LHS Grad To Star In Hello, Dolly! And Annie At NSMT

Former Lynnfield resident and LHS grad Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, a prominent Broadway performer, will reportedly be making a homecoming of sorts this summer with roles in Hello, Dolly! and Annie at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly.

According to a recent report on the theater news website Playbill.com and elsewhere, Donovan will fill in for Lorna Luft, who was initially cast as Dolly Levi in the upcoming run. The website quoted Luft as saying that due to an injury, she is currently in a back brace and is using a cane.

Donovan's Wikipedia page states that over the past couple of decades, her numerous theater credits have included the national tours of Les Miserables, Sunset Boulevard, Big, The Secret Garden, and Miss Saigon.

The North Shore Music Theatre website says that Hello, Dolly! will run from June 12 to 24. The press release on the website notes that this is the first time in over 25 years that Hello, Dolly! has been at the NSMT. The release also noted that a year ago, Donovan filled in for an injured Cybill Shepherd during a production of Hello, Dolly! in North Carolina.

"We are very fortunate Jacqui was available," said NSMT owner and producer Bill Hanney. "She was already cast as Miss Hannigan in our upcoming production of Annie, so audiences will get the chance to enjoy two very different sides to this amazingly talented actress."

Annie runs from July 17 to 29 at the NSMT, although the website does not currently provide cast information outside of the previously mentioned statement from Mr. Hanney.