The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan launches its new season with a
whopping good show, the ageless Hello, Dolly!, featuring two lead performances
that could not be better Ñ Anna McNeely in the title role and Michael Haws as
Horace Vandergelder Ñ and an ensemble of singers and dancers that literally
lifts the show time and time again with creative and exhilarating choreography
by Chrissy Wright. ItÕs fitting that McNeely and Haws are finally performing
together on the Sullivan stage. Haws, a professional actor living in Chicago,
has become a favorite at Sullivan over the past few years. His performances
in The Odd Couple, Man of La Mancha, and The Lion in Winter are just a few examples
of this actorÕs talent and versatility. ThereÕs also something right about McNeelyÕs
taking on the legendary role of Dolly Levi on the Sullivan stage. Originally
from Tower Hill, McNeely apprenticed at the Little Theatre in the 1970s before
landing a role in a tour of Camelot starring Rock Hudson. The next summer, she
toured in The Music Man, which starred Tony Randall. She then got work at the
Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, which led to a plum role in a revival
of the George M. Cohan musical Little Johnny Jones starring Donny Osmond. That
show, which took McNeely to Broadway, closed quickly, but it was the last time
she performed in a show that didnÕt quite succeed. Soon she landed a role in
the original Broadway cast of Cats (playing Jennyanydots), where she stayed
for six-and-a-half years. After Cats, McNeely spent the next three years playing
Electra in the Broadway production of Gypsy, which starred Tyne Daly. McNeely
repeated her role when the show was adapted for television in a production starring
Bette Midler. To top off her rŽsumŽ, she spent nine years with the Disney musical
Beauty and the Beast. Asked what it is about long runs that attracts her, McNeely
says, ÒI can sniff Õem out, and I like the steadiness and security that come
with it, being a Midwest girl myself. From working in Cats all those years,
I was able to buy a house in upstate New York.Ó Playing Dolly Levi, one of a
handful of great roles for women in the American musical-theater canon, is demanding.
ÒItÕs also a comedienneÕs dream,Ó McNeely says. ÒItÕs so well written, and I
have tried to add a little more warmth to Dolly as well, to show thereÕs a real
reason why she marries Horace in the end Ñ and itÕs not because of his money!Ó
This is what makes McNeelyÕs Dolly stand out. Not only is she a consummate performer,
a bright and funny comedienne, but she also makes this role much more real than
is often seen. So when Dolly reminisces about the old days in New York and the
love she felt for her late husband, we feel it along with her. This makes her
rendition of ÒBefore the Parade Passes ByÓ not only a great Act One finish but
a highly emotional anthem as well. M. Seth Reines is a director who can take
a fresh look at the old tried-and-true musicals and show us that thereÕs a lot
more to them than we might think. His fast-paced production gives us more than
a glimpse of the Thornton Wilder play The Matchmaker, on which Hello, Dolly!
is based. The supporting cast is first-rate, especially Tori Hicks as Irene
Molloy, Edward Schnecker as Cornelius, Bryan Lefeber as Barnaby, Natalie Wisdom
as Minnie Fay, Cortney Wolfson as Ermengarde, Cheryl Ann Sanders as Ernestina,
and SpringfieldÕs own Anthony Majewski as Ambrose Kemper. The scenic design
by Bernadette Brennan shows her to be a master at creating beautiful set pieces
that work on the tiny Sullivan stage. John Brian McCarthyÕs lighting is expert,
and Kathryn WagnerÕs period costumes add to the joy of the occasion. Kevin Francis
FinnÕs five musicians give the score a rich, full sound. The Little Theatre
on the Square is the only professional Equity theater between Chicago and St.
Louis.
Hello, Dolly! runs through June 27. Call 888-261-9675 for
tickets and information.
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2004.
