Hello Dolly

Having only ever seen the big screen version of Jerry Herman's musical version of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker, I approached Leicester Curve's revival with a little trepidation. But it is only when you see the stage production that you realise what an unbalanced, overblown, grandstanding star vehicle for Streisand the film was.
Back in a theatre, where it belongs, the show is a masterly combination of farcical elements, big swooping musical set pieces and beautiful comedy moments, many of which are superbly handled by the show's star, Janie Dee.
Ms Dee first established herself as a Curve favourite with her critically acclaimed performance in The King and I. She is more than amply supported by a superb cast of principles and dancers. As always with a Curve production the costumes, sets and staging are magical. Paul Kerryson gathers around him only the best technicians and it shows onstage. Special mention has to go to David Needham for his balletic choreography and Arnim Friess for the video and slide show backdrops which firmly place the action in early 20th century New York.
The curtain opens to an onstage orchestra which, while perfectly placed within the action, does have a tendancy to overpower some of the solo singers necessitating some over-amplification. However, that is a minor gripe and does not detract from the grandeur of the huge sweeping staircase which waltzes around the stage throughout creating various pieces of scenery. It almost demands a dancer's credit!
Dolly herself tends to use her rapid mouth the dazzle, bamboozle and generally manipulate everyone around her to her own ends. With a voice that is one moment almost Carol Channing and the next, flirting with Horace Vandergelder, Kathleen Turner, Ms Dee is a joy as Dolly and never swamps the production.
Such has been the success of Hello Dolly that Curve have just announced a further week of bookings, including three extra matinees to cope with demand.

© Paul Towers 12/12/2012