Match.com has nothing on Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi.
The website guarantees a match within six months of joining, but Levi can match three different couples during the course of just one musical.
Levi’s amazing matchmaking skills can be witnessed in person at Lane Summer Musical Theatre’s “Hello, Dolly.”
The show is the theater’s sixth production since it started in 2002.
It will be a full stage production, including an orchestra.
Producer Ron Bertucci said “Hello, Dolly” is a wonderful farce with great chorus numbers and beautiful dialogue.
Bertucci chose “Hello, Dolly” because it was very similar to the group’s previous shows, and it has not been done to this scale in Eugene since 1993.
Almost 100 theater professionals, community members and students had a hand in producing the show.
The production includes about 30 cast members, 23 orchestra members, 12 members of the tech crew, designers, directors, a vocal coach and plenty of additional staff.
Bertucci said the group auditions as a community theater company.
“We have theater professionals working side-by-side with community members and even students,” he said.
“The theater is really rich and dynamic. It’s the best thing I do all year.”
Bertucci, a full-time music instructor at Lane Community College, said the college sponsors the group and allows them to use the space.
“Because of the association and sponsorship, we’re able to do professional-quality shows, but our expenses are kept at bay,” he said.
Students from Lane and the University are involved with the show, including members of the orchestra pit and the cast.
Divisi’s own Andrea Welsh plays Minnie Fay, theater arts student Ford Lawson plays Barnaby Turner, and music major Brooke Cagno plays Irene Molloy.
Bertucci said the group wants to give Eugene access to really great performances and musical theater.
“For the community that’s involved, these people are artists. They have the creative need,” he said.
“We want to give them a chance to do things they might not otherwise be able to do and to stretch artistically.”
Bertucci feels the same way about the local theater-going audience.
He said they want people to come see a show and be delighted and inspired.
“We want to give our audiences a really great entertainment value,” Bertucci said.
Lane Summer Musical Theatre is not the only entertainment company who is excited about “Hello, Dolly.”
The play’s musical number “It Only Takes a Moment” is featured during one of the pivotal scenes of the Pixar picture “WALL-E.”
Bertucci said it’s really unusual when a connection like that is made between something that’s current and cutting edge, and something that was written in 1964.
Lane Summer Musical Theatre will give audiences three more chances to see Dolly Gallagher Levi in all her matchmaking glory, starting tonight.
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