The world outside in mid-January looks gritty, lifeless and gray. The trees are pointing skeletal limbs skyward, the grass has turned brown, and the hopeful twinkling lights of the holidays have all been put away. It seems the whole country has decided it is time to get back to work. Even the sun goes down at 5:20 p.m.
Against this dark post-holiday backdrop, there is a flash of pageantry: the ruffle of a satin petticoat, the ride of an elegant hat, the brass of a big band, and the sparkle of ‘a Broadway power station.
“It’s classic, light musical theater,” said Daniel Beeman, who plays Cornelius Hackl on the “Hello, Dolly!” Nationwide tour, which opens at Bass Concert Hall on Tuesday. “Be prepared to laugh for a few hours. “
Beeman, who grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, confessed a close connection to the character of Cornelius, the young salesman from Yonkers who decides he and his best friend need a day of adventure in New York City.
“There is such innocence and such fervor about him,” Beeman said. “He’s finally got the chance to have a day where he can do whatever he wants, and he doesn’t care what happens.” It reflects that Midwestern experience of a young aspirant for something more vibrant and exciting. It reflects my own experience, ”Beeman continued,“ when I wanted to move to New York and try something new and exciting. “
Vandergelder’s Hay and Feed, owned by “well-known half-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder, and left in the care of young employees Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker when Vandergelder leaves for New York.
Like Cornelius, Beeman knows a thing or two about seizing life’s opportunities. As a world-class Irish dance champion and longtime swimmer, he competed across the country and around the world before college, where he discovered his passion for the theater.
“I fell into it in college,” Beeman explained. “I loved it and understood that this was what I wanted to do with my life.” He then described all of the various aspects of theater that he enjoyed during his career on and around the stage. “There are so many paths this career can take you,” he said. “There is so much work in this business. This is what is beautiful about it.
Then, with the same enthusiasm, he spoke about his experiences on stage with “Hello, Dolly!”
“[Theater] provides entertainment, escape, ”Beeman said,“ and people see themselves displayed on the stage. Seeing shows, seeing a character on stage going through something that you might have been through, seeing that it helps us feel more human, more connected to each other. He transcends a lot of age, class and race. This is what allows me to go from show to show.
Cornelius, played by Daniel Beeman, decides that he and Barnaby, played by Sean Burns, have to go to New York City, have a nice meal, spend all their money, and kiss a girl each.
Beeman also attributed the immediacy of the scene and the connection between his castmates as something that brings “Hello, Dolly!” to vibrant life. Directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, the entire Broadway production creative team reprise their roles for the nationwide tour of “Hello, Dolly!”
“Another thing about theater is that it happens in the moment,” he said. “What you see at this time only happens once. You stand there with your actors in front of an audience of 2,500 people, and what happens is only going to happen here. There is something beautiful about it. It is a beautiful exchange of energy and community.
Horace Vandergelder, played by John Bolton, and Dolly Gallagher Levi are finally married.
Built on this basis, “Hello, Dolly!” is a story of love and second chance. As Beeman described it, “Somehow these characters lost things. It’s about getting back the things they love in their life. Which brings us back to the theme of the musical: you only have one life, so live it. “
So, even if the outside world seems gloomy and gloomy, there is still a way to reconnect with the vigor of youth and spring. “It’s a magnificent production,” Beeman said. “It’s lush and splashy, and just a fun night out.”
“Hello Dolly!” January 21 to 26, Tuesday to Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Bass Concert Hall in Austin. Tickets start at $ 30 and are available through the Broadway in Austin website, the Texas Performing Arts website, the Bass Concert Hall box office, all Texas Box Office outlets, and by phone at 512-477- 6060.
Comments are closed.