We were gifted tickets to Hello Dolly. in exchange for this honest review.
The national tour of the Tony award -winning musical “Hello Dolly” has made a stop in Philly and it's a performance for not to be missed. This electrifying musical will run in Philadelphia until March 1, 2020 at the Academy of Music; Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, as part of the 2019-2020 Broadway season.
What's Hello Dolly About?
The musical expands on Thornton Wilder's play The Matchmaker. The strong- willed matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi, Carolee Carmello, travels to Yonkers, New York to find a match for the irritable “well-known half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder, John Bolton.
Set in the 1880s, Horace despite believing that “99% of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are subject to contamination” is looking for a wife and enlist the services of the professional matchmaker. Dolly, the multi-faceted entrepreneur is happy to offer her services. These services come with a twist and Horace has no clue.
While Horace is looking for love his niece is trying to convince him that she's found the right one and his two loyal employees have abandoned the shop in search of an adventure or to just kiss girls. As fate would have it, they find themselves at the same restaurant in New York City.
The restaurant scene is definitely my favorite as the show comes to life with electrifying, silly unabashed dancing. The waiters steal the show and I could not stop chair dancing with them. At one point, Christopher Faison glides across the stage and astonished everyone. Often times we are drawn to musicals because of the “headliners” but Hello Dolly features an amazing cast.
The musical will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as not to miss a single thing. You will be drawn to every word and move as the costumes and choreography blend in beautifully with the stage design.
A standing ovation and a roaring cheer is the only way to thank the amazing production and we obliged!
Who Should See Hello Dolly?
The recommended age is over ten but of course if you are raising a theater buff bring them along. The language is not out of reach but a few of the jokes might be over their heads. The theater is filled with laughter as Dolly proclaims, “Marriage is a bribe to make a house wife think she’s a householder.”- I had fun chatting with my daughter about this after the show. At 13, she has been attending musicals as my plus one since the age of 8 and she was determined to see this show.
“The Hello, Dolly! Musical is a must see. I thought it was very good and I usually dislike time pieces, but this was astonishing. It is appropriate for all ages, and very easy to understand. The costumes were very fitting for and help set the scene. It was based in the late 1800’s in New York. Although, it didn’t discuss many of the issues in that time. It was great nonetheless”
Eliza Bryant, Age 13- 8th grade
Several of the talented female cast members offered great advice to the young theater attendees. They encouraged the to follow their dreams proceeded to take pictures and sign autographs.
Hello Dolly Philadelphia Details
Tickets are on sale starting at $20. Tickets can be purchased by calling (215) 893-1999, visiting www.KimmelCenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for croups of ten or more by calling (215) 790-5883
American Sign Language (ASL) and assisted listening devices (AD) is available for select performances, consult the website for more details.
Running time: 155 minutes including intermission
