The beloved Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! will dress the stage at Hardin-Simmons University’s Van Ellis Theatre this month.
With a cast of talented students, many from HSU’s newly formed Bachelor of Fine Arts program, the musical classic from Broadway’s Golden Age follows the buzz-worthy escapades of the original grand-dame, Dolly Levi.
As the plot goes, it seems all of New York City is excited about the visit from the brassy widowed matchmaker, Levi, who is seeking a wife for the well-known ”half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder. It later becomes clear that Dolly intends to marry Horace herself.
Set in turn-of-the-century New York, the popular score includes the beloved Jerry Herman tunes “Elegance,” “It Only Takes a Moment,” and the show-stopping title number, made famous by Louis Armstrong and a number one hit single in 1964, “Hello, Dolly!”
HSU’s musical will also include the memorable numbers, “Before the Parade Passes By” and “Put on Your Sunday Clothes.”
Led by two long-time actors; HSU’s artistic director and assistant professor of theater, Ronald Dean Nolen, serves as the show’s director; musical direction is by Paramount Theater’s veteran artistic director, Barry Smoot.
About the Director
Nolen received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre and music from Hardin-Simmons University and the Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from Yale University, where he was honored as a Constance Welch Scholar.
An award-winning actor, Nolen has originated roles in over a dozen new plays and musicals from Broadway, where he co-starred as Harry Bright in the original Broadway cast of the smash hit Mamma Mia!
Also an accomplished writer, he recently completed the Seventh Edition of The Film Encyclopedia, published by HarperCollins.
Nolen served as producer on the documentary film None Less Than Heroes: The Honor Flight Story, which chronicles the journey of World War II veterans traveling free of charge to Washington, D.C., to experience the memorial built in their honor. The film, narrated by Oscar-nominee Gary Sinise, is making the rounds on the film festival circuit after being completed in summer 2011.
Feb 14-24, 2013
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Michael Stewart
Directed by Ronald Dean Nolen
Van Ellis Theatre
February 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, at 7:30 p.m., and February 24, at 2 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or at www.hsutx.edu/tickets.