Poway High School to revive musical theater classic Hello, Dolly!  

POWAY, CA – Following a time-honored tradition of presenting a full-fledged musical each year, Poway High School is gearing up for its production of Hello, Dolly!  With a score by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! has been enchanting audiences for almost 50 years.  Opening Friday, February 1, the show boasts a cast of 40 energetic students featuring seniors, Emily Kerrigan in the role of Dolly Levi , Mikkel Parsons as Horace Vandergelder and Chase Cullen as Barnaby Tucker and juniors, Kyle Fisher as Cornelius Hackl and Jackie Foster as Irene Molloy with live orchestra, eye-catching sets, and colorful costumes.  All performances start at 7pm, playing February 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road, Poway, CA 92064.  Adult tickets are $12.00 with students, active military and seniors at $10.00.   The students and creative staff are very eager to share their latest musical offering with the community.  

The production is directed by Stephen Gentry, who returns following last year’s Bye Bye Birdie and Fiddler on the Roof in 2011.  Gentry, who holds a BA in theater from Pepperdine University, has retained many of the nuances from the original 1964 New York production, while refocusing the production solely onto the characters.  “The tendency with this show is to focus a great deal of attention on the star actress playing the role of Mrs. Levi – but at a local high school, that doesn’t play well,” says Gentry.  “These are fresh-faced high school students just starting out.  In rehearsals, I’m adamant that our choices must serve the story and the characters, not the actors themselves.  This will be a very honest production.”  

Joining the team this year is choreographer Anthony Junior Aceves, hailing from Orange County.  Aceves, a member of contemporary dance company iNC, brings a dynamic and humorous edge to the many dances featured in Dolly!  “Anthony’s choreography gives us a window into the inner world of each character, and in so doing, furthers the universal appeal of the story,” Gentry explains.  

Nancy Gray, PHS Director of Choral Activities returns as musical director, and PHS band director Sylvester Sybilski as conductor of the PHS pit orchestra.  

Tickets may be obtained ahead of time by contacting Michele Ulrich at (858) 486-0549 or ulrichfamily@cox.net.  Tickets may also be obtained at the door.  More information on ticket prices and directions can be found at http://www.powaychoir.org/.  

Pictured Above: Cast Principals in Poway High School’s “Hello, Dolly!”: Minnie Fay (Charity Monroe), Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi (Emily Kerrigan), Mrs. Irene Molloy (Jackie Foster), Barnaby Tucker (Chase Cullen) and Cornelius Hackl (Kyle Fisher)