Hello Dolly!

Welcome back to the Candlelight and to Hello, Dolly! Here you will find a New York of cartoon-colored postcards, exaggerated dreams, and a romanticized 1890s—where circumstances are quirky and people pop right off the page. In this world, everyone feels just a little larger than life. Our characters are stock archetypes you might recognize from old cartoons, vaudeville sketches, and the long tradition of clowning: the hopeless romantic, the lovable fool, the stubborn old miser. At the center of it all is Dolly Levi, our magical matchmaker and master of ceremonies. Dolly brings warmth, movement, and possibility wherever she goes, reminding us that joy and second chances are always worth whatever might be at risk.

This is my second time directing Hello, Dolly!, and returning to it now feels especially meaningful. Throughout history, clowns have held an important role: they invite us to laugh, yes, but more importantly, they reveal the most childlike, carefree, and truthful parts of ourselves. Clowning strips away ego and pretense, asking performers and audiences alike to live honestly and bravely in the moment. We’ve had an incredible time embracing that tradition, allowing comedy, physicality, and play to lead the way in our process, and I’m so grateful to every member of this cast and creative team for choosing joy each and every day alongside me.

Right now, choosing joy matters. Laughter matters. Hello, Dolly! reminds us that it’s never too late to open ourselves back up to opportunity and optimism, no matter how disheartened life may get. My hope is that this production offers you that escape: a chance to fall in love with these characters, this time, and the parade that is this life. Don’t let it pass you by.