Charis Leos has been a Maine State Music Theatre favorite for years because of her brassy, bold stage persona. The company’s production of “Hello, Dolly!” gives her a title role that makes full use of her many talents. This is her show.
In the role of Dolly, Leos dominates the stage, mixing strong vocal performance with perfectly timed humor in a way that compensates for a sadly dated story that grates in the midst of this #MeToo era. Despite that annoyance, it is worth attending to see her work her magic, especially in the court scene where she squeezes every ounce of comedic effect – and every last gasp and tear from an audience rolling with laughter – as she eats turkey and dumplings on stage. The notion of paying to watch someone eat is odd, but it’s money well spent in this case.
Dolly is Dolly Gallagher Levi, a meddling yenta of all trades who has come to Yonkers to find a suitable wife for the “half a millionaire Horace Vandergelder.” The miserly man made his money by working all the time and never giving his two clerks, Cornelius and Barnaby, a day off, something they plan to do after they hear their boss is going to town to meet a possible match, Mrs. Irene Malloy. That is until Dolly hints that the widow might have a reputation, one she’s helped perpetuate because her ulterior motive is to marry Horace herself.
Meanwhile Cornelius and Barnaby combine their shekels for a day on the town, with a stop at Mrs. Malloy’s hat shop where lo and behold, the young men fall in love with Mrs. Malloy and her assistant, Minnie, respectively. In a plot worthy of a Shakespeare comedy, “Hello, Dolly!” is a farcical romp through a turn-of-the-last-century battle of the sexes.
While the original Broadway musical won 10 Tony awards and held that record number for several decades, younger audience members may balk at enjoying a musical containing a song proclaiming a man’s desire for a female to keep the store clean and perform other household chores in “It Takes a Woman” and gag on the Burt Bacharach flourishes in the song, “Ribbons Down My Back.”
“Hello, Dolly!” with book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman first opened in 1964 and hasn’t aged well. That said, it still holds great appeal thanks to other hit songs such as “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” and the titular earworm, “Hello, Dolly.”
David Girolmo, another longtime MSMT stalwart, plays Horace in perfect complement to Leos’ Dolly. His grumpy persona provides just the right counterpoint to her bubbly performance.
Together they nudge just this side of campy but never cross that line. Matt Gibson as Cornelius is another standout performer who helps overcome the old-fashioned narrative. In a touching courtship scene, Gibson, a skilled dancer, must feign clumsiness as his character awkwardly learns how to two-step with Irene Molloy. Lauren Blackman plays the once-married milliner Molloy, and her ruby throated singing helps round out the strong leading cast.
While Rhonda Miller updated the choreography but did not completely escape the ‘60s steps, she generally meets the challenge of keeping stage movement fresh, particularly on the small square footage of Pickard Theater. The restaurant scene, with its moveable feast, is a highlight of the show, as are the intricate details on all the costumes.
Director Donna Drake focuses on getting the best comedic skill out of the actors, milks the slapstick humor for all its worth and wisely lets Charis Leos run with the show.
“Hello, Dolly!” runs through Aug. 3. Go to msmt.org for ticket information.