- By Hangar Theatre
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August 4, 2006 (ITHACA, NY) - The Hangar Theatre closes its 2006 season with a freewheeling parade through Yonkers. From August 10th through September 3rd, the Hangar presents the classic musical farce, Hello, Dolly! Based on the Thornton Wilder play, The Matchmaker, Dolly follows the antics of a flamboyant widow named Dolly Gallagher Levi and a full crew of lonely hearts that she’s determined to force back into a life of romance and adventure. Through a flurry of hidden identities, comedic chaos, and, of course, extravagant musical numbers, Dolly seeks out happiness for herself as well, as she pulls at the heartstrings—and purse strings—of miserly Horace Vandergelder, a well-known half-millionaire. Hello, Dolly! features direction by the Hangar’s Artistic Director, Kevin Moriarty and choreography by Dan Knechtges.
Hello, Dolly! debuted in New York in 1964 and, at that time, was the longest running musical on Broadway. Featuring a script by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, Dolly received ten Tony Awards in its original run. Time Magazine called it, “one of the happiest creations in all musical comedy.” According to Moriarty, that comedy comes with a spirit of adventure. “Hello, Dolly! is ultimately about the quest of the young, and the not-so-young, for a fuller, freer participation in life," Moriarty says. "Dolly's energizing determination that life should be lived fully, money should be spread around freely, and that love should be encouraged is at the heart of this most joyful and tuneful of musicals. It's what makes the characters break out into amazingly melodic songs and burst into breathtaking dancing. It will be great fun for us to bring this musical to life on the Hangar stage with the creative work of so many talented and dynamic artists from around the country, many of whom are returning to the Hangar for this exciting production."
At the top of that list of returning artists is Dan Knechtges, the choreographer of such past Hangar hits as My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and Cats, and the director/choreographer of last season’s The Wiz. Knechtges’ other recent credits include the hit Broadway musical, Spelling Bee, as well as a number of regional theatrical productions, including work with Surflight Theatre, the Indianapolis Opera, and Opera Illinois. His choreography has also been featured in the music video for Fat Boy Slim’s “It’s a Wonderful Night” and in the Todd Solondz film, Palindromes.
Music director Kevin Long is also coming back to the Hangar for a fourth consecutive season, having served as music director for Chalk Circle, My Fair Lady, and The Wiz, and Music Supervisor for Cats. Long is currently the Artist-in-Residence for Musical Theatre at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. His other work includes Always…Patsy Cline with Virginia Stage Company, Jesus Christ Superstar with Old Dominion University, and Sugar with Millikin University.
This production’s Dolly is another Hangar alum. Barbara Broughton, previously seen as Mrs. Higgins in the 2003 production of My Fair Lady, takes on the titular role of the magnanimous matchmaker. Broughton’s recent credits include the off-Broadway run of Grey Gardens at Playwrights Horizons, as well as Sunday in the Park with George and Music, Music on Broadway. She has also appeared in a variety of regional productions, including work with Syracuse Stage, GeVa, Kansas City Starlight, and Tennessee Rep.
Playing half-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, Craig MacDonald returns to the Hangar after previous appearances ranging from 1994's Damn Yankees to 2002's The Sound of Music. In addition to numerous acting credits that include Pa Joad in Cornell’s production of The Grapes of Wrath and Zoltan Karpathy in the Syracuse Stage’s My Fair Lady, MacDonald has directed and produced theater as well. Most recently, he directed the Kitchen Theatre Company’s production of Fully Committed.
Other returning cast members include Daniel J. Watts as Barnaby Tucker, J. Thomas C. Morris as Cornelius Hackl, Dennis Lue as Rudolph Reisenweber, and Danny Gardner as Ambrose Kemper. Watts, who also serves as the production’s dance captain, appeared in last year’s production of The Wiz. Morris is best known to Hangar audiences as a member of Sons of Pitches, who appeared in last season’s As You Like It. Lue returns for a second year as associate choreographer, having served that role in The Wiz in 2005. Gardner, a graduate of Ithaca College, was last seen on the Hangar stage in 2004’s Cats, where he played Mungojerrie.
Rounding out the cast is a group of actors making their Hangar debut. Pearl Sun, who plays Irene Malloy, recently completed the pre-Broadway workshop of Legally Blonde and The Seven, which garnered the 2006 Lortel Award for Best Musical. Other ensemble members include Jason Babinsky, Jason Brown, Jonathan Burke, Abby Church, Jack Clancy, Shauna Goodgold, Robert Wayne Hartwell, Ashlee Hoffmann, Kacie McEgan, and Sarah Rolleston.
The design team for the Hangar production includes set designer Dan Meeker, whose previous Hangar credits include Stones in His Pockets, The Blue Room, and I Am My Own Wife. Jen Caprio, a graduate of Ithaca College, returns to the Hangar for her 6th season as costume designer. Earlier this season, Caprio’s designs were featured in Bloodline: The Children of Argos. Lighting designer Matthew Richards’ recent credits include Pen at Playwrights Horizons, A Small Melodramatic Story at LABrinth, and Romeo and Juliet at Williamstown. Joanna Lynne Staub returns to the Hangar as the sound designer for the production, having previously designed the sound for the Hangar productions of Cats, Josh Keenan Comes Out to the World, As You Like It, and this season’s Sammy & Me.
Hello, Dolly! will appear at the Hangar Theatre in Cass Park from August 10th through September 3rd thanks to the generous support of corporate sponsor Tompkins Trust Company and media sponsor the Ithaca Times.
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