Hale Centre Theatre: HCT Brings Color and Classic Broadway Flair to "Hello Dolly"

10-Time Tony Award-Winning Musical to Showcase Lasting Characters, Memorable Music and Timeless Storyline through Bright Set, Colorful Costumes and Energetic Choreography

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (June 1, 2009) - Hale Centre Theatre (HCT), Utah's premier family theatre, will present the warhorse musical, "Hello, Dolly!" June 13 through Aug. 1, 2009. HCT's production celebrates classic Broadway with show-stopping choreography, bright set and colorful costumes.

Director and choreographer, David Tinney, marks his HCT debut with "Hello Dolly!" He's added challenging choreography in a variety of dance styles including waltz, polka and a marching parade featuring accordion-style "paper dolls" to add the illusion of people in the crowd. The feminine set highlights the show's focus on women's empowerment with Victorian style, gingerbread ornamentation, flowers, ribbons, streamers and old-fashioned bicycles.

"Audiences have enjoyed this production for close to 50 years for a reason, and so I chose to stay traditional with my direction," said Tinney, who has directed shows at Tuachan and Sundance and is currently the Artist in Residence in the Utah Valley University theatre arts department. "It is hard to improve upon the story as a director. It is as timeless and fresh as the day it was written and audiences will fall in love with the characters exactly as they have for years."

The humorous storyline explores gender roles, forgiveness, acceptance, loss and new love. A self-proclaimed matchmaker in turn of the century New York, Dolly Levi, falls for a wealthy widower, Horace Vandergelder, while trying to find him a wife. As Dolly delicately sabotages Horace's marriage proposals to encourage his attention, she unexpectedly pairs other characters Cornelius, Ambrose and Barnaby with beauties Minnie Fay, Ermengarde and Irene in one of the most balanced casts for both female and male roles in the musical genre. The story weaves through memorable songs including "It Takes a Woman," "Before the Parade Passes By," "It Only Takes a Moment," and the title song, "Hello, Dolly!"

The production, written by Michael Stewart (book) and Jerry Herman (music), is one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history and has enjoyed success with three revivals (the last in 1995) and an Academy Award-winning film starring Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. The musical also has 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

HCT's "Hello, Dolly!" is directed and choreographed by Tinney and stars Camille Gerber Van Wagoner and Jennifer Parker Hohl as Dolly Levi; Mark Knowles and David Weekes as Horace Vandergelder; Greg Barnett and Jared Young as Cornelius Hackl and Dallin Stokes and Scott Stuart as Barnaby Tucker. The music director is Anne Puzey; head costume designer is Leslie Warwood; technical director, prop master and set designer is Kacey Udy; lighting designer is Spencer Brown; and the sound designer is Mike Williams.

Performances are Monday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with matinées each Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. and occasional weekdays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are Monday through Thursday evenings and matinées, adult $22, child (5-11 years) $15; Friday and Saturday evening shows, adult $26, child (5-11 years) $16. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.halecentretheatre.org, via telephone at (801) 984-9000 or at the Hale Centre Theatre box office, 3333 South Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, Utah.

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Attached courtesy photo:

Media Contact:

Heather Barnum

(801) 481-9482

hbarnum@intrepidagency.com <mailto:hbarnum@intrepidagency.com>

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Classic Broadway Flair

HCT Brings Color and Classic Broadway Flair to "Hello, Dolly!"