‘Hello, Dolly!’ back on Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre stage for fifth time

The same way “Hello, Dolly!” has been a staple in the theater world, with several Broadway and West End revivals since its debuts in, respectively, 1964 and 1965, the musical about a meddling matchmaker has been a staple at Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre.

Dolly Gallagher Levi first graced the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre stage in 1970. The theater then produced “Hello, Dolly!” again in 1977, 2000 and 2012.

The theater cites the 2012 production as its most popular version to date. When the theater’s fifth production of “Hello, Dolly!” opens Friday, it’s almost guaranteed to receive the same reception, as director Roger Welch, choreographer Michael Greenspan-Wasilesky and music director Steven Dahlke, who all worked on the 2012 production, are reuniting for another dose of “Dolly!”

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.”

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

She is searching the city for a wife for grumpy half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder (Ralph Prentice Daniel), who Levi is secretly pining for. She is also working on finding a match for young artist Ambrose Kemper (Abe McKinney), who is interested in Vandergelder’s niece Ermengarde (Enslee Olivia Cook). Vandergelder isn’t fond of Kemper though, as he doubts his work as an artist will guarantee a steady living for his niece.

In his shop in Yonkers, Vandergelder tells his shop clerks Cornelius Hackl (Ben Williams) and Barnaby Tucker (Adrian Graff) that he’s going to New York City with Levi to propose to hat shop owner and widow Irene Molloy (Jenny Shotwell). Hearing this, Levi works to plant seeds of doubt about Molloy in Vangergelder’s mind and instead tells him an heiress named Ernestine Money (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 her shop assistant Minnie 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 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).

Smith is the assistant director/assistant choreographer, and Robin Hill is the deputy stage manager. Mike Chapman is the production manager and technical director, and Nick Thorpe is the music/audio supervisor.

Carrie York is the props designer, and Alana Shepherd is the lighting designer. Erin Lee McSwain is the costume designer, and Gregory Heathcock is the scenic designer. Ryan Dill is the sound designer.

“Hello, Dolly!” opens Friday and runs through July 6 at the Schuler Performing Arts Center in Boswell Hall at North Idaho College.

Following “Hello, Dolly!,” Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s season continues with “Anastasia,” which runs July 18-27, and “She Loves Me,” which runs Aug. 8-17.