Barbara Streisand is a national treasure, which you’d know if you’ve seen the movie adaptation of this play. She stars as Dolly Levi, a widowed matchmaker content on arranging everything – from flowers to rooms, to lives. Though Dolly is played by someone else in the on-stage (original) version of Hello Dolly, her character is just as good. On-stage Dolly is still hell-bent on finding a match for this problematic millionaire, who’s only half a millionaire, which seems to be a hard sell. But that’s not the real reason she can’t find him a match – it’s because she’s secretly in love with him and won’t admit it to anyone, including herself.

Wholesome Adventures

While the premise of Hello Dolly may go over the heads of children less than ten or so, the plot is child-friendly. Dolly goes through a series of adventures trying to marry off Horace, which all backfire. And when she starts to get frustrated, things get even funnier. But don’t expect to laugh out loud at your seat – this humor is understated, so you’ll only get it if you’re paying attention. The musical has a happy ending, the details of which you can probably guess by now, and will leave you smiling.

Theater Magic

The word “showgirl” brings a particular image to mind, right? Well, there are showgirls in this musical, from the Parade scene to the actresses that play the beautiful patrons at the fancy restaurant. There are musical numbers, plot-context, and like we said above – a parade. There’s pretty much nothing this musical doesn’t have, other than any real drama. It’s a heartfelt tale about two people who are meant to be together, try not to be, and get taught a lesson by fate.