March 19, 2024

NHS presents ‘Hello, Dolly’ on Friday, Saturday

Spring production set for 6:30 p.m. both evenings

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This weekend, some Newton High School students will take on a daunting task — and not simply because the female lead in their play has been played by some talented people.

The NHS drama department’s spring production, “Hello, Dolly!,” is set to run Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the high school’s Center for Performance. Not only will Courtney Tabor take on the challenging lead role of Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi, played by Barbara Streisand and others, but the entire NHS cast and crew will be taking on a production that calls for a lot of energy — and a lot of singing.

The play is the story of the lead character’s efforts to marry a well-known “half-a-millionaire” in late-19th-century New York City. She tracks him down in Yonkers, then by train and in the midst of a parade, and finally, to the most elegant and expensive restaurant in town, the Harmonia Gardens. There are plenty of happy songs in the production.

The 1969 film version of the play won the Academy Award for best score.

Tabor has the task of singing the “Dolly” part, played in the film by Streisand — one of only 17 people to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award. However, there are many other tough roles to fill in the play.

Chris Thorpe plays Horace Vandergleder — the object of Dolly’s affections. NHS students Bailee Shipley, Jonah Keeton, Amie Williams, Lucas Sander and Reese Rosenquist also have roles mentioned high on the cast list.

Leah Hunter, Grace Kingery, Eileen Gerken, Connor McAdoo, Zach Theis, Jarom Williams, Sara Cook, Megan Shores, Christian Laube, Joseph Malsom, Reid Miller and Kate Wyre also play roles. Some student-thespians have more than one in the play.

There are more than a dozen waiters and waitresses, played by Theis, McAdoo, Cook, Miller, Chet Adams, Whitney Breckenridge, Grace Coen, Michaella Cope, Bailey Cupples, Spencer Elbert, Christian Laube, Kinzie Loree, Michael McKinney, Kaelyn Sanders, Hayley Sinclair, Nick Versteeg, Jarom Williams and Joe Williams.

There are also many townspeople and dancers in the play. Some of these roles are played by Natalie Camp, Emma Carter, Sara Cook, Amanda Laube, Christian Laube, Lienne Pak, Elizabeth Peters, Alayna Reynolds, Shana Robinson and Cheyenne Schaeffer.

The props crew for the production includes the Newton Community Theatre, Emily Bollhoefer, Brianna Fuller, Carolyn Thurmond, Maddie Gooding-Hunt, Evelyn Berrybill, Adrienne Bergman, Melanie Stice, Joe Williams, and Bailee Shipley.

The orchestra for the production is directed by Jim Beerends. The orchestra features musicians McKenna Heisdorffer on flute, Deb Stoulil and Emily Van Arkel on clarinet and Alto saxophone, Katherine Thorpe on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Evelyn Berryhill on clarinet, bass clarinet and baritone sax, Bret Lee, Maddy Berstler and Tyler Dafflitto on trumpets, Adam Van Arkel and Grant Nook on trombones, Emily Law and Paul Maharry on percussion, Jim Dunn on bass and Diane Fuller on piano.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com