HELLO, DOLLY!

Camp Hill High School (2023)

A Note From The Director

”Money, pardon the expression, is like manure. It’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around, encouraging young things to grow.”

The Camp Hill Drama Department is pleased to present, Hello, Dolly!, as our 2023 High School Musical. Originally produced on Broadway in 1964 with Carol Channing in the title role, and then made into a major motion picture five years later with Barbara Streisand as the lead, it’s no wonder that Hello, Dolly! is a staple to the American musical theatre cannon. What some consider to be one of the last shows during the Golden Age of Broadway, its themes of love, wealth, and acceptance resonate with generation after generation.

While the plot may be full of silly antics, flying waiters, and large expensive set pieces, at the heart of this show is a very real societal conversation: the division of wealth. Specifically, the question: How should one spend their money? Each character must answer that question and endure the consequences of their actions. For the subplot characters with very little money, they choose experience and human connection over trivial commodities. But what about the 1% with an excess of money to spare?

Dolly Levi sums up her answer in the quote above. With money comes responsibility, and that responsibility is to invest in the people around you and encourage them to succeed so that they may do the same for the next generation. What could be more relatable now in 2023? While some billionaires are choosing to go to space with their money, there’s an overwhelming number of small businesses desperately working to stay afloat.

Even though current events and political/social injustice plagues our society, they can sometimes be unrelatable for the high schoolers of a small suburban town; until I reminded them of the stage they were standing on. Grace Milliman Pollock was and is our Dolly Levi. With her generous donation to build this state-of-the-art facility, it has encouraged a wide range of individuals, bands, theater companies, and more to grow and flourish. Mrs. Pollock’s vision for this space, to be used by BOTH school and community alike, is everything Dolly exhibits in this production. In this spirit, we advocate for this space to continue to be open to the entire Central PA community, encouraging young AND young at heart to love, appreciate, and grow.

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with these students to bring this production to life. Hello, Dolly! is one of my personal favorite musicals, and I couldn’t have chosen a better group to tackle this monstrosity of a show with. So, without further ado, we invite you to open your mind and enjoy Camp Hill High School’s production of Hello, Dolly!

Sincerely,
Josh Miccio
Artistic Director