The traditional and the not-so take to the stage

Advertiser Staff

Dennis Proulx is Horace Vandergelder, and Shari Lynn is Dolly Gallagher Levi in the musical "Hello, Dolly!" which premiers tonight at Diamond Head Theatre. Brad Goda

"Hello, Dolly!" is the evergreen musical about an irrepressible, turn-of-the-century matchmaker who hopes to make a rich match for herself. It's directed and choreographed by John Rampage, with musical direction by Donald Yap.

Songbird Shari Lynn stars as title character Dolly Gallagher Levi, with Dennis Proulx as Horace Vandergelder, the object of her pursuit. The musical, written by Michael Stewart with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, is based on Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker." It features numbers such as "Put on Your Sunday Clothes," "Ribbons Down My Back" and the showstopper "Hello, Dolly!"

Premiering 8 p.m. today, repeating 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through June 6 at Diamond Head Theatre. Also extended 8 p.m. June 10-12 and 4 p.m. June 13. Tickets are $12-$42, with discounts for students, those 62 and older and military. 733-0274.

The Lanikai Mortgage Players present "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" or "How John Barleycorn Lost His Grip on the White House." The play is offered as a tribute to playwright Nelson Shreve, "The Bard of Lanikai."

Premiering 8 p.m. today, repeating 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday and May 28-30 at Lanikai Community Center. Tickets are $5, which includes popcorn. 262-7549.

Where's the beef? At Kumu Kahua Theatre, which is staging "The Work," a theatrical knockdown with emerging directors competing for artistic bragging rights. This is the third "Work," part of Kumu's "Dark Night" series, and it's even bigger — this time there are four competitors instead of two, over two nights.

On the first night, Craig Howes and Neal Milner go head to head; on the second, it's Ashley Larson vs. Gilbert Molina. Each will direct a scene, created by Tony Pisculli, using the same actors in front of a live audience.

7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Kumu Kahua, 46 Merchant St. Tickets are $5. 536-4441.