Olney Theatre Center is presenting a confection for the holidays with its production of “Hello, Dolly!” directed by Kevin S. McAllister. This legendary musical of the American theater is based on the 1954 play “The Matchmaker” by Thornton Wilder. With a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, it debuted on Broadway in 1964, winning 10 Tony Awards, which was a record at the time. It has since produced four, award-winning revivals on Broadway, world-wide tours, and an Oscar-winning film.
Nova Y. Payton brilliantly portrays Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi…wonderfully talented cast and ensemble…classic, golden age, theatrical spectacle with all the trimmings…
Nova Y. Payton brilliantly portrays Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi by capturing both her charm and penchant for solving any problem and her hidden sadness as the widow of a beloved husband. Dolly makes her move to fully rejoin the world in “Before the Parade Passes By.” She enthusiastically helps others around her while setting her own sights on the grumpy and dictatorial Horace Vandergelder (Moses Villarama), the half-a-millionaire owner of a Hay and Feed Store in Yonkers of the 1890s who is looking for a wife. He becomes progressively annoyed at Dolly’s attempts at matchmaking when they do not go well—deliberately, notably when Dolly set him up with her friend, the “heiress” Ernestina (Karen Vincent). Dolly works her magic as Vandergelder initially dismisses Dolly only to realize he has fallen for her by the end of the show.
Dolly’s plan is intertwined with her machinations to help the other love-lorn characters. Vandergelder will not give his blessings for his weepy niece, Ermengarde (Anna Maria C. Ferrari), to marry her artist—gasp—boyfriend, Ambrose Kemper (Wood Van Meter). Vandergelder’s beleaguered store clerks, Cornelius Hackl (Michael Perrie Jr.), and Barnaby Tucker (Ricky Devon Hall) decide to go to New York City for an adventure of their own and resolve to kiss a girl before the night is over. Thanks to Dolly, this leads them (and Vandergelder) to a hat shop run by Mrs. Malloy (Caitlin Brooke) and her assistant, Minnie Fay (Alex De Bard) as mayhem and budding love ensues. Mrs. Malloy sings a lovely, wistful rendition of “Ribbons Down My Back.” They all end up at Harmonia Gardens restaurant and eventually toward a happy resolution.
The ensemble (Quadry Brown, Patrick Leonardo Casimir, Eve Dillingham, Delaney Jackson, Matthew Millin, Robert Mintz, Nico Nazal, Eli Schulman, Taryn Smithson, Alyssa Enita Stanford, Jailyn Wilkerson, and Ava Wilson) shines in its own right, especially in the excellent choreography by Eamon Foley. The hat shop scene offers brilliant physical comedy and dance as does the restaurant scene when the leads interact with the ensemble, weaving in and out of the wait staff and in the complex and superbly executed “The Waiters Gallop,” led by Rudolf Reisenweber (Montel B. Butler). Despite being hidden for most of the show the orchestra, under the baton of Musical Director Christopher Youstra (who also provided additional orchestrations), was crystal clear and revealed in the café scene, allowing them to be a part of the action of the show.
Costumes by co-designers Paris Francesca and Julie Cray Leong were also of note, with Dolly’s golden, café costume getting an applause when she entered the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant. In the show-stopping, titular song, Dolly knows everything about the wait staff, greeting each of them by name with a little detail about them from the days when she and her late husband frequented the establishment.
Designed by Ravi “Riw” Rakkulchon, complemented by Lighting Design by Christina Watanabe and Sound Design by Matthew Rowe, each set was totally unique and stunning, from the train station at the beginning to the court room scene at the end. “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” utilized a train circling the stage, with the cast rocking back and forth and climbing onto the railings that braced the train, resulting in a visually amazing scene. The hat shop was whimsical with hats hanging from the ceiling and the sparse set pieces allowed for the comedic timing and choreography of the scene to work so well. Each set eloquently spoke to each moment of the story.
“Hello, Dolly!” has stood the test of time. Olney Theatre Center’s wonderfully talented cast and ensemble handle the complex, poignant, and funny ups-and-downs of the characters’ journeys to find love, with Dolly fully earning her union with Horace Vandergelder in the end. If you are looking for a classic, golden age, theatrical spectacle with all the trimmings and emotional substance, this production delivers both.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 20 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
Advisory: If this were a film, it would be rated PG. Contains the use of fog and haze.
“Hello, Dolly!” runs through January 4, 2026 at Olney Theatre Center at Roberts Mainstage, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832. For more information and to purchase tickets, please call the Box Office at 301.924.3400, Wednesday-Sunday: 12- 6 pm, or go online.
301.263.6982
Service Areas
