‘Hello, Dolly!’ @ Garland Summer Musicals

—Carol M. Rice

Hello, Dolly! has been a Broadway institution since the musical debuted in 1964. Since then, it’s had four Broadway revivals and community and regional productions all around the world. With a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, Dolly! was adapted from Thornton Wilder’s 1954 stage play The Matchmaker, the idea of which originated in the 1835 English play A Day Well Spent by John Oxenford.

Dolly’s been around awhile, in other words!

Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi is a matchmaker who dabbles in other things – mostly just meddling (aka “arranging things”) in people’s lives. She has been tasked to find a wife for the famous half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, but has decided that she wants to marry him herself, if she can get a sign from her late husband that he’s okay with it. Along the way, she also finds matches for Vandergelder’s daughter Ermengarde and the two store clerks at Horace’s Yonkers store, up the Hudson from Manhattan.

Patty Granville, the undisputed grande dame of Garland Summer Musicals, is the star of Hello, Dolly!, and the GSM regulars obviously adore her. From her first appearance in a horse-drawn carriage (I want to know who was in that horse costume) the audience was enthralled.

James Williams matches Granville at every turn as the irascible Horace Vandergelder. While it’s clear from the outdated song “It Takes a Woman” that he’s not looking for love (instead, a “husky woman” to take on the chores) it’s a lot of fun to watch Horace realize that he might actually want to marry the strong-willed Dolly, despite all his previous protestations to the contrary.

As Vandergelder’s unappreciated and low-paid employees Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, Patrick Pevehouse and Andrew Cave make a fabulous team as they sneak away into the city with a singular goal: they “won’t come home” until they’ve kissed a girl! And naturally they manage to do more than that, both ending up with sweethearts. Pevehouse is tall and lanky, which contrasts nicely with the shorter Cave. Their scene while hiding in Mrs. Molloy’s Hat Shop and then learning to dance is the highlight of the show, as both of these actors have incredible physical skills, especially Cave, who seems to defy gravity at times.

Irene Molloy is beautifully portrayed by Kayla Starr Bryan. She manages to capture the femininity of the time while still being a strong woman, and her vocal talents are lovely, especially in the tender “Ribbons Down My Back.” She and Pevehouse have excellent chemistry.

Zoe Roberts is adorable as Irene’s shop assistant Minnie Fay, right from her first entrance through the audience. Her goofy laugh and bouncy walk are priceless, and she and Cave make a sweet pair. I just wish we’d gotten to see more of them.

As the eternally maudlin Ermengarde, Alexa Taylor has her annoying wail down to a science. She pairs nicely with Will Mills as Ambrose Kemper, whose patience with both his bride-to-be and with the dawdling Dolly Levi is unmatched.

David Tinney rules the roost as Rudolph Reisenweber, the maître de of the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant. Here is a scene where Kelly McCain’s choreography really shines, as nearly the entire cast makes an appearance while twirling trays, running around carrying cakes and skewers, and performing in kick lines. Director J. Alan Hanna and McCain have done a fantastic balancing act of scene work and dance in this scene, and overall, Hanna has coordinated a visually pleasing and musically entertaining production of a classic.

Set design by Kelly Cox manages to cover the many locations with a nice mix of moving pieces on wagons and ornate drops, and it all coordinates well with the excellent period costume design by Michael Robinson/Dallas Costume Shoppe.

One of the things I love about seeing a Garland Summer Musicals show is the full live orchestra, and music director/conductor Chris Widomski ensures there is never a sour note in the pit or onstage.

I hate to admit it, but even with all the shows I’ve done and seen, this was my first time to see a full production of Hello, Dolly!, and I can see why it’s endured in the musical theatre canon. You have one more weekend to catch it at the Granville Arts Center in Garland!

WHEN: July 17-26, 2026
WHERE: Granville Arts Center, 300 N. 5th Street, Garland TX
WEB: garlandsummermusicals.org