"Hello Dolly" by Beeston Musical Theatre Group.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

I am a big fan of classic musicals like "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", "Annie Get Your Gun", "Oklahoma", "Carousel" and of course "Hello Dolly", so when  any of these come around locally, I'm there. 

"Hello Dolly" has become one of the most enduring musical theatre hits, enjoying several Broadway revivals and massive international success. It was also made into the 1969 film Hello Dolly! that was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and won three.

It’s so nice to have this musical back where it belongs, on the stage, be it local or National, it’s one of the great feel good musicals of our time, and it’s definitely looking swell and going strong if this production was anything to go by.

It’s the story of Dolly Levi, a professional match-maker, some would say meddler who is hired by Horace Vandergelder, a “rich” hay and feed dealer to find him a second wife. Dolly sets him up with Irene Molloy, but she has no intention of letting this blind date go ahead successfully because she has other plans for Mr Vandergelder which are purely selfish.

While the fat cat is away the underlings will do what they like and his clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, decide to take an unauthorized holiday and end up aiding and abetting Dolly in her quest, quite unaware of what's unfolding.

Dolly Levi is played by Yvonne Taylor. Why have I not seen Yvonne before? This is Yvonne's debut with Beeston Musical theatre Group, as well as her first appearance at the Duchess Theatre. Where has Yvonne been hiding I ask myself. Dolly Levi is a massive character, very rarely off the stage and has a lot of lines. All of which Yvonne takes, digests and delivers in a character packed performance. Love her voice and her personality, and that red, glittery costume is gorgeous. I've seen Dolly played a few times over the last couple of decades, including by Anita Dobson, and Yvonne matches everyone that I've seen previously. I really hope that Yvonne doesn't go away again and we see her in another BMTG production.

Grumpy tightwad Horace Vandergelder is played by Martin Holtom; two adjectives I'd never use to describe Martin, grumpy or tightwad! Martin has always been a brilliant character actor, and this is another great character role for Martin to get his teeth into.

Vandergelder's shop assistants, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker are played by Craig Arme and Matt McAuley. This is a wonderful pairing who kept giving me flashbacks of Michael Crawford and Danny Lockin, who played the celluloid originals. Both Craig and Matt have an extensive musical theatre history and have voices to prove this. Both Craig and Matt also make their BMTG debuts as well. Both also have natural funny bones and both get to show off their dancing feet. Both are incredibly talented stage performers, all of which confirms the validity of the pairing in this musical.

Irene Molloy is played by Cibele Alvarenga. Irene runs the hat shop in New York with her assistant Minnie Fay, played by Daisy Forster. This musical is rich with excellent pairings, and here is another. Both Cibele and Daisy have gorgeous voices and complement each other in every way.

Ambrose Kemper is played by Ben Sherwin, who is another actor who makes his debut for BMTG. It's a compliment to BMTG that so many new faces want to perform with them, and with talent like Ben, Matt and Craig joining can only enrich an already rich theatre group. Ambrose is an old romantic who Ben brings to life with excellence.

Another lovely comedy role is that of Ambrose's intended, the weepy Ermengarde with her annoying, but comical wailings. Played with great gusto by Marie Nelson.

Playing some of the other characters are Andy Bulmer (Judge), Carrie-Anne Corner (Mrs Rose), Claire Farrand-Preston (Ernestina Money), William Howarth (Rudolf - the restaurant owner), Rob Holsman (Stanley/Police). All the above also play various other roles as well.

The large ensemble consists of David Artiss, Jemma Bennett, Sultan Chaudhury, Hannah Gorton, Ruth Maddison, Christine Walton.        

The Principal dancers are Emily Owen, Alice Cammell, Eleanor Carty, Maisie Cutts, Beth Yearsley, Jaye Bonser, Jane Cottee, Mina Holtom and Sarah Dunbavand. 

Directed by Paul Mills, assisted by Naomi Batley. It's quite rare that a musical stage production is so similar to the original film musical, but all the way through I kept getting flashbacks of the film, a film that I love. What helps, as well as the actors being fantastic character actors, is the whole feel and look of this production is so parallel to the film. That includes the digital backdrops which replicate the images and scenes of the film.

Paul is also the Set Designer and the backdrop brings everything to life. The scene at the train station shows the train arriving and leaving, something you can't really stage, but with the technical know how, anything is possible in the theatre nowadays. Both Vandergelder's shop and Irene's hat shop are wonderfully decked out and the upper class restaurant is like a time machine has been used to transport the original setting to Long Eaton. The main section of the stage set is supplied by A Stage For Hire.

Choreographed by Charlotte Drewett and Jodie Lakin. Just watch the dancer's hands because they are beautifully turned out, something I gleaned from watching "Strictly" and taking note of the judges comments. There are some big choreographed numbers in "Hello Dolly", none more than "The Waiters' Galop". The energy just in this piece is off the scale, and then there's "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", "Before The Parade passes By" and "Hello Dolly", again another scene that could have just been lifted from the film. Pure Hollywood glamour as Yvonne as Dolly makes her entrance down the central aisle of the Duchess Theatre. I am an absolute sucker for big choreographed and glamorous scenes and this sucker was sated where this department is involved.

The costumes for this show are incredibly good, no, they are more than incredibly good, they are everything you'd expect from a classic film musical of this calibre. They have been hired in from Charades Theatrical Costume Hire in St Helens; another area of this production that excels. The costumes are everything that you'd expect to see in any professional touring show.

The Musical Director for "Hello Dolly" is Lisa Mills. This gorgeous soundtrack includes favourites such as the jaunty "It Takes A Woman", "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", "Before The Parade Passes By", "So Long Dearie" as well as some slower moments such as the elegant "Ribbons Down My Back" and the rousing title track.

For a production of this size, who you gonna call for stage management? Only the best in the business, the award winning Katie Bird. 

Sound production is by Dave Dallard and Jack Clark. What a dynamic duo. I was sat in the balcony area and heard every word of this production.

Lighting production is by another excellent pairing, Dave Martin and Rachel Elphick.

There are only a few tickets left for the rest of the run, and I can see why. This musical deserves the label of "classic" and Beeston Musical Theatre Group put the "class" into "classic".

"Hello Dolly" is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 25 May. Don't let this parade pass you by!!