River Hill - Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Zack Neil on October 18, 2009 at 5:36pm

My friend Joe Kolodrubetz is in it! So excited to see it!

Permalink Reply by Cody McNeeley on November 18, 2009 at 2:31pm

The Matchmaker Review
By: Cody McNeeley
River Hill High School’s production of The Matchmaker was a “pudding” of an adventure throughout New York, complete with romance, table flipping, and “a little money.”
Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker is the story of an adventure of a lifetime throughout New York City. Mr. Horace Vandergelder travels to the city in pursuit of his future fiancée, accompanied by Ms. Dolly Levi who hopes to find a husband of her own. His nice, Ermengarde, runs away with her boyfriend, Ambrose Kemper, to the city. Two of Mr. Vandergelder’s store clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, also go to the city to have one free night full of adventure. They later meet Irene Molloy and Minnie Fay. Everyone’s paths cross and change until they are all in the apartment of Miss Flora Van Huysen for the unraveling finale.
For the most part, the production was very good. All of the actors established the time and mannerisms of the period very well. This stayed consistent throughout the entire show, which helped bring the audience into the 19th century. The show was also centered around an amazing set.
Amanda Ascoli had an amazing portrayal of Ms. Dolly Levi. From the minuet she walked on stage to the end of the show, she was full of life and energy. She did a great job of showing Dolly’s cunning and mischievous thoughts through her actions and hilarious reactions. She owned the role and helped to keep the show alive and kicking.
Another great part of the show was Chris Donaldson and John Hong in their portrayal of the dynamic duo Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker. They had great chemistry and comedic timing. Chris Donaldson did a fantastic job of carrying the show and adding great comedy to it, while John Hong complimented him with hilarious facial expressions. These two were perfectly cast and played a major role in the play’s success.
The set was one of the best parts of the show. Mike Leon, a RHHS alumni, ingeniously combined four completely different locations into one centralized set. When you walked in the theatre, you saw a giant heart built into the wall center stage with a staircase leading up and behind it. The walls were painted with a patchwork of four different color schemes and designs, each representing a different scene of the show. Within each scene, the majority of the set pieces on stage were painted with the same colors used to represent it on the stationary set. Also, the costumes were very radiant and representative of the time period. It was a joy to see each of Dolly’s ravishing hats. There were a few inconsistencies with the levels of the sound effects, but nothing too bad
Overall, River Hill’s The Matchmaker took the audience on a thrilling adventure. All aspects of theatre came together to make this match made in Heaven.

Permalink Reply by Nancy Erickson on November 18, 2009 at 2:32pm

Love is foolish. Love is complicated. Love is dangerous. Is love worth the risk at all? With gleeful energy and nonstop slapstick, River Hill High School, in their recent production of The Matchmaker, invited audiences on an adventure to explore whether it is better to be sensible alone or foolish among fools.

Thorton Wilder’s Tony-winning farce The Matchmaker, the inspiration for the musical Hello Dolly, tells the tale of Horace Vandergelder, a successful businessman during the turn of the 20th century who believes love is foolish but decides to remarry anyway. He hires Dolly Levi, the local matchmaker, who finds him the perfect bride—herself! Meanwhile, Vandergelder’s clueless clerks Cornelius and Barnaby decide to escape their mediocre life and take a day off in New York City. Will they find love in New York City?

Tying the show’s four scenes together was River Hill’s ingenious heart-shaped set, designed by Mike Leon. It consisted of geometric sections of four designs corresponding to each of the show’s locations. For example, Molloy’s Hat Shop with a pink counter and cabinet bring out the pink accents on the wall. The valentine-like set was reminiscent of a chocolate box and just as tasty as the show itself

Amanda Ascoli positively glowed as Dolly Levi, confidently commanding the stage in portraying her character’s wit and street smarts. Ascoli also captured the more tender side of Dolly in a poignant scene where she asked her late husband permission to remarry. As Horace Vandergelder, Matt Moore succeeded with the challenge of making a greedy, ultra-conservative sexist likeable to the audience by playing up the humor of Vandergelder dealing with his views on women being challenged by Dolly. Together, Ascoli and Moore played off each other deliciously, and each believably portrayed their characters’ age.

As the lovable comedic duo of the naive clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker respectively, Chris Donaldson and John Hong livened up stage with their over-the-top antics. Donaldson successfully transitioned and matured his character over the course of the show from nervous wreck to confident and happy lover. Hong’s childish physicality and facial expressions quickly endeared him to the audience. Another notable addition to the show’s ensemble was Hannah Jefferson. She gave a surprisingly complex and touching performance as Irene Molloy, a young widow who finally breaks free from the suffocation of societal expectations by spending a night on the town with Cornelius.

River Hill High School’s ascetically pleasing costumes painted a lovely picture of the time period with painstakingly accurate details. Also adding to the 1900’s atmosphere were the wigs that highlighted characters’ personality from Dolly’s vivacious red hairdo to Vandergelder’s stuffy muttonchops. Martin Proulx and the River Hill stage crew operated smoothly with the show’s plentiful amount of props.

Top-notch comic timing and stage presence anchored The Matchmaker, especially with the show’s numerous monologues and soliloquies. Every actor whole-heartedly threw themselves into the show’s slapstick humor and lunacy. Love truly is foolish, as River Hill’s production demonstrated, but still an adventure worth having.

Permalink Reply by Davonte Williams on November 18, 2009 at 2:34pm

River Hill High School: The Matchmaker

It seems mostly every one has somebody destined for them. No matter how stubborn or ignorant one can be. An element of the sort is portrayed in The Matchmaker.

A man named Horace Vandergelder (Matt Moore) hired Mrs. Dolly Levi, a matchmaker, (Amanda Ascoli) to find him a wife. Vandergelder’s niece Ermengarde (Helen Ross) wants to get married to Ambrose Kemper (Zac Brightbill), but her uncle does not approve of her getting married to him. Meanwhile, Cornelius Hackl (Chris Donaldson) seeks some adventure in his life and plans to go on one with his friend Barnaby Tucker (John Hong) by his side.

The director of the show made a magnificent cast selection. Each person made their character come alive and believable. The tech also made the show even more glorious by providing the sound effects on time and how the lights affect the scene. Though, the lights were not connecting that well in the first act. The techs made up for it in the second act providing more meaning in the scenes.

Horace Vandergelder is a bickering old man, but at the same time he is just a lonely bickering old man. He makes you want to give him a lesson or two, but he has a reason to be the way he is. Mrs. Dolly Levi is a sneaky woman with her own conniving schemes. Yet, she means all is well in what she is planning.
Cornelius and Barnaby had amazing chemistry. They provided most of the comedy in the show. Joe Scanlon (Joe Kolodrubetz) did a phenomenal job with his part because he was mostly pantomiming, but yet he amused the audience. Malachi Stack (Ganesh Mysore) did his duty by giving entertainment to the audience and his work for Mr. Vandergelder. The actors did well by staying on task and contrasting with the scene when they were not on spotlight.

The set was magnificent because of the huge heart shaped design that worked well with every scene. In between scenes, it was very interesting how the stage crew switched the set. They were doing their job, but at the same time they had actors that made you feel that they were still in the same time period as they were before. No transition was made without the talented violinist Allison Woodhouse which made you feel more into the play than your surroundings.

The play shows that you can never give up on the one that matches the feelings you have for them. You should not need to hire a matchmaker because the one you look for will show sooner or later.

Permalink Reply by Victoria Devlin on November 18, 2009 at 2:35pm

“Fools among fools” dominated the stage in River Hill High School’s production, The Matchmaker. Clever fools they were however, on an adventure to find excitement, approval, and above all, love.

Set in New York in the 1880’s, Thorton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker” is the comedic tale of merchant, Horace Vandergelder, and Dolly Gallagher Levi’s manipulative methods of finding him a wife. Parallel to them, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker seek their own adventure and face a run-in with love. Formed from a number of previous adaptations, The Matchmaker was later turned into the musical, Hello, Dolly!

Leading the riotous performance in the role of Dolly Levi was Amanda Ascoli who elicited her own brand of eccentricity. At any given time she could command the stage, but if the focus was extensively elsewhere, she could slip into the background. Beside her was Matt Moore as Horace Vandergelder. Moore had a similar talent of controlling the scene and his articulation attributed a captivating aspect to his speeches.

Cornelius and Barnaby, respectively played by Chris Donaldson and John Hong, were an exquisite pair. Their actions, expressions, and enunciations worked in comedic harmony that had the audience literally laughing out loud. Later introduced was Hannah Jefferson as Mrs. Irene Molloy who brought a burst of energy to the stage. Her incessant movements across the set and overpowering voice provided a constant hook into the plot.

Behind the stage was an all-star technical crew. The only evidence of their work was how little it was apparent; the sign of an efficient crew. Sound cues and props were well timed and placed creating a natural flow to the action. The characters’ soliloquies were accented by lighting alterations that improved during the second act.

Between the stars, the crew, and a hilarious supporting cast, River Hill produced an interesting and eventful night out. It was as Barnaby described it: just the right amount of adventure and just the right amount of wishing for it.

Permalink Reply by Hallie on November 18, 2009 at 2:39pm

Review 1.6
The Matchmaker Review
Hallie Vogel

Who knew finding a pudding of an adventure could be found so easily in New York. Table flips, dressing up as women, mistaken identities, separated lovers, and falling in love were all easy things for the cast of The Matchmaker by River Hill High School to portray.

Written by Thornton Wilder, The Matchmaker is a newer production based off of The Merchant of Yonkers, based loosely around Horace Vandergelder, Mrs. Dolly Levi, his niece Ermengarde and his two employees Cornelius Hackl, and Barnaby Tucker. Horace Vandergelder is sending his niece off to New York so she is away from her love Ambrose Kemper, who Mr. Vandergelder doesn’t approve of. Mrs. Dolly Levi is the Matchmaker who is bringing Mr. Vandergelder to New York to “set him up” on a date. Finally, when Cornelius and Barnaby hear about all the things in New York they decide to go take an adventure for the day.

Amanda Ascoli, as Mrs. Dolly Levi was a true star of the show. Mrs. Levi is a character who plays things very over the top; although Ascoli was able to keep it at a level where it was still portrayed yet not to overpowering to the audience. Throughout the beginning of the show she is very upbeat as her character should be. During the second act at Miss Van Huysen’s house, Mrs. Levi had a touching moment where she was talking to her deceased husband. This really showed Ascoli’s ability to play the different levels of her character and brought out her inner feelings.

Chris Donaldson as Cornelius Hackl did a great job at being the ring leader for him and his friend Barnaby. Throughout the show Cornelius had a gradual increase in confidence. In the first act you could tell he was nervous about going to New York even though it was his idea. While at Ms. Malloy’s he starts to fall in love with her so his confidence increases. By the time we get to Miss Van Huysen’s he is so confident that he doesn’t mind talking to Mr. Vandergelder even though he is angry with him and Barnaby.

This production demands a very elegant set and it was portrayed very elegantly and creatively. The main piece was a huge heart that had different colors and patterns painted on it to represent each scene. For example, it had pink stripes and the word Malloy to represent Ms. Malloy’s shop in New York. The sound design was great even though there were a few glitches. At a few points you couldn’t hear the characters because their microphones were either off or not up all the way, although the actors were able to overcome this by projecting.

The best pudding of an adventure is watching River Hill High Schools production of The Matchmaker.

Permalink Reply by Keshia L. Smith on November 19, 2009 at 9:30am

The Matchmaker
By: Keshia L. Smith

“A fine woman is the greatest work …!” so why not look for the perfect one? Thornton Wilder’s classic play of love and comedy The Matchmaker was performed on the River Hill auditorium stage.
They play was first performed on Broadway in 1955 and centers around various eccentric characters on their quest to find that “special someone” in the bustling city of New York. Barnaby Tucker (John Hong) and Cornelius Hackl(Chris Donaldson), two of a wealthy man’s store clerks, set out from their city of Yonkers to travel to the Big City in order to look for an adventure. They find an adventure all right; they continuously hide from their employer who thinks that they are still in Yonkers, and somehow in the mayhem of their secret identity are accused of being very wealthy men. The confusion mounts until the reveal of who they truly are to Minnie and Miss Malloy occurs. But rest assured the play does in fact have a fairy tail ending.
John Hong and Chris Donaldson are just two of the actors who gave a good stage presence. Their mannerisms made for believable characters that one could relate to, and their facial expressions varied differently making for an interesting show. Their voices also matched they character that they perceived.
The set was well constructed and was used throughout the show to mark the various scene changes. The moveable parts of the set were easily changed and seemed to flow into each scene. Sound effects were also used well and although at some points the microphones did not pick up the actors voices fully, soon enough were right on track.
The production all in all was finely executed and performed and an enjoyment to watch. The Matchmaker was definitely an adventure that one would want to be a part of!

Permalink Reply by Teresa Donaldson on November 19, 2009 at 10:06pm

The Matchmaker
Teresa Donaldson

Two young men hide in a closet and under a table in their search for adventure, while a worldly woman pushes and shoves her way into the security of marriage. Juxtapositions like these run rampant in The Matchmaker, performed by River Hill High School last weekend. Amid the slapstick humor and animated dialogue, the show is characterized by the complicated web of social and romantic connections.
Ambrose and Ermengarde are forbidden to marry by her uncle, Horace Vandergelder, who enlists the help of Mrs. Dolly Levi to find a suitable wife, though she herself has an eye on him; meanwhile, Vandergelder's clerks Cornelius and Barnaby meet and fall for Vandergelder's intended, Irene Molloy, and her assistant, respectively. The show is a direct product of evolution: born as a one-act, became a citizen of Austria, failed as a Broadway play, and finally reborn and renamed as the production we see today.
The anchoring aspect of River Hill's production was the set. A heart-shaped wall painted with a geometric design and intentional graffiti served as the backdrop for the entire show. It became simultaneously nonspecific and integral to each scene, a unifying feature of the show.
Amanda Ascoli energetically took on the role of Mrs. Dolly Levi. Her commanding stage presence and mannerisms made for a character that was both believable and slightly ridiculous. A particularly moving scene involving her speaking to her dead husband added a surprising level of depth to the otherwise assertive and ebullient Levi. Even the hats that sometimes shadowed her facial expressions did not detract from her character's energy.
Although the relationships between some of the characters occasionally seemed contradictory, fantastic chemistry was seen between Cornelius Hackl (Chris Donaldson) and Barnaby Tucker (John Hong). Their combined naivete and idealistic desire for adventure made them among the most comical and endearing characters in the show.
As mentioned before, the set was both very creative and versatile, and was integrated well into each scene. This was not a show that required many technical effects outside of lighting changes for when characters would deliver monologues. For some of these parts, the lighting did not really emphasize the character who was speaking, instead simply drawing attention away from the rest of the scene. However, the energy of the characters almost always prevailed, and their monologues were given with plenty of enthusiasm.
Any play that takes place in a different time period can be difficult to take on, but River Hill did a commendable job with a story that can speak to all of us, as The Matchmaker revolves around the timeless and universal needs for love and adventure.

Permalink Reply by Daniel Holt on November 22, 2009 at 2:00am

The Matchmaker
Dan Holt

As the lights came up on stage, the audience easily realized why the play was called The Matchmaker. Love was found all across the play. The scenes were ripe with the chemistry between characters. Whether it was between Ermengarde (Helen Ross) and her beloved Ambrose Kemper (Zac Brightbill), or between Cornelius Hackl (Chris Donaldson) and Mrs. Irene Malloy (Hannah Jefferson). Also, Dolly Levi (played by Amanda Ascoli) worked for Mr. Horace Vandergelder (Matt Moore) as a matchmaker. The set was built quite uniquely. It was designed by a River Hill alumnus, and built by the students. The set had bits of the whole play, from a small bit that had "Malloy" written in cursive, for Mrs. Malloy's hat shop, and pieces that said "The Harm" and a list of entrees from the Harmonia Gardens, where Act 2 Scene 1 is played. It was built in the shape of a heart, with a small room in front of it, and stairs leading up stage left.
There were some great moments on stage. For instance, in act2 scene2, Dolly is seated by the window, talking to her deceased husband. It was done well, building on the character we thought we knew, the preppy, always smiling, Mrs. Levi who never frowned, and showed her more sensitive side. Another was when Barnaby Tucker (John Hong) and Cornelius were trying to hide from Vandergelder in the Malloy hat shop, while dealing with the kind Mrs. Malloy. Acting like two little kids trying not to get caught in their parent’s room, the dynamic duo created a lighthearted moment. That, mixed with the decision that the word "Pudding" would be a great indicator that an adventure was happening, created a highlight within the whole play.
The lights and sounds were excellent as well, simulating cans of tomatoes exploding in the first scene, and a horse and buggy (several times) in the last scene. Lights were mainly used to accent characters as they stepped forward to give their soliloquies.
Overall, The Matchmaker was a good play, from both the script and the performance. All I can say is, if you missed it, you missed an opportunity to get some "Pudding" in your life.

Permalink Reply by Fiona Ball on January 13, 2010 at 5:44pm

The Matchmaker
Fiona Ball

"Ninety percent of the people in the world are fools, and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion," according to Horace Vandergelder, and if you pass up a chance to see River Hill High School's production of The Matchmaker, a hilarious play and basis of the hit Broadway musical Hello, Dolly!, then you are in that ninety percent.

In the show, people with varying life experience attempt to find their own kind of adventure, and, of course, love, during a night on the town in New York City.

The Matchmaker starts with the introduction of Horace Vandergelder, a rich businessman who is intolerant to what he deems foolishness. He is a potentially dislikable character with his sexist, materialistic, and old-fashioned beliefs and mentality. However, Matt Moore plays him perfectly with just the right amount of humor, and instead Horace is an enjoyable character. He was marvelously complemented by the outstanding performance of Mrs. Dolly Levi by Amanda Ascoli.

The naiveté of Cornelius and Barnaby's, workaholic clerks at Vandergelder's store, were wonderfully portrayed by Chris Donaldson and John Hong respectively. Their excitement over experiencing the high life of New York City is contagious. Their freshness and enthusiasm were extremely refreshing.

The entire cast was brilliant. Every character stole every moment given to them to shine without overpowering their fellow cast members. There was never a dull moment, as there was always someone doing something interesting. The historic authenticity was very impressive. Every actor's voice was transformed into an 1880s New Yorker's.

The costumes were also quite authentic, especially the hair and hats, which were very important to well-to-do 19th-century Americans. The set was also authentic to the era, using classic patterns and pieces of each setting to abstractly create the main background. The transitions were made smooth by changing only the side panels and through the efficiency of the stage crew. This was a very skilled stage crew, because even though it was opening night, by the end of the show, it was running very well.

This production was well-acted and compelling, and everyone worked extremely hard to make the show a success.

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Ichniowski on January 18, 2010 at 5:27pm

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! Or will she? A love story gone haywire, River Hill High School’s The Matchmaker is wonderful comedy that captures the hearts of the audience.

Originally entitled The Merchant of Yonkers and rewritten by Thornton Wilder in 1953, The Matchmaker is the story about an old merchant named Horace Vandergelder, who hires matchmaker Dolly Levi to find him a wife. Although Horace sets his eyes on New York milliner Irene Molloy, Dolly has other ideas - such as promoting herself. To further complicate matters, Horace’s employees, Cornelius and Barnaby, are also tired of the lack of excitement in their lives, so they leave for New York for adventure but they also become tangled in the matchmaking web. After many mix-ups, mistaken identities and one very interesting dinner, everyone finds themselves a match.

Each actor and actress brought the show to life through their wonderful quirks and comments. The play’s dialogue was not easily forgotten due to the excellent acting, diction and presentation by the ensemble. Each character developed a realistic accent that enhanced the 1880’s setting of the show.

Amanda Ascoli, as Dolly Levi, created a sweet persona, along with subtle hints of mischief (not an easy trick), which assists Dolly’s secret desire to marry Horace. Horace Vandergelder, flawlessly played by Matt Moore, is a grumpy, old man, who cares about his money as well as the well-being of his niece. As the show progresses, the audience can see a natural chemistry developing between Dolly and Vandergelder, adding a realistic touch to their relationship.

Chris Donaldson plays the hopeful head clerk Cornelius Hackl. Donaldson nurtures the relationship between Cornelius and his love interest Irene Molloy, portrayed by Hannah Jefferson, very naturally through his use of shy pauses and short gazes, allowing their connection to progress. Barnaby Tucker, portrayed by John Hong, humors the audience through his overall innocence and wonderful facial expressions, enhancing the emotion of each scene in which he appears. The ensemble adds a subtle, important element to the late 1800’s setting and the performance, allowing the show to run effortlessly.

The set designs by Mike Leon, increases the romantic theme through the use of a giant Heart as the backdrop to various scenes throughout the show. Scene changes ran smoothly, through the creative use of small transition scenes including a clever conversion from a street with food and balloon salesmen to a quiet, elegant restaurant musical entertainment setting that included a violinist (played by Allison Woodhouse). Lighting (designed by Allison Ramer, light board operated by Tommy Underwood) was slightly dim during the initial soliloquies, but became more focused and brighter on the featured actor or actress as the show went on. Sound effects were also made with precision, highlighted by a scene that presented “exploding” tomato cans in a scene where Cornelius and Barnaby dash to escape a foul stench. Finally, make-up, hair, and costumes (produced by Rhonda de la Mar) were charming and period appropriate, although Dolly’s expressions were hidden at times due to the size of some of her hats.

In short, the acting and technical phases of the show make The Matchmaker a delight in all theatrical aspects.

Permalink Reply by Jenna Antoniades on January 19, 2010 at 9:02pm

Money. Forbidden love. Manipulation. This is just a small list of what River Hill High School’s production of The Matchmaker has to offer. The Matchmaker tells the story of a group of people from Yonkers, New York, who take a trip to the city to try and find somebody to love. Instead, they find confusion, excitement, and a little bit of trickery, which all combine to make an amusing comedy.
River Hill pulled off this production skillfully. Although the play itself could have seemed dull if the wrong approach were taken, the cast and crew took full advantage of the possibility for character development and creativity, allowing them to keep the audience laughing and entertained.
Matt Moore beautifully portrayed both the likeable and undesirable parts of his character, Horace Vandergelder. He was harsh in his relationship with many of the characters, but he also took opportunities to show his characters age and growing vulnerability. Amanda Ascoli’s presentation of her character, Mrs. Dolly Levi, was amazing. She spoke with a smooth and lively tone, revealing the mysterious and confident parts of her character.
Chris Donaldson (Cornelius Hackl) and John Hong (Barnaby Tucker) formed an adorable dynamic duo. Hong played his character with a nerdy innocence that would melt the heart of any viewer. Donaldson showed the characters slow growth in confidence throughout the show, beginning with as a spastic store clerk and ending as a self-assured man who could handle himself in the big city. The cast as a whole brought an enormous amount of energy and chemistry to their characters, creating a beautiful and almost professional performance.
The set of the show was beautiful. The heart shaped structure, decorated to represent different scenes of the play was brilliant. This set, which was built and painted by students, was versatile and fit energy scene of the show perfectly. The crew members of the show created seamless set changes, allowing for the show itself to flow from scene to scene.
The show, the matchmaker, has been rewritten numerous times in the past, all leading up to this final product. Without a doubt, River Hill High School gave this show the time, energy and skill that the years of planning and rewriting The Matchmaker deserve.

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