Erin Emtiaz

Footlite: Say ‘Hello’ to a familiar show

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By John Lyle Belden

There’s a good chance that nearly everyone who reads this has seen at least one version of “Hello, Dolly!”

If you haven’t, there is a dandy production at Footlite Musicals through Oct. 8. If you have, this is still worth your while, especially with Georgeanna Teipen firmly in charge as master matchmaker Mrs. Dolly Levi.

Directed by Kayvon and Erin Emtiaz, this classic musical (book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman) takes us back to New York around the turn of the 20th century, when a dollar could get you a modest night on the town. We meet the widow Dolly at the peak of her powers, arranging a match for “half-a-million-aire” Horace Vandergelder (Darrin Gowan) of Yonkers. She also needs to arrange nuptials between Horace’s emotional niece Ermengarde (Lindsey Schaecher) and the young artist Ambrose Kemper (Thomas Zotz), over her uncle’s objections.

For Dolly to corner Horace for herself, she needs an alternative for Mrs. Irene Molloy (Heather Hansen), which fate provides in the persons of Vandergelder’s wayward employees Cornelius Hackl (Joseph Burke) and Barnaby Tucker (Cordale Hankins). At Molloy’s hat shop, Irene and her assistant Minnie Fay (Bailey Rae Harmon) meet the young men in a most bizarre fashion.

All this leads to everybody – as well as Dan Miller as the charming Ernestina Money – at dinner in the Harmonia Gardens restaurant, complete with the big production number this show is famous for, with Jerry Beasley as the head waiter.

The production goes big with 18 additional human actors in the chorus, plus Sully Emtiaz making his doggy debut. The big orchestra, conducted by Jill Stewart, takes up much of the backstage, allowing the pit to be completely covered for more room to dance.

Set design by Mary “ML” Lich includes a clever split-level stage that helps with Cornelius and Barnaby needing to be in the basement of Vandergelder’s Feed Store, and (literally) adds dimension to other scenes.

Wrangling all this is stage manager Melissa Yurechko.

Teipen and Gowan are stage veterans at the top of their game. Hansen and Harmon are up to the task as well, exhibiting a charm more streetwise than sophisticated, making their pairing with the Yonkers lads believable. Burke is impressive as the likable rube on his first day in the big city. Hankins is a glorious bundle of naïve energy.

From cheerful beginning to happy ending, “Dolly” makes for a nice evening (or Sunday afternoon) of theatre. Performances run through Oct. 8 at 1847 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at Footlite.org.

Footlite: New take on ‘New World’

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By John Lyle Belden

“Songs For a New World,” the first show by Jason Robert Brown (“Parade,” “The Last Five Years,” “13,” “Bridges of Madison County,” “Mr. Saturday Night”) is hard to describe, existing in an undefined middle ground between musical, song-cycle, and cabaret. Critics haven’t been kind, but many adore it, including local performer Jerry Beasley, who directs the current production of “Songs” at Footlite Musicals.

“It’s a concert,” he said, desiring it to be something more. “I wanted to tell 14 little stories.”

Perhaps bringing it closer to Brown’s original concept of various narratives all linked by a common theme – a person’s profound moment of decision – Beasley enriches the musical without altering its content. The cast is expanded from four to eight main singers plus two soloists, and he adds little touches to bring more context. The classic “Stars and the Moon” becomes a lesson shared among more than one singer, and thus us watching. “Christmas Lullaby” shows how an expecting mother truly feels she is giving hope to others. The youth in “The Steam Train” returns to a later song, giving it a today’s-news edge. There is humor in “The River Won’t Flow” and heartache in “The Flagmaker, 1775” – there is something for everyone throughout.

Wonderful performances by Ryan Bridges, Cameron Callan, Erin Emtiaz, Dylan Kelly, Maggie Meier, Abigail Miller, Keziah Muthama, and Kendrell Stiff, with Kayvon Emtiaz as “King of the World” and the incomparable Kevin Bell in “Surabaya-Santa.” Kelsey McDaniel stands by as swing; the on-stage orchestra is led by Jeremy Kaylor.

Appropriately, this is Footlite’s January “cabaret” production, with the audience seated on the stage in close proximity to the actors. While the chairs are in rows rather than at tables, there are still only so many of them, so act quick for tickets to remaining performances, Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 19-22. Contact Footlite.org or call 317-926-6630.