"HELLO, DOLLY!" Hale Centre Theatre, 3333 S. Decker Lake Drive, through Aug. 1 (801-984-9000); running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission)
WEST VALLEY CITY — Composer Jerry Herman received the Tony Award for lifetime achievement earlier this month for contributions such as "La Cage aux Folles," "Mame" and, most notably, "Hello, Dolly!" — Hale Centre Theatre's latest show.
Sitting there Wednesday, it's easy to see why Herman was honored — for writing such well-known songs as "Before the Parade Passes By," "It Only Takes a Moment," and of course, the title song.
In the director's notes in the playbill, Dave Tinney compares the classic musical to a classic old wooden roller coaster — maybe not as much whiz-bang as the newer offerings but a wonderful feel-good ride.
And he's mostly right. The spirit and warmth of Dolly Levi are infectious. Personally, I think the 1955 Thornton Wilder play, "The Matchmaker," on which "Hello, Dolly!" is based, has more to offer. Nevertheless, the musical version went on to win 10 Tony Awards in 1964 — a record it held for 37 years until "The Producers" came along and won 12.
While there is enough to applaud in Hale's production, there are a couple of missteps.
It would be impossible to stage this musical without someone filling the large hats of Dolly Levi. Camille Gerber Van Wagoner (double-cast with Jennifer Parker Hohl) does so beautifully. She handles the comedic moments with ease, delivers a wonderful "Parade," and really shines in Dolly's quieter moments and songs of personal reflection.
Mark Knowles (double cast with David Weeks) does a very nice job with the challenge of making the unlikable Horace Vandergelder likable, which is difficult to do. Other standouts include Greg Barnett as Cornelius, especially during "It Only Takes a Moment," and Carrie Joslin and Bonnie Wilson Whitlock.
The ensemble numbers were splendid — fun to watch, with a great-sounding chorus, especially the men's numbers, under the direction of Anne Puzey.
Tinney makes great use of Hale's space with a few exceptions. Most distracting is Dolly's entrance at Harmonia Gardens, a swanky restaurant and club. This is one of musical theater's most iconic scenes and all eyes should be on Dolly. I was frustrated as the actors eating at the restaurant, seated at tables on Hale's smaller platform stages, giggled, yapped and pulled focus throughout the whole number. Perhaps Spencer S. Brown's otherwise lovely lighting should have a much dimmer focus on the tables — Dolly and the boys shouldn't be signing over distracted audience laughter.
Tinney's choreography is fun and energetic, though at times it is confusing during big group numbers — most notably during the wallet mix-up at Harmonia Gardens.
Leslie Warwood's costumes were lovely … from the ankle up. I was surprised that a turn of the century show didn't have turn of the century footwear. The universal tan characters shoes were disappointing. I've come to expect more from Hale in the costume and wig departments. The wigs, designed by Trisha D. Ison, have great style but don't quite seem to fit the heads on which they sit, often dwarfing the actors.
But it was good to see this old roller coaster glide again. Based on the humming and smiles after the show, the audience agreed.
E-mail: ehansen@desnews.com