Out there! There’s a world outside of Carney! Way out there beyond this suburb, Barnaby! There’s a theatre, Barnaby! Out there! Full of shine and full of sparkle! The Suburban Players of Saint Demetrios’ are glistenin’, Barnaby! Listen, Barnaby! Put on your Sunday clothes— or your Saturday clothes or your Friday clothes— and get yourself down to Hello, Dolly now appearing at The Suburban Players of St. Demetrios’ Greek Orthodox Church before that parade passes you by! Produced by Smaro Cook & Tom Cook Jr., for a two-weekend-only engagement, this iconic classical, Jerry Herman musical will be treading the boards of the Suburban Players’ stage and golly, gee— fellas! It’s swell as swell can be, fellas! You won’t want to miss this marvelous, musical production Choreographed by Katie Sheldon, with Musical Direction by Benny Griese, and Directed by Lauren Spencer-Harris. It’s a radiant gem right smack dab in time for Valentine’s Day!
“Why didn’t you tell me it was a Greek place? Just bring me a plate of dolmades!” I’ve seen a lot of adorable Easter Eggs over the years, tucked into productions to give the audience a laugh or a nod to local origins, but none so cleverly placed as Vandergelder’s shout during the Harmonia Gardens dinner scene because, guess what, folks? It’s a Greek place! (You know…St. Demetrios?) And even better? You can get those dolmades and they’re DELICOUS! Several of the showings of Hello, Dolly! have a dinner-package option and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. Kitchen Coordinators Sam Tsakiris and Mary Tsakiris are bringing together whole bunch of talented chefs to give you the finest Greek meal you ever did taste— and a special nod to Angie McQueeny and Nina Georgopolous— that baklava— well, it only takes a moment for you to fall in love with it! You want the full experience (and if you walk away as anything other than full in the stomach— that’s your own fault!) so please, please book the dinner if you can; it’s truly a wonderful experience; you feel just like you’ve come to your Yia Yia’s table for home cooked supper and are treated like loving family the whole meal through.
When people think of the big splashy musicals of yesteryore, particularly those golden era classics that Jerry Herman is so well known for, they come in with certain expectations and The St. Demetrios’ Suburban Players do not disappoint! A very, very special shout-out has to go to ‘Grand Stair Master’ George Thomakos (who is also a part of the hearty set-construction team) for that glorious, grand sweeping staircase that you see during the Harmonia Gardens scene and the subsequent titular number. As a person who has reported on more than a half-dozen productions of Hello, Dolly! in her career, I’ve seen a full range of staircases— itty-bitty two-steppers, full-sized, side-spun, even once at Ford’s Theatre in the nation’s capital where they had no staircase at all (it was a minimalist approach and it was equally as dreadful as it sounds) ad George Thomakos staircase just takes the cake. It’s elegant, it’s glorious, and the swift ease with which it appears, disappears, and reappears for the grand curtain-call-finale, is just striking. The overall pacing of the show’s scenic changes is impressive. That’s one mindful Backstage Crew (Kenzie Cooney, Chloe Morris, Gabe Webster, under Production Stage Manager Dan Morelli.)
Of course it’s all stemming from Technical Director Pete Beleos’ beautiful set. Consistently making use of the double-story set, Beleos gives you that full professional-quality feel, really making these glorious sets appeal to the eye. See if you can’t catch the various Harmonia Gardens’ waiters flying across the ‘top deck’ of the set during the whole ‘dinner’ scene; it’s an added level of hilarity to experience during all of the other comedically chaotic things happening in that second act. Adding to Beleos’ beautiful set, Lighting Designer Patrick Yarrington lends his expertise to the production; keeping things simple but elegant, allowing the tones and tempos of the songs to inform his mood lighting.
Costumes, as coordinated by Tom Cook Jr. and Shannon Lloyd-Ragan, have all those little nifty descriptors that you hear in “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” and are perfectly suitable for the turn-of-the-century-Yonkers-come-New-York-City setting of Hello, Dolly! Everything from the hats in Mrs. Irene Molloy’s hat shoppe to the lovely dresses that the aforementioned milliner and her shoppe-assistant Miss Minnie Faye wear are just delightful. You get the drabber colors rolled out in the beginning of the show, so that when the parade of pretty pastel dresses, complete with parasols comes spilling out onto the stage you get that lovely contrasting juxtaposition of Yonkers life verses ‘Sunday clothes’ in New York City.
From kick-lines to a shuffle-in-place locomotive, choreographer Katie Sheldon puts forth her best foot when it comes to all of the dance routines featured in Hello, Dolly! Lead by Dance Captain Evelyn Acerno, you get a plethora of fun-loving, free-wheeling, high-energy routines, several of which could even be called— athletic! Keep a close eye on the impressive wait-staff of the Harmonia Gardens, they are doing all sorts of wondrous dance moves, including tap, kick-n-cross line, and generally causing beautifully choreographed chaos. Featured dancers include Adam Goldsmith, Adam Kurek, Angelo Poletis, Evelyn Acerno, Gary Dieter, Izzy Berman, Lizzie Detar, Maegan Read, Noah Petrich, Patrick Yarrington, Piper Biemiller, Suzi Eldridge, and Tess Goldsmith. Ultimately the choreography gives you the feeling of a time from long-ago; those cherished big-bold dance numbers that only classical Broadway can provide.
The ensemble, on the whole— including the aforementioned featured dancers as well as Abby Alexis, Bella Preisinger, Dean Pappas, Elliana Papathakis, Greg Kallaur, Holly Ruhling, Hope Cassidy-Stewart, Kim Cincotta, Michael Maistros, Michael Tsakalos, Ryan Bordenski, Ryder Bordes, Sandra Carlson Alexis, Shannon Lloyd-Ragan, Sophia Libertini, Sofia Martsoukos, Tammy Oppel, Tyrus Mataban, and Yenneca Ketzis— creates a robust and resplendent sound under the keen Musical Direction of Benny Griese. The male ensemble in particular creates booming backing vocals to accompany Horace Vandergelder during “It Takes a Woman” and the ensemble as a whole puts the spirit of a thousand fireworks into “Before the Parade Passes By” all while creating smoothly blended harmonies. Whoever (some of the sopranos, I suspect) is hitting those belt-high rafter-note during that number has my praises because they ring out like a bell in true musical fashion.
And speaking of musical marvels, Orchestra Conductor Steven Edward Soltow brings together a baker’s dozen of musicians to really carry Jerry Herman’s score to near-perfection. Both the “Overture” and “Entr’acte” are serene and sublime, perfectly timed with that full-orchestra feel despite only having 13 players. Featuring Soltow on piano, Rachel Butera, Johanna McGuire, and Nathan Shumaker on reeds, Alex Perloth and Karl Tracy on trumpets, Connor Mathers on trombone, Daniel Czyz on percussion, Isaiah Thomas and Shawn Samuels on violins, Allen Hicks on viola, Bailey Dicus on cello, and Alex Thanicatt on bass, the orchestra is the pièce de résistance for this production.
In every production there’s bound to be a featured ensemble member who really just catches your eye. This cast has got three. Where does one even start? With the poor Waiter Stanley (Adam Goldsmith) who has to hilariously chew scenery while Dolly is doing her dinner-gag, holding up the entire scene (intentionally scripted) as she leisurely and intensely enjoys the remains of her meal? Goldsmith is pulling faces left, right, and center trying to snatch up things from her dinner table in an attempt to move her along; it’s hilarious. Then there’s the bombastic and crass Ernestina Money (Tammy Oppel) who brings the whole show to a hilarious halt— ripping laughter from the audience like nobody’s business— with her uproarious, villain-esque cackle. (We’re onto you, Tammy Oppel, you’re trying to nod to Ms. Andrew!) Oppel’s whole characterization of this wayward woman is just a screaming delight. By golly— girl even wants to do the Hoochie-Coochie! While Goldsmith and Oppel really catch the ear and the eye— you’re never going to be able to forget the histrionics of Ermengarde (Maeve Acerno.) That’s hiccupping, squealing cry— honest to goodness it sounds like Acerno swallowed one of those squeakers from inside of a dog toy— will have you laughing every time you hear it. Acerno finds the perfect balance between over-the-top caricature crying and being sincere about it. It’s just annoying enough to be funny— and watch her pouty faces too! Especially when she’s dancing with Ambrose Kemper (Ethan Howard), Acerno really pulls out all the stops from body language to facial expressions, and of course, that unforgettable silly sobbing.
With an overt German accent, Adam Biemiller’s Rudolph Reisenweber gets the whole of the Harmonia Gardens wait staff hopping. It’s nice to see him soften at Dolly’s entrance but still keep his rigorously strict demeanor in place during all of his other moments on stage. The dynamic levels of vocal expression that Biemiller gives to the character is actually a really impressive technique; there is such a risk of just wanting to shout the entire time when playing this character and it’s a trap that Biemiller, assuredly guided by Lauren Spencer-Harris’ keen direction, swiftly avoids. Spencer-Harris, on the whole has put together an iconic and classic production of Hello, Dolly! She lets the music and lyrics of Jerry Herman shine on their own, supported by the lovely libretto of Michael Stewart, and she’s worked her directorial magic to bring together a talented bunch of performers of all ages, really putting the most impressive and polished production out there. It’s a magical theatrical gem and it would be an absolute shame to miss it!
If you want scene-stealing magic, Maggie Dennis is bringing it in spades as Minnie Fay. Too often the Minnie Fay character plays an accoutrement to Mrs. Irene Molloy; a forgettable sidekick, a pretty attaché. Not Maggie Dennis. She’s making the character its own effervescent explosion. Your first introduction to Minnie Fay will be when Dennis appears like some magical genie whooshed out of a bottle right in the middle of the audience, starting to talk all about this, that, and the other to whoever happens to be sitting nearby when she makes her through-house entrance, just like you were some of her gossipiest friends! (This is a tactic employed by Spencer-Harris throughout the performance, flinging and staging various and sundry performers out into the house, in an exactingly controlled and purposefully set manner, which creates this illusion that the set extends into the house and that we’re a part of the atmosphere of the show without bashing through the fourth wall; it’s truly beautiful!) Dennis is bubbly and bouncy and just down right adorable, particularly once she encounters Barnaby Tucker! And she’s got a glorious voice to boot, which you get to hear during “Elegance” among other numbers.
Serving as the more stoic counterpart to the jittery, juvenile Minnie Fay is Mrs. Irene Molloy (Jordan Burch) Smooth of attitude and fair of voice, Burch brings a level-headed approach to the character, who is supposed to be a good many years older than the naïve and perky Minnie Fay. Burch does a fine job of packing on the stage makeup to age herself up to look older, to look widowed, and she lets that ‘more sensible’ sentiment dominate all through her solo “Ribbons Down My Back.” It’s quite the hilarious little ditty when Jordan, Maggie Dennis, and the fancy fellas Cornelius Hackl (Casey Brogan) and Barnaby Tucker (Maxwell Wolf) get to that reprising verse of “Elegance” and they’re huffing, puffing, and so thoroughly exhausted from all their ‘fancy walking’ that you can’t help but laugh at their current state of affairs. The quartet pair nicely together in a way that’s just delightful to watch.
As the boisterous and eager young Barnaby, Maxwell Wolf is putting high-intensity energy vibes out into the Yonkers universe (I’d say they are match-for-match on point with Minnie Fay, except he’s bouncing them out into the ether several scenes before they even meet!) Wolf has phenomenal physical comedy instincts and true understanding of how to work with the staging space all around him. When he and Casey Brogan are flinging themselves around the hat shop in utter chaos, slamming into one another and having a callback encounter of that exact moment of physical schtick it’s just hysterical. You won’t be able to take your eyes off of Wolf as he just chuckles and giggles and ‘good-times’ his way through this whole show. As the 33-year-old-store-clerk-in-need-of-dance-lessons-and-a-night-off, Casey Brogan has a go-gettem attitude that serves the character well. His moment of truth comes in the courtroom and you get that vocal nod to Michael Crawford when he opens up and just croons his way into “It Only Takes a Moment.” It’s really, really lovely.
Perry Alexion is the baritone-bass beauty that we didn’t know we needed to hear slow-smoldering a ballad right up until we hear him singing that sweet, low tune near the show’s conclusion when Horace Vandergelder gets his song on, as it were. (If you’ve ever seen Love Actually, when Hugh Grant is going door to door as the Prime Minister and gets asked to sing carols, and then his security guard starts singing in this angelic-bass behind him and the look of shock and surprise on Hugh Grant’s face?? THAT is what you get from the whole audience when Alexion starts that final tune he sings. WOW.) As Horace Vandergelder, Alexion is definitely channeling this grumpy amalgamation of Ed Asner, Rodney Dangerfield, and Walter Matthau all rolled into this over-the-top caricature energy and it serves the character extremely well, particularly when he’s mouthing off at Dolly. It’s often easy to overlook the character as just a thorn in Dolly Levi’s side, but the way Alexion portrays the character really makes you feel like he’s earned his place in the ‘order of final bows’ as it were. He’s really impressive in this role.
Tackling a legendary role where iconic women like Barbara Streisand, Stockard Channing, Bette Midler, and Bernadette Peters have paved the path before you is no easy feat. And from the opening moment Katie Cashin steps onto the stage, you get the feeling that she’s trying to channel Barbara Streisand or Bette Midler. And that’s just fine. But I can say this as someone who has seen Betty Buckley (the most recent big-shot name who took up the role on the National Tour) when Cashin hits her stride— hich comes right about the moment she starts her ‘oak leaf’ speech addressing Ephram, and then tumbles gently into “Before the Parade Passes By”— she becomes astonishing to watch. There is this shift— I don’t know how else to describe it? But it’s like Katie Cashin gives herself permission to BE Dolly Levi in her own right, rather than just trying to be Dolly Levi as Babs and Bette have done it before. And it’s truly glorious. Make no mistake, Cashin has the chutzpah, the meddlesome charm, and even the stunning tenor-mezzo voice (that as a tenor myself just thrills me to no end to hear!) but her performance as a whole becomes so much more engaging and thoroughly brilliant once she gives herself that permission to be her own Dolly. It’s truly remarkable and one of the things I love the most about live theatre. You can see that light shining out from her eyes during “Before the Parade Passes By”, which just sets the entire tone for “Hello, Dolly!” come the second act. And the way she glides down that staircase, the way she embraces that number and just has fun with the role from that point on— THAT is Hello, Dolly! that you truly want to see. And good grief don’t pay her any attention during her dinner-chewing scene (after the chaos-polka but before the courtroom scene truly gets underway) because she’s a hoot and you won’t be able to stop laughing. It’s really the most wonderful thing watching Katie Cashin come into her own, belting her heart out in the title number and again in “So Long, Dearie”— she really does have the room swaying as the band is playing and you’d be a gosh darn fool to miss it.
So what are you waiting for? Put on your Sunday clothes— and get your rear-end over to The Suburban Players! They will make sure there’s no blue Monday in your weekend show just so long as your weekend show is Hello, Dolly!
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes with one intermission
Hello, Dolly! plays February 9th through February 18th 2024 with the Suburban Players housed at the Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in the Hermes Rafailides Center— 2504 Cub Hill Road in Carney, MD. For tickets please call (443) 390-2981 or fill out this form
