There are times I wish my theater friends in New York and abroad could see some of the community theatre productions we get here in Utah. I think they would be blown away and not just by the big spectacle productions but by the arts councils and smaller venues. Such is the case with the Timpanogos Art Foundation’s new production of Hello Dolly. I honestly don’t know what more a person could ask for in a staging of this musical. It’s a blast.

Now I must admit I’m not actually the biggest fan of Hello Dolly. It’s one of those classic shows you go to for the song and dance but not for the story. The plot revolving around matchmaker Dolly Levi is paper thin and really quite silly but who cares when there’s good singing and dancing to enjoy. At Timp Dolly is played by Kaily Simmons and while she is a younger looking Dolly than I usually see she has the mischievous spirit the role requires. I also loved Kenney Bird as Irene Molloy. She has an absolutely beautiful alto voice and “Ribbons Down My Back” is a real highlight of the night.

Ben Dunford-Cable has 2 of the best songs with “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” and “It Only Takes a Moment” which he sings with a lot of charm along with Jake Shelley who is his sidekick Barnaby Tucker. The choreography by Stephanie Cole fills the stage with movement and it goes from ballroom to Broadway numbers and the cast was able to keep up with everything quite well.

The costumes by Kaely Hope are also very impressive. In particular the period accurate hats add so much to the personality of each character- especially for Molloy who runs a millinery shop, so it’s kind of essential she has great hats.

Often the Valentine theatre they are performing in has sound issues but luckily my night everything ran without a hitch. Hopefully you’ll have such luck. Hello Dolly at Timp is a family-friendly show that anyone who enjoys song and dance will enjoy. It is playing through Feb 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

Hello Dolly has music and lyrics by Jerry Herman with a book by Michael Stewart based on the The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder. IT first premiered on Broadway in 1964 and it has had 4 revivals the most recent in 2017.

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