SHERBURNE – There's an old proverb that warns of the dangers of meddling in the affairs of others. But that never stopped Dolly Levi, much to the delight of theatergoers attending Sherburne-Earlville High School's production of “Hello, Dolly.”
The Sherburne-Earlville High School will bring its rendition of “Hello, Dolly” to the stage this weekend. Show time is at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the S-E High School Auditorium.
“Hello, Dolly,” tells the story of Dolly Levi, the well-known meddling match-maker who comes to town in search of a wife for Horace Vandergelder, a wealthy business owner. However, it quickly becomes clear that Levi has intentions of marrying marry Vandergelder herself, which sets into play a series of whimsical set-ups, cover-ups, and faux pas that keep S-E's 30-plus member cast busy on stage.
“Hello, Dolly” was a long-running hit on Broadway, earning a record number of 10 Tony Awards since its 1964 debut. Although the production is filled with memorable musical numbers including “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” and “Ribbons Down My Back” which have become synonymous with Broadway classics, the musical also entails choreography that assistant play director Ken Buehner said has kept students on their toes.
“We have a lot of kids involved this year who have never done theater. That was one of our goals, to get students involved with theater who never have been before,” Buehner said. But that, he added, comes with a long string of challenges. “The biggest issue for most of the kids has been learning the choreography,” he said.
Nevertheless, Buehner said students are up to the tasks demanded by the spotlight. “They are definitely ready. They're enthusiastic and it has been a lot of fun for everyone.”
“The kids have been working hard almost daily since January,” said play director Kylie Davis. Students rehearsed approximately 10 hours per week over 10 weeks to make sure everything from choreography to stage production is flawless when the curtain opens.
“Hello, Dolly” marks the second production Davis and Buhner have worked together to bring a solid performance to the S-E stage. The duo hopes to draw on the success of last year's high school musical, “Into the Woods,” which delighted audiences with a contemporary twist on characters made famous by the Brothers Grimm.
Added Davis, “The weekend before a play is always overwhelming because there's so much to come together. But I think it's all coming together nicely and the students are finally ready.”
According to high school senior Gemma Godfrey, who plays the lead role of Dolly Levi, working with a large cast has been nothing but an asset to this year's musical. In spite of being only a three-year theater veteran herself, Godfrey says she is confident that this year's musical can go off without a hitch.
“This has been a fun production. I've got good actors around me and we've all been busy practicing our lines,” she said. She also noted the larger than usual cast size has been nothing but an asset to the chemistry on stage. “There is a lot of people we convinced to join the musical this year and it's worked out really good.”
Tickets for “Hello, Dolly” will be available at the door the night of the production. General admission is $6 for students and seniors, $8 for adults.