From the Director:
Hello, Dolly! has quite a pedigree. It is a classic of American musical theater and has the awards to prove it with multiple Tonys and Academy Awards. Very accomplished actors and actresses have played the lead roles over numerous revivals and tours. The title number is likely familiar to you even if you have never seen the show, and several bits of the film were included in the Pixar film Wall-E. If you aren’t familiar with the story, chances are your mother or grandma have fond memories of seeing it on Broadway or the silver screen. It has beautiful songs and thrilling, show-stopping moments, with a lot of swirling skirts, tufts of feathers, and sparkling sequins; it is a feast for the eyes and ears.
But with a book based on a play by Thornton Wilder of Our Town fame, it is more than just another light-hearted, fun romp with hummable tunes. At the core of the story is something all-too-familiar to us, maybe especially after the last couple of years: It is a story of moving through loss and grief. Dolly lost her husband Ephraim, and has spent the last several years relatively isolated, avoiding old friends, and “thanking God that [she] was independent, that no-one else’s life was mixed up with [hers].” Similarly, Horace Vandergelder is a widower and in his words, has become “rich, friendless, and mean, which in Yonkers is about as far you can go!” Hello, Dolly! is the story of these characters coming out of their solitude and deciding to “rejoin the human race.”
We are so glad you are here today, joining us for this story that celebrates new beginnings while acknowledging past losses, and growing to live in community with the people around us.
It certainly has taken an entire community to put on this show, and I am so thankful to the production team led by Prof. David Tahere, various departments on campus, the students, the alumni, the choreographers, dancers, and musicians from down the mountain, as well as friends and family who have each put their hand in to make this production possible.
Soli Deo Gloria.
