BY NUALA MCALOON
Enniskillen Light Operatic is currently midway through showcasing their annual Christmas musical, with 'Hello Dolly' being this year's sell-out showpiece.
Opening last Thursday night, it is set to run until this Saturday, the 9th of December.
The sparkling Broadway musical set in New York in the 1890's is based on Thornton Wilder's play 'The Matchmaker'. The lyrics and music were written by Jerry Herman.
Dolly Levi, played by Jayne Boucher, is a young widow, and a professional matchmaker who formulates a devious plan to marry Horace Vandergelder (Billy Mulligan), a well known miserly half-a-millionaire, intending to divert his money to her young friends. Along the way she also tries to match up three other hesitant couples amid problems, pitfalls and downright farce.
Two of these young men are Horace's long-suffering clerks, Cornelius Hackl (Robert Fitzpatrick) and Barnaby (Stephan Dunbar), who on a visit to New York meets up with the elegant Mrs Irene Molly and her assistant Minnie Fay (Lisa Murphy). But, as the show progresses, the audience are left posing questions such as will Dolly ever get her man, will crusty Horace allow himself to be inveigled into matrimony and will Cornelius and Barnaby achieve some much desired romance?
Not only is the story an entertaining one, but the manner in which it is portrayed by the cast and crew of Enniskillen light Operatic is a professional one.
Having watched last Friday night's production, it doesn't take long to work out why every year, this popular production team manage to sell out their shows from early on.
For, from start to finish, the audience couldn't help but be entertained by each of the actors, their characters and their well directed, and professionally deployed acting skills. Add the exquisite costumes reminiscent of the era, a colourful set and decor at all times, and an effective lighting system that included at one stage, a special strobe illuminating effect to reinforce a scene, and, well, the show was a winner from the outset.
Put humour and laughter aside, and what stood out for many, was the professionalism of the all singing, all dancing cast, who were backed up by the equally professional orchestra. Numbers such as 'Put on your Sunday Clothes', 'Hello Dolly' and 'It only takes a Moment' were not only entertaining to hear but were efficient in moving the story along.
Jayne Boucher as Dolly particularly excelled, having to sing largely as a solo, in nine of the 15 musical numbers. Billy Mulligan as Horace Vandergelder also put in a praiseworthy performance when singing throughout the musical, and the male chorus was particularly effective in Act One when they joined Horace to sing 'It takes a Woman'.
Full credit however, has to go to Rosemary Sheridan who at short notice stepped in to play the part of Irene Molloy. With this being one of the more prominent roles in the production, Rosemary did well to learn her part and her songs in just two days, and in essence, she excelled.
Overall, the Enniskillen Light Operatic's version of 'Hello Dolly' was a well polished production that for anyone who managed to get a ticket, was one that will be remembered for its entertainment factor and its professionalism.
Credit must go to director, Eamonn Bradley, chorus director, Irene Kernohan, orchestral director Donald Swain and choregrapher Dylan Quinn. For this was one musical worthy of contention with the best of them this Christmas.
