HELLO DOLLY by Carol Kaufman Segal

            The national tour of Hello Dolly arrived at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre following its run at the Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa and has been playing to a full house ever since.  There is good reason for the success of this national tour, and the answer is Betty Buckley who stars as Dolly Gallagher Levi, a widow matchmaker who decides she is working for herself this time!

            Dolly has her eyes set on Horace Vandergelder, (Lewis J. Stadlen a wealthy merchant in Yonkers, who hired her to look for a wife.  Horace is a cantankerous miser who has never shown an interest in Dolly, but she has determined that she is the perfect match for him.  Therefore, she sets up a plan in order to hoodwink him into proposing.

            The plot (book by Michael Stewart) moves along with the antics of Horaces’s two rather senseless employees, Conrelius Hackl  (Nic Rouleau) and Barnaby Tucker (Jess LeProtter), who Dolly has her hand in matching with Minnie Fay (Krtisten Hahn) and Irene Malloy (Analisa Leaming).  The action takes place (as do all musicals) interspersed with the memorable music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and outstanding dance numbers (choreographed by Warren Carlyle) performed by superb dancers.   The entire production is elegant with its beautiful scenic and luscious costumes designed by Santo Loquasto, but the most captivating aspect of this musical is its star, Betty Buckley.

            Betty Buckley’s career has included theater, film, television, and concert venues around the world.  She has received a number of accolades for her work including a 1983 Tony Award for Best Actress in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Cats, nominated for Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical for Triumph of Love, nominated for an Olivia Award for her role as Norma Dresden in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Sunset Boulevard in London, to name a few.  Of her 18 recorded solo albums, two were nominated for Grammy Awards and she was nominated twice for two Emmy Awards.   Her list of work is mind boggling.  You can be sure she is a winner in Hello Dolly when Horace finally realizes that Dolly is his match (and by her superb performance).

            Hello Dolly plays Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM, and Sundays at 1 PM, and 6:30 PM, through February 17, at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles.  Tickets are available by calling (800) 982-2787, online at hollywoodpantages.com/hellodolly, ticketmaster.com, or at the Pantages Box Office.

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