Hello, Dolly!
at Riverside High School

Reviewed on April 29, 2018

Aubrey Winger
Loudoun Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Give her an old trombone! Give her an old baton! Dolly Levi has paraded back into town, ready to take New York City by storm. In their recent production of "Hello, Dolly!", Riverside High School captured the opulence of this beloved golden age musical.

"Hello, Dolly!" has secured its place in musical theatre history with four Broadway revivals and fourteen Tony Awards over the last fifty-four years. The iconic storyline was originally derived from the farce, "The Matchmaker" written by Thornton Wilder in 1954, a rewritten version of his earlier play, "The Merchant of Yonkers".

At the turn of the century, all of New York City is abuzz because socialite Dolly Levi has returned to orchestrate a match for Horace Vandergelder, a rich but crotchety widower. However, it soon becomes clear the she is determined to have this "half-a-millionaire" for herself. In the process of winning him over, she uses her consulting skills to pair up three other couples, resulting in a happy ending for all.

Whether she was giving dance lessons, acting as a legal consultant, or matchmaking, Dolly Levi (Sarah Katherine Lawless) always had something up her sleeve. Lawless flawlessly combined the elegance of an older woman with the fast-talking nature of a certified meddler. Her subtle New York accent and commanding voice developed her character without detracting from her diction. Lawless contrasted Dolly's self-assured exterior with raw emotion in her wistful monologues to her late husband Ephraim. Her vocals had the polish and the effortlessness of a Golden Age actress, making every solo simply sensational.

As Horace Vandergelder, Evan Gardner's mature vocal performance shone through in his musical numbers while his character voice gave him the appearance of a grumpy old coot. His expectations for Ernestina Money (Taylor Body), Dolly's personal recommendation as a possible wife, were crushed when her vulgar nature came to light, revealing Vandergelder's inner anxieties about finding the perfect wife. As Miss Money, Body delivered every one of her lines with zeal, clamoring to be allowed to perform her favorite dance number, the "hootchy kootchy".

Cornelius Hackl (Jonathan Darnell) and Barnaby Tucker (Noah Hamade), Vandergelder's two employees, formed a cohesive unit, working perfectly together during their wild New York adventure. Filled with various mishaps, synchronized dance moves, and chocolate covered peanuts (with the shells on), this duo's journey to finding love was truly a comical one.

Irene Malloy's (Lindsey McDonald) desire to impress the eligible men of the city was demonstrated in her lovely solo number "Ribbons Down My Back." Ballet dancer Alexandra Lopez twirled across the stage, showcasing her pointe training and incredible skill in numerous featured sequences.

The versatility of the set allowed the crew to change the setting of scenes without having to move massive pieces. The stockroom of Vandergelder's store was cleverly designed and executed, allowing for the clerks to climb in and out of it, seemingly descending into a cellar below.

"It only takes a moment" to fall in love with Riverside High School's feel-good rendition of this classic American musical. The dedication of the cast, combined with a stand-out performance from the titular role, made this production of Hello, Dolly! one to remember.

Karen Zipor
Stone Bridge High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

Call on Dolly for all your meddling and matchmaking needs! The stage immediately lit up when Dolly Levi, a strong-willed woman of many skills, made a grand entrance in a carriage donning her classic red gown. Dolly Levi arrived, and she's back where she belongs: onstage in Riverside High School's production of "Hello, Dolly!".

The book of "Hello, Dolly!" is based on Thornton Wilder's 1955 comedic play, "The Matchmaker". The musical adaptation, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Michael Stewart, premiered on Broadway in 1964. The show became a rousing success, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for the original Dolly Levi, Carol Channing. The titular role has since then been played by a multitude of Hollywood stars and Broadway legends, including Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, and Bernadette Peters. Recently, the 2017 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

The plot centers around Dolly Levi (Sarah Katherine Lawless), a widowed woman who has her mind set on marrying Horace Vandergelder (Evan Gardner), the owner of a Hay & Feed store and a 'half-a-millionaire' looking for love. Lawless met the standards set by the renowned women who have previously played Dolly. With effortless charisma and a charming New York accent, Lawless carried the show in the palm of her hand. She interacted with the audience, confessing her grief over her dear departed husband and pleading for a sign to marry Horace. Lawless also wasn't afraid to stall the show for a meal, calmly finishing her food before stepping into the courtroom.

There were many talented supporting actors and actresses among the cast. The employees of Horace's store, Cornelius (Jonathan Darnell) and Barnaby (Noah Hamade), were delightful to watch, providing clockwork comedic timing and dancing duets, as they also searched for love in New York City. The manager of the hat shop, Irene Malloy (Lindsey McDonald), and her assistant, Minnie Fay (Brigid Randolph), joined in on Dolly's matchmaking antics, performing a hilarious number with her called "Motherhood March", and eventually becoming love interests to Cornelius and Barnaby.

The ensemble had spectacular dance numbers with complex tap combinations and swing dance stunts. Alexandra Lopez awed the audience with her immaculate arabesques and fouettés en pointe. One of the choreography's most notable moments was when the entire cast mimicked the motion of a moving train with spinning parasols as the wheels.

All the tech work was realistic and matched the period of 1900's America. The costumes consisted of many colorful gowns, but Dolly's dress from Act Two was the most memorable: coated in red glitter and fitting her like a glove. The set had two levels and a magnificent staircase for Dolly to make her striking entrance at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant. Despite the occasional sound issue, the energy and dedication of the cast couldn't be stopped.

Overall, Riverside High School put together a show that will capture the heart of any Broadway enthusiast. Like Dolly Levi, this cast is 'looking swell', and can tell they're still 'glowing and going strong' with this dazzling tribute to the Golden Era of Broadway.

Ryleigh Line
South Lakes High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Have you ever wanted a woman who could do it all? Look no further than Dolly Levi, matchmaker, dance instructor, and varicose vein reducer, among other things. Dolly's many excursions always seem to end in good things, and Riverside's production of Hello, Dolly! is no exception!

Hello, Dolly! by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart follows the widowed Dolly Gallagher Levi as she attempts to matchmake for the notorious Yonkers half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder. Set at the turn of the 20th century, this musical makes many twists and turns as Dolly constantly finds new places to "put her hand in", managing to seal several relationships over the course of the show, including her own. With several emotional monologues, chase scenes, a trial before a judge, and a restaurant with dancing waiters, Hello, Dolly! left the audience laughing, crying, and above all, clapping.

Riverside High School's production of Hello, Dolly! provided an excellent showcase of the talent the school has to offer. Before the musical had practically begun, Sarah Katherine Lawless as Dolly Levi left the audience breathless with her strong, soaring voice and time period diction, which were complemented by her exquisite costume and eye-catching hairstyle. The chemistry between Lawless and Evan Gardner as Horace Vandergelder was palpable, and the pair had excellent comedic timing and line delivery that aroused laugh after laugh from the audience. Lawless was not concerned with going too slowly, as she drew out several comedic moments to the point where the audience was laughing out loud at her simply eating dumplings. The choreography throughout the show, created by student Susanna Getis and the RVHS Choreographers, was intricate and eye-catching, if not always appropriate to the time period. Alexandra Lopez, an ensemble member, stood out as a solo dancer throughout the show, appearing en pointe and in tap shoes in several numbers, each time executing beautiful choreography to the amusement of the audience.

On the technical side, the stage crew and management headed by Eeman Abassi and AJ Smith executed quick and silent set changes behind the grand as the action took place on the apron of the stage. The large, branching set served as a store, restaurant, home, street complete with storefronts, and an upscale restaurant. All the dressings on the set were well done and visible from the house, which provided for an excellent backdrop for the action of the musical. The quality of the audio from the microphones was natural and pleasing, although the actors' voices were lost on a few occasions due to mic cuts.

In conclusion, Riverside's Hello, Dolly! was an excellent theatre experience due to the abundance of talent and creativity put into the production of the show. The role of Dolly Levi showcased the incomparable talent of Sarah Katherine Lawless, and the skills and dedication of the supporting actors cemented the show as a must-see.

Lauren Miller
Hayfield Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Loudoun Now

Meddlesome business-card-enthusiast Dolly Levi (Sarah Katherine Lawless) has long stood as one of the most iconic theatrical characters of all time, and with the original Broadway production, based off Thornton Wilder's 1938 play, winning 10 Tony awards, the legacy of Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart's "Hello, Dolly!" leaves massive shoes to fill for any and all adaptations. However, with notable maturity, fantastic comedic timing, and a transcendent leading lady, Riverside High School put on their Sunday clothes and produced an especially memorable rendition of"Hello, Dolly!"

Opening with immediate control and great confidence in choreography which only got stronger as the production progressed, a well-rehearsed ensemble proved the means for seamless storytelling and theatrical execution. All comedic bits were presented with clear dedication to plentiful reception; there were truly no small roles in Riverside's "Dolly." Adding to the universal strength of the ensemble, showcasing an illustrious variety of complicated styles, featured dancers were excellent.

With most leads being around middle age, finding the happy median between high-school energy and adult maturity is often hard to master with teenage theatre, however, Riverside erected this balance splendidly.

Unknowingly playing massive roles in Dolly's scheme to marry the wealthy Horace Vandergelder (Evan Gardner), featured females Lindsey McDonald and Brigid Randolph as, respectively, Irene Malloy and Minnie Fay crafted strong, memorable arcs with wonderful ensemble dynamics in numbers such as the hilariously performed "Motherhood March" and "Elegance."

Leading males Cornelius Hackl (Jonathan Darnell), Barnaby Tucker (Noah Hamade), and the aforementioned Horace Vandergelder showcased universal fantastic timing and dedication. Hamade's bold acting choices and cartoonish mannerisms balanced perfectly with Darnell's subtle and charming passion, while Gardner's strong character voice and notable self-awareness in age related choices made him a skillful match for the effervescent Dolly; the three men proved a strong ensemble and effortlessly strengthened Lawless' joyous presence.

Supporting the iconic images and professionalism of the particularly tech-heavy musical, Riverside crafted an especially space-conscious, dynamic set and marvelous period costumes. Frequent microphone issues and lack of variety in lighting design were more than made up for by excellent balance in both sound design and stage pictures as well as great creativity in smaller moments such as the train sequence in full-cast number "Put on Your Sunday Clothes."

With the most recent revival of "Hello, Dolly!" jokingly being named "Hello, Bette!" or "Bernadette!," it is no doubt that the success of the classic production is almost entirely reliant on the power of its leading lady, and Lawless more than lived up to the infamous Dolly Levi with professionalism and physicality characteristic of actresses more than double her age. Obviously extremely well researched, Lawless handled the age of her character wonderfully; a consistent, domineering accent mixed with A-grade diction added phenomenal depth to character balanced perfectly with trained control of the audience and fellow castmates in both the most comedic and poignant moments in storytelling. Lawless was simply sensational.

All in all, acute professionalism, great creativity, and a leading lady with talent far beyond her age, Riverside's "Hello, Dolly!" proved that it only takes a moment to be reminded of the true joy of the arts; "Dolly" far exceeded expectations for high school theatre and will not be soon forgotten.

Jackson Miller
Hayfield Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Loudoun Times-Mirror

From stunning, show-stopping dance numbers to comedy bits funny enough to have the audience rolling, "Hello Dolly" is a musical extravaganza that has a little something for everyone. And in Riverside High school's production, all that was promised was delivered (and more).

Premiering on Broadway in 1964, "Hello Dolly" ran for more than 6 years on Broadway, winning a record 10 Tony awards. With music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, the show is known as a vehicle for some of the greatest leading ladies in Broadway history, from Barbra Streisand to Bernadette Peters.

Clearly, with names like those to live up to, it's hard to imagine a high school student tackling the immense expectation that comes with the iconic role of Dolly Levi. However, Sarah Katherine Lawless did just that. Leading the production as the confident, unabashed Dolly, Lawless brought a maturity and sureness not often seen at the high school level. She not only delivered phenomenal vocals in show stoppers like "So Long Dearie," but also brought magnificent comedic timing, holding the audience in the palm of her hand.

Contrasting nicely with Dolly's calmness and stout confidence was Evan Gardner as Horace Vandergelder, whose outbursts of rage and animosity were laugh-out-loud funny. Also bringing some great laughs to the production was Noah Hamade as Barnaby Tucker, whose huge characterization and gestures were just right for a musical as grandiose and fun as Hello, Dolly!

Additionally, one of the most impressive aspects of the show was the student choreography (Susanna Getis and RVHS Choreographers) and dancing, which were complicated and well thought-out. Tap, Pointe, and Musical Theatre styles of dance were melded to create a beautiful telling of the story through movement. One particular stand-out ensemble member was Alexandra Lopez, who danced with a grace and versatility of movement that left audience members astounded.

Also notable was the cohesive and well prepared ensemble, seemingly in absolute harmony with one another. The period costumes (Brie Wright and CJ Smith) brought another sense of professionalism and beauty to the production.

It is true that it can be extremely challenging for a high school to tackle such a magnificent Broadway show, one that is close to the hearts of so many. In this case, however, Riverside High School more than rose to the occasion and put on an absolutely gorgeous and heartfelt show. The amazing talent and hard work revealed by Riverside in Hello, Dolly! will not soon be forgotten.