Hello, Dolly! Brings Big-Broadway Joy to Olney Theatre Center

If you’re craving a big, bright classic musical with heart (and a whole lot of sparkle), Hello, Dolly! is now playing at Olney Theatre Center and it’s the kind of holiday-season outing that sends you home humming. The production runs through January 4, 2026 on the Roberts Mainstage.

Hello, Dolly! at Olney Theatre Center

Set in the bustle of turn-of-the-century New York, the story follows Dolly Gallagher Levi, a legendary matchmaker with an eye for both other people’s love lives and her own next chapter. Hired to find a wife for the gruff, well-off Horace Vandergelder, Dolly quickly makes it clear she has her own plan—and she’s more than willing to stir up a little chaos to get everyone exactly where they’re meant to be. The evening becomes a whirl of misdirected courtships, sudden opportunities, and perfectly timed entrances as the show’s couples pair off, break apart, and find their way back together.

What really makes this staging pop is how fully it commits to Dolly as a force of nature. Nova Y. Payton brings an irresistible mix of charisma, vocal power, and emotional truth to the title role, letting the character’s confidence and comedy land while still allowing space for the tenderness underneath. The performance has a satisfying arc as it builds from poised and grounded to bigger, bolder, and more joyfully theatrical as the night goes on—exactly the kind of momentum you want in this show.

This Hello, Dolly! also leans into the pleasures people come for: the tuneful score, the warm humor, and the sense that the whole town is in on the fun. Songs like “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” and the iconic title number land as crowd-pleasing highlights, delivered with the kind of energy that makes the musical feel brand new even if you know it by heart.

Visually, it’s easy to see why audiences are responding so enthusiastically. The production is styled as a true feast for the eyes, with colorful, elaborate costuming—especially for Dolly’s showstopping looks—plus period wigs and a design approach that keeps the stage picture lively and elegant. There’s also a strong sense of motion and rhythm throughout, from brisk staging to dance sequences that keep the show bouncing along. And theatre fans who love seeing the music made in real time will appreciate the emphasis on a strong live orchestra as part of the experience.

Then there are the “only in live theatre” moments that remind you why Hello, Dolly! remains a classic. One standout is a big visual beat that plays like pure musical-theatre magic, helping the production deliver that satisfying mix of romance, comedy, and spectacle that’s perfect for a seasonal night out.

Hello, Dolly! is now playing at Olney Theatre Center through January 4, 2026—a joyful, crowd-pleasing reminder that sometimes the best plan is to put on your Sunday clothes and let Dolly take it from there.