Clear Space’s ‘Hello, Dolly’ offers a delightful summer romp

This summer, Clear Space Theatre in Rehoboth Beach brings audiences a blockbuster musical featuring an indomitable woman as the main character. The musical is “Hello Dolly,” and Clear Space’s Lorraine Steinhoff has taken the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi and made it her own. 

Dolly is a strong-willed matchmaker who heads to Yonkers to find a match for “well-known unmarried half-a-millionare” Horace Vandergelder. Dan Carney plays Vandergelder, a rich curmudgeon who eventually comes to understand that “Money is like manure. It’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow.” It’s still early in the run for “Hello, Dolly,” and hopefully both Lorraine and Dan will have great fun exploring and accentuating the over-the-top eccentricity of their characters.

Two young couples are the supporting lead characters, all of them performed with great flair: Vandergelder’s long-suffering chief clerk, Cornelius Hackl, played by Gary Lumpkin, and Irene Malloy, a widowed hat shop proprietor played by Alei Russo. Their younger sidekicks are the naïve and frantic Barnaby Tucker, played by Maxim Chlumecky, and Malloy’s equally naïve assistant, Minnie Fay, played by Karissa Lee Carleton.

“Hello Dolly” has tons of dancing, and this cast is more than up to the challenge. The dancing waiters of the Harmonia Gardens thrill with dazzling, high-energy moves. The commanding Teutonic head waiter, Rudoph, is played with great authority by Ernie Ritchey. Erin Damers gets to shed endless tears as Ermengarde, Vandergelder’s whiny, high-strung niece, and Deb Mengert gets to troll Vandergelder as a somewhat desperate sexy vamp, Ernestina Money.

The night I attended, the house wasn’t full, and the sound system volume was too loud, but the sound quality was good; I could understand every word from every actor. The live band was well mixed, and the sound balanced between the actors and instrumentalists. Robin Kingsbury designed beautiful period costumes, and scenic designer Eddy Seger somehow fit a full-size train onto that tiny stage for the “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” scene. Brendan Smith’s lighting design was well synched with the action.

Director David Button is on a seemingly nonstop roll with yet another blockbuster production. The dances choreographed by Candice Jewell were perfect for the songs and to exploit an ensemble cast that can really dance. The singing was just as spectacular, and Jerry Birl’s music direction was confident and effective.

“Hello Dolly” runs through the end of the summer at Clear Space Theatre, 20 Baltimore Ave. in Rehoboth. For more information, go to www.clearspacetheatre.org.