Hello, Dolly! Head on down to the Guadalupe Center on Friday, March 20th to catch this remarkable show – one Ms. Katie Wilson’s favorites. It has been 50 years since Hello, Dolly! appeared on the Broadway stage with Carol Channing as the star, and Ms. Wilson has invited her to our drama department’s show.

“It’s a long shot (that she’ll come),” said Ms. Wilson, but she is more than welcome.

The show is based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, and was musically adapted by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart in 1964. Set during the turn of the century (1890s), Hello, Dolly! is a “trip to another era,” said Ms. Wilson. “We’re going to be immersed in fashion – the costumes and the hair are going to blow your mind.”

Not a fan of musicals? Not to worry! The usual hum amongst the crowd of “Why are these people dancing?” and “Why are we singing a song now?” will not exist. According to Ms. Wilson, “You can’t say that about Dolly.” There are no “fluff” numbers, instead, each number is tied in to the action of the story. “People who don’t like musicals will like Hello, Dolly! because it’s a definite story with a supportive ensemble, and characters you connect with,” said Ms. Wilson.

The role of Dolly Levi is a bucket-list type role for every female actress, and senior Tina LaMar is excited to play the part. She is a professional matchmaker who travels to Yonkers, New York, to find a match for the miserable, “well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire,” Horace Vandergelder. Being a widow, Dolly plans to marry Mr. Vandergelder herself, saying, “I’m going to rejoin the human race.” The play is about empowerment, claiming your life, and making your own happiness.

“You are responsible for your fate and finding joy in your life – nobody else is going to find it for you, but you. That’s what Dolly stands for,” said Ms. Wilson.

Hello, Dolly! is unlike anything Cathedral has ever seen. “I want to choose a variety of shows so that at the end of their four years at Cathedral, my students will have experienced everything,” said Ms. Wilson.

And in this particular show, a live, fifteen piece, visible orchestra of professional musicians and students is not to be missed.

Reserve your seats online at cathedralcatholic.org to guarantee admission. Opening night is Friday, March 20th, and the show will continue to run on the 21st, 27th and the 28th. Evening performances will take place each Friday and Saturday at 7pm, and Saturday matinees at 1pm.