‘Hello, Dolly!’ celebrates diamond jubilee in style

You may well ask, why dredge up an old warhorse like “Hello, Dolly!” in 2024? Considering the musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s hit play “The Matchmaker” made its debut on Broadway in 1964, it does make a kind of sense. After all, 60 years is a long time to be trotting the old girl out, and it must be noted that as Broadway musicals go, this one has always been an audience favorite.

That appears to be especially true here in Las Cruces, where a sold-out Friday night crowd smiled, guffawed and sang along to such venerable earworms as “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “It Only Takes A Moment,” and the title song, “Hello, Dolly!” – made famous by Louis Armstrong the same year the musical had its debut. It’s a production with a lot of history, but somehow it still has the power to charm during its diamond jubilee.

Even the lineup of famous actresses who took on the formidable role of professional matchmaker Dolly Gallagher-Levi reads like a who’s who of the entertainment industry over the last six decades. Included in that list are Carol Channing, Ethel Merman, Pearl Bailey, Mary Martin, Ginger Rogers, Bernadette Peters, Barbra Streisand, Betty Buckley, Imelda Staunton and Bette Midler, among many others. Add to that list now, Las Cruces’ own grande dame of the community theater stages, Janet Beatty Cold, who belts out the hits with the best of them.

It helps, too, that she is surrounded by a surprisingly young ensemble of enthusiastic – if not always unfailing – actors, gamely hitting their marks in scenes which, to the youngest among them, must have come across as exceedingly old-fashioned. As somebody who spent close to 50 years immersed in theater, it comes as a refreshing delight to see so many youthful faces on our community theater stages.

Standouts include Audrey Maze as head clerk-turned-lothario Cornelius Hackl. Braden Gonzales lends a wonderful, wide-eyed innocence to his performance of Barnaby Tucker, Cornelius’ sidekick. Cali Rivas shines as young shop assistant Minnie Fay, showing chops as a singer and a dancer. The always notable Peyton Womble, whose rich voice is surpassed only by their comic timing, provides a wryly charming portrayal of maître d’ Rudolph Reisenweber.

But that’s not to say the stage veterans aren’t still giving their all. Far from it. Anna Robillard, who plays the widow Irene Malloy, gives Beatty Cold a run for her money, with a voice that seems made for the stage. As miserly half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, Brian Kraft is sufficiently gruff and unyielding (until he does yield), with a strong, capable voice. Long time audience members will also be charmed to see indefatigable set designer Doug Roby camping it up in the ensemble.

Simple, yet wonderfully effective set designs by Roby provide a superb backdrop to the production, rivaled only by the exceptional costume designs by Beatty Cold. Direction and choreography by veteran thespian Karen Caroe is spot on. It’s clear this triumvirate of talent gave their all to create a “colorful, vibrant, and heart-warming” throwback version that stands head and shoulders above any of the community theater spectacles seen over the past 20 years or so. The standing ovations this show has received are genuinely well-deserved.

Hello, Dolly! continues to charm audiences at the Las Cruces Community Theatre, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through August 25, 2024. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit the website at LCCTNM.org.