Review: Hello, Dolly!

Review: Hello, Dolly! | Candlelight | Johnstown, CO | Curtain Up! | Eric Fitzgerald

Classic musical theatre is alive and well, and onstage at Candlelight in Johnstown. Their new production of Hello, Dolly! embraces everything audiences cherish about this Jerry Herman jewel — that jubilant, brass‑kissed score (“Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes a Moment,” and of course the title number that can still raise the hairs on your arm), the big-hearted comedy, and the sheer theatrical sweep that reminds you why this show has endured for more than half a century. It’s a tried‑and‑true musical that delivers on every level, and Candlelight leans into its pleasures with gusto.

Set in 1890s New York, Hello, Dolly! follows the indomitable matchmaker Dolly Levi (Melissa Williams) as she inserts herself—cheerfully and decisively—into the lives of everyone around her. Hired by the curmudgeonly half‑millionaire Horace Vandergelder (Roy Marcus) to find him a suitable wife, Dolly instead sets her sights on Horace for herself, all while nudging his clerks Cornelius Hackl (Jerod Mose) and Barnaby Tucker (Ian Doyle) toward their own long‑overdue adventures in the city. Along the way, Irene Molloy (Brooklyn Buhre), Minnie Fay (Taylor Baker), and a swirl of Yonkers and Manhattan characters get swept into Dolly’s orbit as she orchestrates romance, chaos, and second chances with her signature flair. Ambrose Kemper (Caleb Reasy) and Ermengarde (Jillian Stevens) provide the show’s youthful romantic through‑line, their runaway‑sweetheart subplot weaving neatly through Dolly’s larger matchmaking schemes.

As Dolly, Melissa Williams is nothing short of radiant, the kind of performer who doesn’t just lead a production but steadies it. She brings wit, warmth, and a quietly confident authority to the role, anchoring the entire evening with a presence that feels both effortless and deeply considered. Her Dolly isn’t a caricature or a museum piece — she’s a woman of appetite and agency, and Williams plays her with a sparkle that never once feels manufactured.

Melissa Williams as Dolly Levi | Photo credit: RDG Photography

Roy Marcus proves to be a casting coup as Horace Vandergelder — an unexpected choice that pays off marvelously. He leans into Horace’s bluster without ever flattening him into a cartoon, revealing flashes of vulnerability beneath the bark. Jerod Mose brings an earnest, wide‑eyed charm to Cornelius Hackl, the kind of performance that makes you root for him from the moment he decides to “spread his wings.” Ian Doyle’s Barnaby Tucker is a delight, all youthful bounce and perfectly timed innocence, creating a duo with Mose that feels organically mismatched in the best possible way.

Brooklyn Buhre brings a luminous grace to Irene Molloy, grounding the character’s quiet longing with a voice that seems to bloom from the stillness. Her rendition of “Ribbons Down My Back” is haunting in its simplicity — a moment of genuine emotional hush that reminds you the show’s heart beats not only in its spectacle but in its yearning. By contrast, Taylor Baker’s Minnie Fay is all bright comic fizz, a wonderfully animated counterpoint to Irene’s poise. Baker supplies the kind of quicksilver reactions and buoyant physicality that make her both an ideal shop assistant and an irresistible sidekick, giving every scene in the hat shop a welcome jolt of mischief.

Brooklyn Buhre as Irene Molly & Taylor Baker as Minnie Fay | Photo Credit: RDG Photography

The ensemble brings tremendous vitality to the production, singing with crisp, full harmonies that give the score real lift. Their dancing is sweeping and beautifully coordinated, filling the stage with movement that feels purposeful and alive.

Director Carrie Colton leans decisively into the slapstick undercurrents of the script, shaping a production that revels in sight gags, physical comedy, and musically punctuated bits of business. The musical numbers remain intact and lovingly rendered, but the action between them tilts toward broad humor and visual playfulness, creating a Hello, Dolly! that feels markedly different from its original incarnation. It’s a bold interpretive swing — one that reframes the familiar material through a more rambunctious, vaudevillian lens.

Christie Zimmerman’s choreography and Mason Siders’ musical direction both serve the production beautifully, each fulfilling their responsibilities with real artistry. Zimmerman shapes the movement with clarity and buoyancy, giving the big numbers a sense of sweep without ever overwhelming the storytelling. Siders, conducting from the keyboard, leads a vibrant nine‑piece orchestra — a genuine luxury in regional theatre — and the result is a Jerry Herman score that sounds full, warm, and wonderfully alive.

The visual design team adds plenty of glitz and glamour to the evening, with scenic designer Michael Curtis Grittner providing a well‑conceived, flexible set that serves the story beautifully — especially in the bustling, elegant Harmonia Gardens scenes of Act Two. Charlotte Campbell’s costumes are a standout, bursting with color, period detail, and that unmistakable Dolly‑era flourish that makes the stage feel joyfully full. Mandy Heath’s lighting ties it all together, shifting the mood with subtle warmth and well‑placed highlights that give the production both polish and atmosphere.

Along with a beautifully crafted production, Candlelight offers the added pleasure of a delicious meal, complete with entrées themed to the evening’s show—a signature touch that makes the experience feel both festive and well-rounded. And there’s something undeniably special about seeing a classic musical comedy performed with the full musicality of Jerry Herman’s score ringing through the room. It is absolutely worth the trip to Johnstown to see Melissa Williams’ Dolly, a performance that anchors the entire night with charm and authority. Hello, Dolly! runs through April 4, and this is one you’ll be glad you caught while it’s here.

For information and tickets: https://coloradocandlelight.com/show/hello-dolly-2/