The latest Broadway stage production of Hello, Dolly is currently on tour nationwide. It’s opening night in Cincinnati was Tuesday evening to an enthused and highly receptive audience. This reproduction is lively, entertaining, humorous, and captivating. Attendees will not only be enticed by the elaborate costumes and stage design but also the richness of the character’s performances, and the quality of the musical scores.

The original stage production starred Carol Channing the flamboyant Dolly Gallagher Levi expert matchmaker, meddler, and jack of all trade. Other revisions have had the likes of Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Pearl Bailey, Phyllis Diller, and Ethel Merman in this role as well as the 1969 film adaptation with Barbara Streisand. 

The story consists of a grumpy store owner Horace Vandergelder, he has made up his mind it is time for him to get married. He hires Dolly Levi to aid him in this quest. Horace is known to be a man of means, with over half of million dollars in wealth. Dolly sets Horace up with some potential wives, but at the same time, she helps Horace discover questionable traits about them. Dolly has it in her mind that she will be Horace’s wife. Dolly, along the way, helps Emengarde Horace’s daughter in her quest for true love and two shopkeepers for Horace in their pursuit of love.

The entire cast was excellent and delivered a remarkable performance.

Caroleee Carmello was superb as Dolly. Her performance was animated, spirit-filled, and hit every note.

John Bolton, as Horace, had just the right mix of roughness, coarseness, and excitability to make the character fun, humorous and believable.

Daniel Beeman, and Sean Burns as Cornelius Hackel and Barnaby Tucker keep you on edge with the shenanigans of the characters. 

Favorite musical selections not to miss include: It takes a Woman, Hello Dolly, Put on Your Sunday Clothes, and It Only Takes a Moment. 

Hello, Dolly will be at the Aronoff Center until December 15th, additional information on ticketing and times are available at https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/  This is one of this year’s performance not to miss it will entertain and entice.