Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"..."Hello, Dolly!" will certainly be enough to please most in the audience as we move into the holiday weeks, but I kept looking for Rockwell's point of view. That's usually her great strength. In this instance, the director and star not only have to figure out what they want their work to say, they have to figure out a way to let loose, before the parade passes by."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Ziemba, who won a Tony Award for her work in "Contact," is a highly skilled, intelligent performer, and her Dolly is real, likable and very capably rendered. But she lacks that all-important magic that can flip the voltage on a stage to dangerously high. In her crucial second act "return" to the posh Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in Manhattan, her reunion with the staff is warm and affectionate, but far from dazzling. The real show-stopper - and it is a doozy fully worth the price of a ticket - has preceeded it by way of the "Waiter's Gallop," in which the show's tuxedoed male chorus flies, tumbles, leaps, spins and juggles its way across the stage bearing trays of champagne glasses, stacks of plates and shish kabob spears fit for a duel."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Why this Tony Award-winning 1964 musical works is a mystery. The characters are paper-thin archetypes (the old crank, the busybody, the callow youth) and the story line is skimpy and predictable (love is delayed, then triumphs). Yet Jerry Herman's tunes are so infectious, and the protagonist so beguiling, it's hard not to be drawn in-especially when, as in this even-keeled production from director Rachel Rockwell..."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...And yet Rockwell's production feels like a bouncy house that's only half inflated. Portman, outfitted like an 1890s Strawberry Shortcake as shop assistant Minnie Fay, temporarily infuses the show with the snap that's called for, and Rockwell as choreographer does nice work with the dance sequences, particularly the hyperathletic Harmonia waiters early in Act II. But then Ziemba's Dolly arrives for the strangely lethargic title number, and the energy drains from the stage."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Hello Dolly! has all the elements of a great show-terrific score, fine vocals, spirited dances and rich humor from sweet characters. Jerry Herman's gem is in fine hands with the amazing Chicago talents.. This Hello Dolly! is witty, cute, and tunefully spirited. This is a lavish lovely production that once more demonstrates how wonderfully classic Broadway musicals can be in the hands of creative talents who both understand and respect the material. Come to Oakbrook and rediscover Hello, Dolly! You'll agree with Irene Mallow when she said: "The world is full of wonderful things!" Hello, Dolly! sure is one of them."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"... I love a good old fashioned “musical”. One that brings back memories of the old days with a story, lots of dancing and of course songs that we hum as we leave the theater. Drury Lane Oakbrook brings us musicals the way they were, but with a twist and for that they should be applauded.Their current production is “Hello Dolly”, the musical based on Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker”, with a book by Michael Stewart and the music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. The story takes place in the early 1900′s in Yonkers New York and in New York City where a widow, Dolly Gallagher Levi ( I must tell you that Karen Ziemba plays this role as I have never seen before- she is sheer perfection), a matchmaker is working on several matches including one for herself. It is a simple story about love, romance, and people finding the positives in life."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Despite the world’s problems, Drury Lane has a show that promises to bring a smile to every audience’s face while setting their feet tapping. Rachel Rockwell’s production overflows with love, wonder, color and spectacle that does justice to Jerry Herman’s happiest musical."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...This may not be the greatest "Hello, Dolly!" I've ever seen, but it captures enough of the show's delightful music and the warmth of the story to earn a recommendation, with the caveats noted above. Even if the Drury Lane production doesn't get any better than opening night, there are still pleasures to be gained for patrons seeking a G-rated musical with no villain, numerous innocent young people seeking and finding romance, and lots of hummable music."