Lyceum review: 'Hello, Dolly!' more comic on stage than in film

Elements of a production are always lost or changed when converted from stage to screen -- the nature of the mediums makes this inevitable. In "Hello, Dolly!" it seems that the 1969 movie, though it added the unforgettable Louis Armstrong, lost much of the comic charm seen throughout the stage play, which I saw for the first time Wednesday afternoon, July 8, at Arrow Rock's Lyceum Theater.

The story of this musical, which is set in 1890s New York, centers on a matchmaker and busybody extraordinaire, the widowed Mrs. Dolly Levi. Although she is charged with finding a mate for the cantankerous, but eligible, half-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, Dolly works hard throughout the play to find happiness for his store clerks, his niece and herself as well.

A few scenes in particular in Wednesday afternoon's performance displayed great physical comedy that had the audience laughing in unison. During the song "Motherhood March," two gentlemen -- Vandergelder Hay and Feed clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker -- are hidden in armoires and under tables in Mrs. Irene Molloy's millinery shop under the very nose of their employer, while Molloy, her assistant Minnie Fay and Dolly distract Vandergelder with all-too-obvious, but very amusing methods.

Later, the foursome of Hackl, Tucker, Molloy and Fay put on "loverly" airs in "Elegance," proclaiming their blue blood and silver spoon-fed heritage as they walk up and down 14th Street because the gentlemen only have $1.40 between them. And, "It Only Takes a Moment" -- which begins with a solo by Hackl, nicely performed by Matt Gibson -- had an unscripted comedic moment when one actor's false mustache fell off.

Anne Marie Bills, playing Dolly's invented potential wife for Vandergelder named "Ernestina Money," was also a delight to watch. Especially when revealing dollar bills in her garters and trying to dance the "hoochie coochie," all while in the classy Harmonia Gardens restaurant, her style of comedy is reminiscent of Saturday Night Live alumna Rachel Dratch.

The title character Mrs. Dolly Levi, played by Jo Ann Cunningham, was not without comedy herself. Just as Dolly strives throughout the show to win Vandergelder, Cunningham worked hard to woo the audience with her clever asides and wonderful facial expressions. And like Dolly, she may be past her prime, but she was "ready to move out in front ... with the best of them," before the parade passed by.

"Hello, Dolly!" is showing at the Lyceum Theater through July 18. There are matinee performances at 2 p.m. on July 11, 12, 15, 16, 18; and evening performances at 8 p.m. on July 10, 11, 17, 18.

For tickets call 660-837-3311 or visit www.lyceumtheatre.org.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net