Hello Jerry - Herman Productions Abound

Last week, I was musing on how it would be possible to glut oneself on musicals by Kander and Ebb – shifting from New York to the DC area to the Midwest and finally, Australia. Since that time, Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, which is hosting the major Kander and Ebb celebration this spring has announced several ancillary events to its productions – including an exhibit of items related to the team's shows.

Today, a review in the San Diego Union-Tribune got me to thinking about songwriter Jerry Herman. There's a production of Hello, Dolly! that's running at the Lamb's Players Theatre there right now, and it continues through March 16. Interesting, I thought – there's also a production of this show starting up at the end of the month in Houston TX at Theatre Under the Stars. There Dolly Levi will be played by Leslie Uggams.

Okay, so in the interest of fair-is-fair, I figured what other Jerry Herman musicals are on the slates of theaters around the county in the next few weeks. Well, the other "big" Herman musical is "Mame." And this one could catch right now in Seattle at 5th Avenue Theatre. Dee Hoty is playing the flamboyant aunt of the title, and apparently, she's being costumed by Luly Yang, described in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as "Seattle's couture queen." In a recent article the paper reported that Hoty would sport at the end of Act 2, "a $30,000 gown from Luly Yang's "Passage to Shanghai" collection. It's a hand-embroidered robe of red duchess silk satin with metallic organza sleeves, adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals." This production continues through March 2.

Broadway's original "Mame," Angela Lansbury, of course, appeared in one other Herman show - Dear World - his musicalization of Giraudoux's . This one isn't running right now, but in just a couple of months, it will be playing on the East Coast, at Bristol Riverside Theatre in Pennsylvania.

Looking around the rest of the country – and internationally – there are several options for catching Herman's La Cage aux Folles. It's playing right now (and through March 2) at Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana. There's also the acclaimed production that's running through March 8 at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. (It stars Philip Quast). And should one have the time (and resources) for a true U.K. adventure for Jerry Herman, Mack and Mabel will be playing at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh from February 26 through March 1.

So, having begun with Hello, Dolly! originally staged by Gower Champion – it seems I should mention that on March 31st, St. Luke's in New York will be the site of two panel discussions about Champion's work. Presented by Dancers Over 40, "In the Company of Friends: The Dancers and Creative Talents of Director/Choreographer Gower Champion" will feature such artists as Lee Roy Reams and Nicole Barth (both seen in "Dolly!") and will be moderated by David Hartman, host of Thirteen/WNET’s popular Walking Tours series who was featured in the original Hello, Dolly! as Rudolph the waiter.

Andy

Quick links:

Signature Theatre: http://sig-online.org/
Lamb's Players Theatre: http://www.lambsplayers.org/
Theatre Under the Stars: http://www.tuts.com/
5th Avenue Theatre: http://www.5thavenuetheatre.org/
Bristol Riverside Thatre: http://www.brtstage.org/
Theatre at the Center: http://www.theatreatthecenter.com/
Menier Chocolate Factory: http://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/
King's Theatre: http://www.edinburgh-life.com/theatres/kings-theatre-122463.html
Dancers Over 40: http://www.dancersover40.org/