Put on your Sunday Clothes and go to the Open Air! — Page 2

She's the perfect age, she's forty one.

Saw Dolly! last night and was thoroughly delighted by it. Samantha Spiro is fantastic and, thankfully, made me forget all about Anita Dobson's bizarre accent in last year's touring production. Daniel Crossley, as Cornelius, sounded remarkably like Michael Crawford in the movie. The set was very cleverly designed, transforming in an instant from Vandergelder's Hay & Feed to Molloy's Hat Shop and the Harmonia Gardens, usually being changed by all the players as they exited the scene.

True to form, I couldn't help dressing the part, in striped blazer and straw boater as promised. Sadly, no-one else had the nerve to do likewise - maybe next time!

The London Evening Standard
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/show-23598314-details/Hello+Dolly%21/showReview.do

The Stage
http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/25247/hello-dolly-

WhatsOnStage
http://www.whatsonstage.com/reviews/theatre/london/E8831249980699/Hello%2C+Dolly%21.html

Updated On: 8/11/09 at 06:16 PM

Oh how I wish I could see this!

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I?m glad you guys enjoyed it. I think it?s a great show. I however disagree that the book is thin. I think the book is very funny. Its flippant not thin.

In this production they added extra sections of ?The Matchmaker? They seemed very clumsy.

I must confess I loathed this production. And I am really very surprised it has been getting such great reviews. I just thought it was totally terrible

I always thought the entire charm of the show was that Dolly wangled all of these oddly mismatched couple together who eventually fall in love.

But Cornelius wasn?t shy or dorky. In fact he was cocky and laddish? if he had such self assurance wouldn?t he have already kissed a girl by the time he was 33? I just didn?t buy into him at all. I found him to be a really aggressive performer. He spoke to Barnaby as if he where a piece of crap. There was no warmth to him whatsoever.

Every single comedic line in the show was steam rollered over.
Barnaby she?s a widow! ?oh erm I?m sorry etc is one the best parts and it was dealt with very strangely

Samantha Spiro cannot sing. Therefore I expected her to have great personality and to really sell the numbers. But instead she actually tries to sing. And her voice is flat with no real quality. Carol Channing isn?t singer but she has enough personality to carry it off. Why would any musical director let Spiro go out on stage and ?attempt? to sing straight.

The show was cast with dancers. Dancers who big surprise couldn?t really act. Who cares if Cornelius and Irene Molloy are capable of a big dance duet at the end of act one? I?d rather they could both act their roles well. Plus Cornelius isn?t supposed to be able to dance it says so in the script.
And where do the ensemble in Dancing come from? Isn?t dancing a metaphor for the joys in life? Isn?t the instrumental section of Dancing supposed to be Dolly taking to the streets in control of everything as usual and coupling up everyone in the New York until the stage is swirling? Apparently not. Apparently it?s a cue for the ensemble to run on and dance for no reason.

And can somebody explain to me how by taking the girl over six foot three?s handkerchief and allowing the man who comes up to her ear to pick it up gives him a boost?. Erm isn?t the joke that she gets something for him to stand on? Bea a little boost?its in the text

Don?t get me started on Minnie Fay. She was beyond bad, But again a dancer. So hey ho all is forgiven when we see her dance at the end of act one. It doesn?t matter that there really isn?t any need for her to dance. Let?s put loads of dance in? oh hold on?can we find somebody of that standard of dance who can play the character? No ? Oh well. It?s a musical who cares.

This was lazy, lazy musical making.

It shouldn?t only be mega budget musicals in the west end with creative?s at the top of their game who strive to tell the story and make the actual acting good (granted it isn?t always)

There are hundreds of small theatre companies across the country who have one thing in common. They strive to tell the story and present acting of a high standard.
But regional, off west end and touring musicals seem to be content with second rate acting.

4And it?s not good enough.

Watched the Matinee yesterday on a bit of a whim after the weather cleared up a bit and we had not much to do until Billy Elliot (again) at 7.30, and found it absolutely delightful. I've never seen it on stage before, but have always had quite a big soft spot for the film, whilst accepting that it's a bit bloated though and Babs feels a bit too young.

This production imo felt like exactly the right way to do this show. Many a tear was brought to my eye and not just by the ballads. I thought the cast were very strong with Spiro being the obvious stand out, but it didn't feel like there was a single weak link. The ensemble dance numbers were wonderful and the staging was great, I particularly loved the, previously mentioned, train.

It was my first visit to the venue but hopefully not my last, the sun and, the trees and the birds almost constantly flying back and forth overhead really added to the wonderful atmosphere.

So rare for me to gush like this, but the show deserves it. I'd recommend it to anyone.