Hello, Dolly! Take Two

    I was cast in Ohio Northern University’s production of Hello, Dolly! back in December. While we've been busy rehearsing and fine-tuning each piece, I’ve enjoyed reflecting on the last time I did this show and noticing how different the experiences have been.

    In October 2023, I was cast as Ermengarde’s understudy and as a member of the ensemble for the Renaissance Theatre production of Hello, Dolly! While I had no idea what the show entailed at the time, I was excited for the chance to learn more about it. Little did I know we would be welcoming Jennifer Simard—currently starring in Death Becomes Her on Broadway—as our Dolly and Jeff Richmond—the composer of Mean Girls: The Musical and husband of Tina Fey—as our Horace. Because they were guest stars, we didn’t see our two leads until the week before tech. It was truly incredible to witness seasoned professionals at work and to get to know them.

    During that show, I ran into a slight issue that completely changed my experience. At the time, I was running varsity cross-country, cheering, stunting and marching with our band every Friday night. I had just finished choreographing and performing in another show when we jumped into rehearsals for Hello, Dolly! My left ankle was a bit sore, but I chalked it up to the typical aches of being a runner.

    At one of our tournament games, I went to do a toe touch and broke into tears. My whole foot felt like it was on fire, but instead of being sensible and resting, I decided the best solution was to do the toe touch on one leg. I continued to cheer and stunt as normal until our first touchdown. We traditionally ran to the end zone to celebrate each one, but I couldn’t even run five steps let alone the length of the football field. I finished the game but cried from the pain the entire bus ride back to school. Hoping the pain was temporary, I sat out of the dances during rehearsal that Saturday. But by Monday, I jumped right back in—our guest stars were arriving and I refused to sit out. My foot still hurt but it wasn’t unbearable, so I kept dancing.

    Tech week, however, was tumultuous for many reasons, both personally and physically. By that point, I could no longer get away with wearing tennis shoes to rehearsal—I had to dance in heels. Immediately, I could tell the pain was far worse than I’d thought. I finally went to the doctor and learned I had a severe stress fracture on the side bone of my foot. I pleaded with him to let me perform, telling him, “Either way, the boot is coming off for the show.” Graciously, he allowed me to remove the boot for performances, but every second of dancing was beyond painful. After each section of “Waiters’ Gallop,” I would come offstage in tears, only to wipe them away just in time for my next entrance.

    I learned there’s beauty in taking a break and that sometimes, you really do need to listen to your body.

    I’m so grateful to have a second shot at performing Hello, Dolly! This production has challenged me in new ways, especially as I’ve had to relearn the entire score singing the alto line instead of the soprano. It’s also brought me joy in seeing just how much difference a year can make.

    If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, consider this your sign to order them now. This is one show you don’t want to miss!

When the doctor tells you to keep your foot elevated and iced during the show, this is where you end up.