"It was the first show I did at the Sioux City Community Theatre in 1979 and it was just a terrific experience," said the director of this year's Pioneer Valley Players production.

The long-running Broadway hit tells the story of matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi, who has been hired to arrange a marriage for the widowed and wealthy Horace Vandergelder. However, Dolly, recently widowed herself, decides to make the match herself.

"Hello, Dolly!" opened on Broadway in 1964 and won 10 Tonys, including Best Musical, a record for a single show at the time. The play, with its turn-of-the-century tale of love and romance set to music, has become a classic with songs like "Before the Parade Passes By" and the title song, "Hello, Dolly!"

The lead characters of Dolly and Horace are played by theater veterans Doreen Massey and Russ Foust. According to Freiberg, this will be Massey's 25th theatrical role, which includes plays at Lamb Productions and the Sioux City Community Theatre. Foust has also done plays in Sioux City and Sergeant Bluff. Supporting the leads is a cast of 30.

"Some are theater veterans and some are new-comers," Freiberg said. "We have all ages, including teen-agers and kids."

Supporting Freiberg in her directorial efforts are assistant director Patti Saunders and musical director Carolyn Smith. In the orchestra pit are Smith on the piano, a drummer and a trombone player, who doubles as a cast member.

The Pioneer Valley Players was formed in 1980 by Freiberg and Cynthia Bauman after their mutual "Hello, Dolly!" experience. Freiberg was a chorus member in that show, as well as a polka dancer.

"Cynthia and I did 'Up the Down Staircase' when the (Sergeant Bluff) high school opened as a PTA dinner theater and then, after 'Hello, Dolly!" we thought it would be fun to use the new facility for our own community theater productions," said Freiberg, who has served as director for many of the plays.

The first show over 20 years ago for the Pioneer Valley Players was also a musical, "Bye, Bye, Birdie." Freiberg, a former high school and college English instructor, also directed "Birdie" at the Sioux City Community Theatre.

Freiberg says the Sergeant Bluff community has become very involved in each year's play. About four years ago, the Pioneer Valley Players became a more structured group, with elected board members.

"Over the years I've had a corps of people to count on for the shows," said the longtime director. "Maybe they don't audition for every show, but if I call and ask them to help on tickets or costuming, they always pitch in."

It adds to the sense of theater as "family," Freiberg noted, who joked that for a long time, friends called her "Mrs. Theater."

"I've always enjoyed the aspect of community theater that brings together a variety of people at varying ages," she said. "That's what makes it so much fun."

Since 1980 the plays have been a part of Pioneer Valley Days, a summer celebration held in Sergeant Bluff. Several years ago, the group added another play to the year's schedule and put on a production in the fall. Freiberg said the group has yet to repeat a show, "because we are still a young group."

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and July 12-13 in the auditorium of Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School at the corner of Port Neal and Warrior Road in Sergeant Bluff. Tickets are available at the door and are $7.50 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens.