Hello Dolly! to be performed at Crewe’s Lyceum theatre

Mar 10 2010 by Will Harris, Crewe Chronicle

Show time! Crewe Amateur Musicals Society is set to end a six-month preparation for its latest production, Hello Dolly!.

The society will be staging the show at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe next week to continue a long tradition in the town stemming back to 1923.

And despite the increasingly common difficulty of a lack of men, the producers believe this could be one of their best efforts yet.

Show spokeswoman Heather Taylor said: “It’s going really well and everyone’s working really hard. It’s all coming together very nicely.

“The process began in September so we’ve had six months of auditions and rehearsals since. It started out as just one night a week but now we’ve built it up to three a week.

“We’ve got quite a few men in the end and some of the Crewe Male Voice Choir have coming in to help us out in the title number. It sounds really strong with them involved.

“The cast number is about 35 while there are an extra 30 or so in backstage crew. It’s a fairly major operation but the responsibility of co-ordinating is divided up into departments so it doesn’t get too difficult to manage.

“Our costumes arrive on Tuesday (yesterday) which have been hired from a company called Charades based in St Helens. We use them regularly and the costumes are always excellent quality.”

Hello Dolly! first hit Broadway in 1964 and was made famous on the big screen by Barbara Streisand in the 1969 film.

Set in 1890, it tells the story of Dolly, a Jewish matchmaker and self-confessed ‘meddler and arranger’ who attempts to sort out various romantic situations as well as sorting out her own romantic aspirations.

It is full of well-known and much-loved songs, such as Put On Your Sunday Clothes, When The Parade Passes By and of course Hello Dolly.

Heather, who plays the squeaky and giddy Minnie Fay, said: “There are no children in this production but it’s very child-friendly with fun songs and dancing. I think children will really enjoy it.

“The role of Dolly is being taken by Jane Johnson. She’s worked really hard and she’s brilliant with a very powerful voice. She joined us last year and played Mabel in our previous production of Pirates of Penzance, so she knows how to hold a stage.”

Ticket sales are picking up, but the society hopes there will be a rush in the run-up to the show.

“The show is costing about £25,000 to stage so we need to sell tickets to make our money back, especially as ticket sales are difficult in the recession,” said Heather. “It’s rare that we make any substantial profit.

“We’re not in it to make money, just to provide a great show for us and for the town.”

Crewe Amateur Musicals Society is always looking out for new members, especially men. Anyone wishing to join should phone Margaret on 01270 763837.

Hello Dolly! runs from Tuesday until Saturday, March 20. Shows start at 7.30pm, with a 2.30pm matinee on the Saturday. Tickets are priced £7-£11. To book, phone the box office on 01270 537333 or visit www.lyceumtheatre.net.