What is Hello, Dolly! about?
Written by Jerry Herman (music and lyrics) and Michael Stewart (book) and based on Thornton Wilder‘s The Matchmaker (1955 play), Hello, Dolly! tells the story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a skilled matchmaker who travels to Yonkers just north of New York City to find a suitable match for the penny-pinching, semi-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, who turns out to be her most challenging job yet. When Dolly unexpectedly becomes Horace’s desired match, she decides to get over her ex-husband Ephram, asking for his permission to take Horace’s hand in marriage.
Who are the cast and creatives of Hello, Dolly!?
Other initial casting includes Andy Nyman (Fiddler on the Roof, Menier Chocolate Factory) as Horace Vandergelder, Jenna Russell (Flowers for Mrs Harris, Riverside Studios) as Irene Molloy, Tyrone Huntley (Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Barnaby Tucker, and Harry Hepple (Follies, National Theatre) as Cornelius Hackl.
The musical features sets and costumes by Rae Smith, choreography by Bill Deamer, sound by Paul Groothuis, musical supervision, musical direction and arrangements by Nick Skilbeck, lighting by Jon Clark, and video design by Finn Ross.
The history of Hello, Dolly! The Musical
While the 1964 Herman and Stewart musical Hello, Dolly! was an overwhelming critical sensation with the original production having won a then record-breaking 10 Tony Awards out of 11 nominations (a record that was held for 37 years), the concept for the musical has had a long and troubled history. The story for the play was first seen in a play by John Oxenford entitled A Day Well Spent. The 1835 play was adapted by Johan Nestroy into the 1842 German musical, Einen Jux will er sich machen, which in turn was adapted into a farcical play by Thornton Wilder nearly a century later and titled The Merchant of Yonkers. The play was a box office bomb, thus, Wilder revised it and switched the name to The Matchmaker whilst also expanding the character development for Dolly. Finally, the story became a hit and was adapted into a 1958 film that starred Shirley Booth.
The hit play was shortly adapted into a Broadway musical but received much criticism during its tryouts in Detroit. This led to some significant changes in the score and script with the number ‘Before the Parade Passes By’ being added. Originally entitled both Dolly, A Damned Exasperating Woman and Call on Dolly, the show was eventually renamed Hello, Dolly! after Louis Armstrong sang a version of the song. When the musical finally premiered, it quickly became one of the most popular musicals of the decade, having run for a total of 2,844 performances by the time it closed and winning multiple major Broadway theatre awards.
Hello, Dolly! returns to London
Jerry Herman’s energetic musical is one of the most charming and grandest productions of all time. It is a story filled with charisma and heart, and now it is making a highly-anticipated return to London’s West End. Keep an eye on our news section and website for more updates on Hello, Dolly! London tickets!