'Hello, Dolly!' at Bass Concert Hall

The mid-January world outside feels gritty and lifeless and gray. Trees poke skeletal limbs at the sky, the grass has faded to brown, and the hopeful, twinkly lights from the holidays have all been stowed away. It seems as though the whole country has decided it’s time to get back to work. Even the sun sets at 5:20 p.m.

Against this grim post-holiday backdrop, there is a flash of pageantry: The flounce of a satin petticoat, the jaunt of a stylish hat, the brass of a big band and the gleam of a Broadway powerhouse.

“It’s light-hearted, classic musical theater,” said Daniel Beeman, who plays Cornelius Hackl in the national tour of “Hello, Dolly!,” which opens at the Bass Concert Hall on Tuesday. “Be prepared to laugh for a couple hours.”

Beeman, who grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, confessed a strong connection with the character of Cornelius, the young shop clerk from Yonkers who decides he and his best friend needs a day of adventure in New York City.

“There’s such a youthful innocence and fervor about him,” Beeman said. “He finally gets the chance to have one day when he gets to do whatever he wants, and he doesn’t care what happens. It mirrors that midwestern experience of a young person longing for something more vibrant and exciting. It mirrors my own experience,” Beeman continued, “when I wanted to move to New York and try something new and exciting.”

Vandergelder's Hay and Feed, owned by "the well-known half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder, and left in the care of young clerks Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker when Vandergelder leaves for New York. 

Like Cornelius, Beeman knows a thing or two about seizing life’s opportunities. As a world-class Irish dance champion and lifelong competitive swimmer, he competed across the country and around the world all before college, where he discovered his passion for theater.

“I fell into it in college,” Beeman explained. “I loved it and figured out that was what I wanted to do with my life.” He went on to describe all of the various aspects of theater he has enjoyed in his career in and around the stage. “There are so many routes this career can take you,” he said. “There’s so much work in this business. That’s the beautiful thing about it.”

Then with equal enthusiasm he spoke about his experiences on stage with “Hello, Dolly!”

“[Theater] provides entertainment, escapism,” Beeman said, “and people seeing themselves displayed on the stage. Seeing shows, seeing a character on stage going through something that maybe you’ve gone through, seeing that it helps us feel more human, more connected to each other. It transcends a lot of age, class, and race. That’s what keeps me going from show to show.”

Cornelius, played by Daniel Beeman, decides that he and Barnaby, played by Sean Burns, need to go to New York, have a good meal, spend all their money and each kiss a girl. 

Beeman also attributed the immediacy of the stage and the connection among his castmates as something that brings “Hello, Dolly!” to vibrant life. Led by four-time Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, the entire creative team of the Broadway production reprises their roles for the national tour of “Hello, Dolly!”

“Another thing about theater is that it happens in the moment,” he said. “What you see in that moment only happens once. You’re standing there with your cast looking out at an audience of 2,500 people, and what’s happening will only happen here. There’s something beautiful about that. It’s a beautiful exchange of energy and community.”

Horace Vandergelder, played by John Bolton, and Dolly Gallagher Levi are finally married.

Built on this foundation, “Hello, Dolly!” is a story about love and second chances. As Beeman described it, “In one way or another, these characters have lost things. It’s about reclaiming the things they love in their lives. Which leads back to the theme of the musical: You’ve only got one life, so live it.”

So even though the world outside appears dismal and bleak, there is still a way to reconnect with the vigor of youth and springtime. “It’s a gorgeous production,” Beeman said. “It’s lush and splashy, and just a fun night out.”

“Hello, Dolly!” runs Jan. 21-26, Tuesday through Friday, at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Bass Concert Hall in Austin. Tickets start at $30 and are available at Broadway in Austin's website, Texas Performing Arts' website, the Bass Concert Hall ticket office, all Texas Box Office Outlets and by phone at 512-477-6060.