The costumes were ablaze with color, and the sets were charming. It had a very classic theatre feel. The sets, costumes, characters, music, and script were all very much what you would expect. It was done well though, a cheerful and sparkling musical.
The storyline was interesting and lighthearted, but I had trouble getting into it. I wished there had been more clarity, because I was often wondering about the character's motives, and why they were doing the things that they were doing at all. I felt lost with their stories and who they were as people.
But these things aside, "Hello, Dolly!" is hard for me to review. As I was watching it I was thinking about how I would write about it. Every show is so different, making them practically impossible to compare. However, I do enjoy thinking critically about the shows that I see. Every one holds it's own little place in my heart, but I do enjoy some more and others less. With "Hello, Dolly!", there were numerous things I could pick apart about it, but I have come up with the conclusion that I did enjoy it.
I often question, what really makes a good show?
I think to me what makes a good show (apart from the technical elements) is how much the individual audience members connect with it and remember it afterwards.
After seeing my favorite shows I have left the theatre feeling awestruck, like I have just received this amazing gift. I will talk about it non-stop, going though and remembering the things that I loved about it. After seeing "Hello, Dolly!" I didn't have much to say about it. I liked it, it was really good, really nice. It just wasn't one of my favorites.
Even though it did not make the top of my list, I could tell that others absolutely loved it. I watched as the people sitting in front of me swayed back and forth to the songs, smiling at each other.
-Celia Boldizar