Hello Dolly (1980)

The ambitious production of ”Hello Dolly”, the Wesley-Lauriston Musical offering for 1980, proved to be a challenge well met if audience reaction and comment mean anything. The presentation requires a three-level set and a practicable tram-car and steam-train, but Mr. Miller and his team solved the difficulties. Add to this the fine lighting by Mr. Toppin and his assistants, and we have the reasons why ”Dolly” had an excellent setting. Dolly Levi was played by Fiona Skinner who gave a superb performance both musically and dramatically, bringing out the pathos as well as the comedy in the role.

The seemingly crass Horace Vandergelder, the miser with a heart of gold, was effectively portrayed by Tim Golding. These leading characters were given strong support by Rebecca Taylor as an enchanting Irene Molloy, Clare Wells, a vivacious Minnie Fay, Adam St. Clair and Andrew Masterton as the brilliantly comic pair Cornelius Hack! and Barnaby Tucker, and several splendid cameo performances: Rebecca Hetrel's Ernestina, Fiona Curnow's Ermengarde, Marcus Young's Ambrose Kemper, Kate Cohen's Mrs. Rose and Ian Thomas' Rudolf. Nor should we forget the subtly amusing Horse played by Kim Ortenburg and Katnna Jamieson.

There were many highlights, the principal ones being Vandergelder's ”It Takes A Woman ”, ”Put on Your Sunday Clothes” by Cornelius, Barnaby and the Chorus, Irene's ”Ribbons Down My Back”, and ”Before the Parade Passes By” sung by the entire company; but perhaps the really great sequence was the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant scene when Dolly performs the title number. Mr. Gerner directed the Orchestra both In rehearsal and performance; it played beautifully. Production was by Miss K. McGrath and Mr. Humphries, with Miss McGrath directing the singing and the dancing, in this latter field most ably assisted by Mrs. S. King who trained the ballet. Costumes and make-up were by Mrs. S. Flossos and Mrs. M. Hilditch, and sound was by Stephen Howell and team supervised by Mr. Lee. ”Hello Dolly” was the fourth in the series of Wesley- Lauriston Musicals and it may be said to have sustained the high level we have come to expect.