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'Hello, Dolly!' 26th May - 2nd June 2007 Lowther Pavilion - Lytham St Annes   Our Summer 2007 Production

HELLO DOLLY - THE REVIEW The decision of St. Annes Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society to move their summer production at the Lowther Pavilion from June to the May bank holiday weekend was happily rewarded last Saturday by a very encouraging attendance for the first of seven lavish performances of Hello Dolly. Producer Rosie Withers rightly recognised that there have be oodles of style and pizzazz in abundance at the heart of the show to match the personality of New York matchmaker Dolly Levi and her personal quest to capture storekeeper  Horace Vandergelder, the well-known half millionaire. The quality of the costumes, sets, sound and lighting were all designed to dazzle and the accomplished acting and singing of Michelle Davey did ample justice to the title role made famous by Carol Channing and Danny La Rue on stage and Barbra Streisand on film. Her spot-on timing of Dolly’s one-liners was crucial to her success. Vocal honours were shared by Derek Winward as the harassed  Horace and Joan Aitchison as flighty Irish milliner Irene, both assured  performers in their big numbers ‘It takes a woman’  and ‘ Ribbons down my back’ respectively. Peter Taylor, Erin Sweeney and Minnie Fay made the most of their supporting roles. Neal Sandwell and Stewart Harland as Horace’s put-upon and gauche assistants developed their personalities delightfully in their comedy roles and musical director Adrian Richards�� nine-piece orchestra helped the principals to put across a couple of weakish numbers to maximum effect. As well as the expected top-class singing from the chorus and an imaginative ‘Waiters Gallop’ choreographed by Julie Segev, the specially filmed sepia clip of Dolly’s train journey from Yonkers to Grand Central Station drew applause from the audience. Lytham St. Annes in 2007 is a far cry from 1890s New York, but the sustained skills of the company instantly transported a receptive audience to the splendours of the 14th Street Parade and the fabulous, the incomparable  Mrs Dolly Levi.   JULIAN WILDE - LYTHAM ST ANNES EXPRESS 31st May 2007   Producer: Rosie Withers   Musical Director: Adrian Richards   Choreographer: Julie Segev   Dolly Levi Michelle Davey Horace Vandergelder Derek Winward Cornelius Hackl Neal Sandwell Barnaby Tucker Stewart Harland Irene Molloy Joan Aitchinson Minnie Fay Anna Martins Ambrose Peter Taylor   Ermengarde Erin Sweeny   Mrs Rose Linda McConnell Ernestina Money Shelly Chapman Rudolph Peter Weston   Take a look at our filming day at Ribble Steam Railway The Company: Pauline Cartwright Rebecca Pearson Karen Sale Karen Pearson Robert Smith Marian Chesters Leo Appleton Rick Green  John Chesters Janet Radcliffe Stan Kershaw Terry McCluskey Helen Cass Rosalind Ashworth Dave Hornby Jane Martins Len Hampson Terry Cardwell Carol Shaw Rebecca Liddle Jeanette Appleton Heidi Quine Diane Thackray Jenny Sunley Sophie Cronin Lauren Ashworth     See our shots from the filming day at Ribble Steam Railway Centre in Preston (Click Here)     Rehearsal Shots: