THE amplified decibel level of the band needs reducing, otherwise this is a superbly accomplished staging of Jerry Herman's happiest musical with a handful of genuine show-stopping numbers.
One or two may not take too kindly to some of Anita Dobson's deliberately comic hamming at times as Dolly Levi, unlike Barbra Streisand in the 1969 film who is staid by comparison.
However, it grows on you, especially the comedic deep voice drops
for emphasis, as part of her overall playing of the part as a predator (in the nicest possible sense), as well as manipulator of events.
With a sense of fun running through a strong, all-round characterisation, she makes the part her own and sings extremely well when not drowned out by the band.
There are fine performances as well from the versatile David McAlister as a not too-crusty Horace Vandergelder, Darren Day as a well-fed Cornelius Hackl and Louise English as an engaging merry widow, Irene Molloy.
Hamilton Sargent, contriving nice moments in his excessively bashful Barnaby Rudge, and particularly the lovably dizzy Minnie Fay of Amanda Salmon – love that snort when she laughs, head strong support in the secondary roles
Crying out for mention are the eight male members of the ensemble for their terrific, energy-sapping execution of the Waiter's Galop before Ms Dobson joins them, and Christopher Marlowe's Rudi, for a triumphant rendering of the show's title song.
With sets sliding in and out and flying up and down to create scenes, all the set pieces are fabulously zestful.
Well-worth catching as perhaps being nearer to the spirit Herman and his book-writer Michael Stewart intended than the Streisand film.
