Washington Post - Highly Recommended
"...In director Eric Schaeffer's revival, distinguished at Ford's by Karma Camp's combustibly accomplished choreography, Opel manages to hold her own, and even, by the swift-to-arrive ending, bring Dolly's assault on the mislaid heart of grumpy skinflint Horace Vandergelder (the solid Edward Gero) to a misty-eyed conclusion. Although she, like the production, only grows on you by degrees, you ultimately come to feel that the musical, and in particular Herman's engagingly melodic and scrupulously character- and plot-enhancing score, has been done justice."
Washington Examiner - Highly Recommended
"...Nancy Opel is well-cast as the spunky, clever Dolly. Whether singing or dancing or convincing Horace he can't live without her, Opel captures the lovable, playful spirit of a woman "of a certain age" determined to live a full, satisfying life."
WeLoveDC - Recommended
"...Director Eric Schaeffer and scenic designer Adam Koch have organized the show around a theme of movement, with scenes taking place on and around luggage, especially through Act 1. Indeed the passing of time and other people are an important part of Hello, Dolly!, but with the luggage constantly on stage and a large train station door looming ominously in the back throughout, you start to think the whole story might take place in Grand Central. It feels claustrophobic to follow the characters inside, outside, at a parade, at a restaurant, in Yonkers, in Manhattan, and yet never know for sure exactly where they are."
Talkin Broadway - Recommended
"...As written, Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart's Hello, Dolly! is a big, brassy, fun musical, traditionally performed with a large cast and a brightly colorful set. Director Eric Schaeffer's rethinking of the work, now at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC, is still highly entertaining if less in-your-face, working with a cast of 16 (the ensemble comprises four men and two women) and a slimmed-down, sometimes obscure scenic design by Adam Koch."
Washington Life - Highly Recommended
"...This production works at all levels, and Schaeffer once again proves that he has few peers in his understanding of musical theater and an inventiveness that makes this "Dolly" as fresh and as exciting as it was when it opened on Broadway almost 50 years ago."
DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended
"...It only takes a moment to fall in love, says Cornelius Hackl of Yonkers, New York. And at the Ford's Theater and Signature Theatre co-production of Jerry Herman's Hello, Dolly! you too may find that it only takes a moment to fall in love with certain aspects of the production. Directed by Eric Schaeffer with Musical Direction by James Moore, this Jerry Herman musical classic is given a new approach as it takes to the stage this spring."
MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended
"...This iconic American musical is filled with wonderful song after song. What is more, this character-driven production tells a great story with memorable characters. If you are looking for a cheerful outing for the whole family, then Hello, Dolly! should be on your "to do" list."
DCTheatreScene - Recommended
The joint Signature Theatre/Ford’s Theatre mini-version of the classic tart of a musical Hello Dolly! is charming and delightful, if a bit lackluster.
Here, director Eric Schaeffer attempted to tell the story of meddling matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi — one of the stage’s grand comic divas — and the series of amorous slapstick situations which befall those around her, in a reduced revisit fitted to Ford’s smaller space.
