The Niceville High School (NHS) Theatre Department will present the Broadway musical comedy classic Hello, Dolly! in May at the NHS Auditorium. With a score by Jerry Herman and book by Michael Stewart, the show tells the story of turn-of-the-century widow matchmaker Dolly Levi and her pursuit to win over and marry Horace Vandergelder, Yonkers’ “well known, unmarried half a millionaire” all the while meddling in the love lives of those around her. “Musical comedy is my favorite genre of theatre, and I have been a huge fan of Hello, Dolly! ever since I was in high school and saw the movie on TV, says NHS Theatre Director Ritchie Jackson. “It’s always a joy to direct a show that you have loved for years, and it’s an even sweeter joy to introduce my cast and crew to this delightful show – many of whom were not familiar with the show going into it. When we did A Chorus Line, it was much the same. Many of my students had no knowledge of the show other than its title. I love opening their eyes to great Broadway classics and watching them fall in love with them too.”
A 1982 NHS graduate, this is Jackson’s ninth year and fifteenth production as Theatre Director at NHS. His department has enjoyed tremendous community support over the last few years, and their runs of A Chorus Line, Chicago, and last year’s production of Disney’sNewsies ”, broke all previous Okaloosa County high school box office records. “We continue to set the bar high at NHS Theatre, and I take great pride in that. I know better than anyone that some high school theatre shows can be painful to watch. Some school programs give a part to anyone who wants one or do shows just for the fun of it without much care about production values or doing truly good work, but at NHS we mean business. Our department’s mottos is ‘Bringing theatrical excellence to the stage’, and we won’t settle for anything less. You have to really work to land a role in a NHS production. Auditions for our shows bring close to a hundred students each time, so you have to really be on your game and work hard if you want a role in one of our shows. Our actors then do character analysis and scene study work to help them truly grasp their character and motivations, and the result is top notch entertainment that features the tremendous talent pool we have at Niceville High. Together with a recent massive lighting and sound upgrade, a new stage floor and curtains, amazing set designs, and gorgeous costumes, NHS’ shows truly stand out and keep bringing our crowds back for more”, says Jackson. “Audiences routinely leave our shows marveling at the fact that what they just saw was a high school production, and that gives us a great source of pride. So if you have never seen a NHS Theatre production, here comes your chance. We promise that you will not be disappointed.”
Jackson has brought Choreographer Nicci Fahle and Vocal Director Michael Walker on board to put their professional stamps on the show. Fahle returns after having previously worked with Jackson on NHS’ A Chorus Line, Chicago, and Newsies. “We simply could not do this without Nicci’s talents”, says Jackson, “She has an absolute gift of taking amateur dancers and making them look as though they have been in dance classes for years. She has the Midas touch for sure when it comes to leg and foot work”. Walker returns as well, having previously served as Vocal Director for NHS’ Newsies. “Michael coaxes really great harmonies and vocal work out of our actors, and his talents give the show’s score a beautifully polished panache. We have a really stellar team, and when the three of us join forces, the results are really nothing less than amazing.
Jaiden Rae Strange brings Dolly Levi to life alongside Jaron Music’s Horace Vandergelder. Eli Pancoast and Drew Cook portray Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker respectively, Lyla-Christine Payne and Caylee Konradt play the roles of Irene Molloy and her hat shop apprentice Minnie Fay, and Nicholas Venture and Sara Marello fill out the roles of Ambrose Kemper and the ever-crying Ermengarde.
VIP seating is $20 and includes early seating a half hour before performance and a free bag of popcorn and a free small bottle of water. General Admission tickets are $15, with seating beginning twenty minutes before show. “People who have never seen a show of ours sometimes ask why our ticket prices are over ten dollars, but when a show can cost ten to fifteen thousand dollars to put on, it’s easy to see why the ticket prices are set where they are”, say Jackson. “People are stunned when they hear how much it costs to produce a show. The rights alone for Dolly were $7,500, and that’s just for permission to do the show. Then you have to finance the building of sets, purchase props, hire a choreographer and a vocal director, and purchase period piece costumes. Simply put, show business is expensive, but we know our shows are worth every, single, dime.”
Hello, Dolly! runs May 2, 3, 9, and 10 with 7 p.m. shows each night, and a 2 p.m. matinee on May 3 and 10. The auditorium’s concession stand will be open for drinks and snacks both before the show and during intermission, and accepts cash only. Purchase tickets beginning April 1st on Gofan.co. Hello, Dolly! is presented through arrangement with Concord Theatricals of New York, NY.
