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Overview

Synopsis

Horace Vandergelder, a wealthy merchant in nineteenth-century Yonkers, NY, has a plan. He has been a widower for long enough and now he wants to find a wife. He recruits the help of local matchmaker, Mrs. Dolly Levi, but she has plans of her own. Meanwhile, Vandergelder’s niece Ermengarde desperately wants to marry her artist lover, but Vandergelder refuses to allow it. Furthermore, his clerks have run off to New York City on a mission ‘to kiss a girl’! There they find Irene Molloy and Minnie Fay, who are looking for excitement of their own. Hilarity and confusion ensues as everyone tries to secure their love lives and marry as they choose. Despite believing himself to be in charge, Vandergelder finds himself engaged to the astute Dolly Levi herself, who is determined to share his wealth for the greater good. Thornton Wilder’s madcap farce famously became the basis for the golden-age musical Hello Dolly!

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film
The Merchant of Yonkers (Thornton Wilder; 1938)
Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
4
First Produced
1954
Genres
Comedy, Farce
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Yonkers, New York City, 1880s
Cast Size
large
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen, Elderly Characters, Large Cast

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Horace Vandergelder

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Mrs Dolly Gallagher Levi

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Irene Molloy

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Minnie Fay

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Cornelius Hackl

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Barnaby Tucker

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Ermengarde

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Miss Flora Van Husen

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Malachi Stack

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Ambrose Kemper

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Gertrude

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Miss Van Husen's Cook

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Rudolf

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Joe Scanlon

Featured

Male

Non-singer

August

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Cabman

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher