John Behling
Staff Writer

I donít know whether ìHello Dollyî is generally regarded as a strong example of dance and physical comedy, but I do know that the production that Forest Lake High School put on these last two weeks was a brilliant display of physicality, energy and articulation. Which isnít to say there were acrobats, tumbling routines and enormous dance numbers.

Sometimes itís the smallest touches that are most effective. Here, itís the posture of Rachel Piersdorfís Dolly Levi.

The way her hands float along some invisible line around her waist, moving in sweeping, elegant gestures as she schemes, connives and seduces is critical: it represents how she orchestrates the proceedings around her. Coming off of her turn as Liesl in this summerís Masquers production of ìThe Sound of Music,î Piersdorf is confident and under control as conductor to this excellent cast.

Dolly, a widowed matchmaker visits Yonkers to see the unmarried ìhalf-millionaireî Horace Vandergelder. Stringing the love-sick curmudgeon along, while inciting a pair of Vandergelderís employees onto a quest for love of their own, Dolly sets in motion a classic romantic farce complete with mix-ups, mismatches and misapprehensions.

Vandergelder is played by Kyle Vandenberg, who acts the role of the older man through his rough, angular posture and stern, sour voice. Store clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker are played by Caleb Rotach and Paul Joachim. Tired of living underneath the Vandergelderís thumb, Cornelius wants to live a little, to make mistakes, to launch onto a great adventure.

Eventually he convinces his more hesitant friend by telling him that in the big city they will see a stuffed whale. Upon arriving in New York, Cornelius meets Irene Molloy (played by Caitlin Sapa), the flirtatious woman whom Vandergelder is wooing.

And Vandergelder runs into a series of traps set by Dolly in order to win his heart in her trademark wayóthat is, without telling him.

Thereís so much in this play that translates directly to the high school experience.

Thereís Cornelius and Barnabyís great adventure: the unquenchable adolescent desire to do something great, excitingóand yes, stupid.

Thereís the nuance of courtship, the games traps and devices used by all ages to attract a partner.

And thereís the blinding power of young love as described perfectly by Corneliusís song ìIt only takes a moment.î

It seems that the cast and crew identifies well with these themes because the execution is almost flawless.

As a fan of old Hollywood musicals and comedies itís exciting to see that this part of our heritage carried on in high school theatre.

Cornelius and Barnaby make a great comic duo in the tradition of Abbot and Costello, and the fast paced give and take between Dolly and Vandergelder is reminiscent of screwball comedies like ìHis Girl Friday.î

Production directorís Tim Newcomb and Cindy Phillips-Marche and musical director David Livermore should be applauded for putting on this production and for the attention to detail theyíve shown in crafting these unique, nuanced performances. Iím looking forward to see more from the Forest Lake High School Theatre Department.

Top of Page

Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605