BROADWAY HIT, HELLO, DOLLY! COMES TO CORDES HALL

Broadway hit musical, Hello, Dolly! is coming to Ascot this October.

Spotlights Musical Theatre Group will be staging this award-winning classic at Cordes Hall Sunninghill between 23-25 October.

The group’s music director will swap her baton for the boards as she takes centre stage as Dolly Gallagher Levi.

All other parts have been cast from the group’s members, including principals:

• Horace Vandergelder – Peter Kidson
• Irene Molloy – Emma Pritchard
• Minni Fay – Georgie Heath
• Cornelius Hackl – John Featherston
• Barnaby Tucker – Little John
• Ambrose Kemper – Warwick Grigg
• Ermengarde – Karen Mackenzie
• Ernestina – Chris Took

Rehearsals began on 14 April, following a successful concert run celebrating some of the West End’s most well-known and most loved songs from musical theatre.

Speaking about the cast announcement, director, John Woodward-Roberts, said: “This is going to be a fantastic show that brings together a brilliant cast, led by our very own music director, Serena – as she steps out from behind her music stand and takes on the part of Dolly. Her experience and energy will take this performance to another level.

“The show is set to be colourful and energetic as we transform Cordes Hall into Sunninghill’s very own Harmonia Gardens.”

Serena Kay celebrates 10 years as music director with Spotlights this year. Serena is a Mezzo Soprano Opera singer by trade and has sung principal roles with the English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, English Touring Opera, and many more.

She has performed as soloist with the BBC Concert, London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras in venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Spotlights rehearses every Monday evening 8pm-10pm at Cordes Hall Sunninghill. Hello, Dolly! will be the first full musical the group has performed since the Covid pandemic when restrictions remained in place for group singing.

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Credits:

Book by Michael Stewart

Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wildert

Original production directed and choreographed by Gower Champion

Produced for the Broadway Stage by David Merrick and Champion Five, Inc.

This amateur production of Hello, Dolly! is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.