Stage review: Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s ‘Hello, Dolly!’ provides impressive sets, intricate choreography and joyful entertainment

Both of the times I’ve seen “Hello Dolly!,” I left the theater feeling so curious about who Dolly was before the curtains opened.

How did she get so fabulous? When did she become a professional meddler?

I have the same thoughts about grumpy half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder. When did he lose his zest for life (if he ever had one)?

I’m also curious about hat shop owner and widow Irene Molloy and her shop assistant Minnie Fay and Vandergelder’s shop clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker. How long have they been working together? How did they get into the respective lines of work?

Then, of course, there’s Vandergelder’s shrill niece Ermengarde and artist Ambrose Kemper, who Vandergelder isn’t fond of. How and when did they meet?

But then I think about all the wonderful dancing, and I no longer mind that I don’t know everything about every character in the show. Rather, I appreciate the opportunity to be dropped into Dolly’s fabulous world for a couple of hours.

At the top of “Hello, Dolly!,” the whole of New York City is excited because feisty Dolly Gallagher Levi (Kristi Kubicek), who makes her living “meddling,” or matchmaking and teaching lessons of all sorts, is in town.

She is searching for a wife for Vandergelder (Ralph Prentice Daniel), who Levi herself is interested in. She is also working on a way to convince Vandergelder that Kemper (Abe McKinney) is the right man for Ermengarde (Enslee Olivia Cook).

In his shop in Yonkers, Vandergelder tells his shop clerks Hackl (Ben Williams) and Tucker (Adrian Graff) that he’s going to New York City with Levi to propose to Molloy (Jenny Shotwell). Hearing this, Levi plants seeds that a woman named Ernestina Money (a hilarious though brief role for Chelsea DuVall) is interested in him.

After their boss leaves the shop, Hackl and Tucker decide they need to get to the city as well and have a big adventure. Levi suggests they call on Molloy and Fay (Nicole Rose Ostlie). Levi also tells Ermengarde and Kemper that she will enter them into a polka competition at the classy Harmonia Gardens Restaurant so Vandergelder will see Kemper as a breadwinner.

With that, Levi, Hackl, Tucker, Kemper and Ermengarde all take the train into the Big Apple, where Levi ramps up her meddling.

Lorna Hamilton plays the judge and Mrs. Rose, and Anden J. Leo plays Rudolph. The ensemble includes DuVall, Hamilton and Leo as well as Griffin Adams, Christian Bolduc, Catherine Dietchak, Maggie Dzina, Sebastian L. Fenton, Michael Hamill, Bella Hanna, Coral Horton, Ruby Astaire Krajic, Andre Lajevardi, Tom Richards, Reilly Schoening, Megan Ruth Smith, Chloe Sundet, Adele Trapp, Asa Wadden, Josh White, Eli Wissing and Abraham T. Zakariasen.

The musical features lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart. It’s based on Thornton Wilder’s “The Merchant of Yonkers,” which he later revised and renamed “The Matchmaker.”

Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s most recent production of “Hello, Dolly!” finds the same core crew from its 2012 production – director Roger Welch, choreographer Michael Greenspan-Wasilesky and music director Steven Dahlke – returning to “Dolly”-wood.

As mentioned, the choreography from Greenspan-Wasilesky and assistant director/assistant choreographer Smith more than made up for all the questions I have about the characters. The sequence featuring the male ensemble members as waiters at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant was incredible to watch, with lots of acrobatic moves mixed with standard musical theater steps.

The singing too was more than enough to keep me interested in the story. Kubicek had a beautiful voice and all the sparkle a character like Levi needs to get away with all her meddling. She was a pro at the physical comedy her role required. It was simple – serving Vandergelder food during dinner or sitting at a table and eating while the rest of the cast looked on – but effective.

I enjoyed the contrast between Kubicek’s bubbly personality and Daniel, as the rough-around-the-edges Vandergelder who was always trying to burst that bubble. Their scenes at the end of the show were really sweet.

I also enjoyed watching those who were swept up in Levi’s orbit. Williams and Graff were so fun to watch as the little fish in the big pond that is New York City, and the pair, plus Shotwell and Ostlie, as Molloy and Fay, had one of my favorite moments from the show with the song “Elegance.”

I also loved all the costumes by costume designer Erin Lee McSwain during “Before the Parade Passes By.”

There are a lot of iconic songs in “Hello, Dolly!” and, no surprise, the orchestra hit every one right on the head. The orchestra features Rebecca Stamm (violin 1), Cassandra Jabbora (viola), Denika Kleinmann (cello), Rob Peterson (bass), Tim Zillar (guitar and banjo), Steve Friel (reeds 1), Merilee Updike (reeds 2), Cameron La Plante (reeds 3), Brandon Campbell (reeds 4), Larry Jess (trumpet 1), Brian Ploeger (trumpet 2), Dave Stultz (trombone 1), William Strauch (trombone 2), Jonathan Williams (percussion 1), Sam Wollenhaupt (percussion 2) and Scott Michaelsen (keyboard).

As a final note, I really liked the creative team’s choice to go light, but no less impressive, on the set pieces by scenic designer Gregory Heathcock. Vandergelder’s and Molloy’s shops were quaint yet detailed, the Harmonia Gardens set was gorgeous, with its fountains overflowing with white flowers. The horse set piece at the top of the show made me gasp once I figured out how it was moving.

Do I know everything I’d like to know about Dolly and her group of friends? No, but do I mind? Not at all. There is enough singing, dancing, joy and love in “Hello, Dolly!” to keep me entertained.

Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s “Hello, Dolly!” runs through July 6 at the Schuler Performing Arts Center in Boswell Hall at North Idaho College.