sunday Clothes, Before the Parade Passes By, It Only Takes A Moment, and the title tune Hello, Dolly. Show-stopping dance numbers like The Waiters' Gallop are combined with colorful turn-of-the-century costumes to create a musical the whole family will enjoy.

Hello, Dolly! is based on Thornton Wilder's 1955 play "The Matchmaker" and features music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (Mame, La Cage aux Folles) and a book by Michael Stewart (Bye Bye Birdie, 42nd Street). The original production ran for nearly 3,000 performances on Broadway and won a Tony for Best Musical. A smash revival is currently running on Broadway, starring Bernadette Peters.

In addition to Bock, Forman and Shaffer, leading players include Tommy Bennett, Wallingford; Andrew Rubin, Media; Andrew SanFilippo, Springfield; Sabrina Caputo, Swarthmore; Marissa Perri, Springfield; Isabel Zarrow, Swarthmore; Annie Mutz; Swarthmore; Aidan Cunningham, Rutledge; Samuel Hartley, Wallingford; Elizabeth Hughes, Media; Carenna Cody, Wallingford; Amelia SanFilippo, Springfield; and Virginia Finney, Swarthmore.

The production staff is led by Claudia Carlsson, Joe Southard, and Darrin Peters. The Players Club of Swarthmore is located at 614 Fairview Road-just off Route 320 in Swarthmore. Young People's Theatre Workshop, now in its 40th year, offers year-round theatre education classes and performance opportunities for students in elementary, middle, and high school. For tickets to Hello, Dolly and information on YPTW's other programs, including summer camps and workshops, call 610-558-0988, email yptw@aol.com, or visit Young Peoples Theatre Workshop on Facebook.