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Thoroughly Modern Millie: Musical Review
By: Catherine DiGiacomo
Students, residents and cast members of Phoenixville had been anxiously awaiting the opening night of the high school musical Thoroughly Modern Millie for months. The night finally arrived and the atmosphere was tense with nerves. The lights dimmed in the high school auditorium, and suddenly a silk menagerie of sounds streamed through the auditorium as the audience waited in anticipation for the curtains to open. Finally they parted and we were introduced to our main character: Millie Dillmount (played by Emily Starczewski.)
Millie is a naïve country-bumpkin who comes to New York City trying to free herself from the suffocation of her boring life back home in Salina, Kansas. Her mind is crowded with hopes of finding a rich man who can fulfill her dreams of being a “thoroughly modern woman.” Within ten minutes of her arrival she is mugged and already frustrated with the city. In her desperation she trips a man walking by (Jimmy Smith, played by Liam/Mac Snead) and tells him about her tragedy. After giving her some discouraging advice, he tips her off to a place where she can stay for free until she gets some money: the Hotel Priscilla. Millie takes the tip and heads off to continue her journey in the big city with unrelenting optimism and courage. Her first goal: to marry her future boss!
Unfortunately, Millie is not the best job-seeker in town and also not the only young lady looking to find a new life in New York. After a couple of weeks, a Miss Dorothy Brown (played by Jamie Dougherty) comes to stay at the Hotel Priscilla after seeing a vacancy sign on the door. Millie, unaware of her landlord, Mr. Meers’, (played by Brendan Farrell) evil scam of kidnapping the young and beautiful tenants, assumes the vacancy sign is there because Meers is giving her the boot and replacing her with Dorothy for not paying up. Needless to say, Millie’s and Dorothy’s friendship starts off on the wrong foot, but they soon they realize they are the perfect balance for each other and become close friends. Even though money is tight, Millie never gives up her hope of finding a job. She says to Dorothy, “I’m broke, not poor. Poor sounds permanent- broke can be fixed.”
Soon after, Millie has a job interview as a stenographer for a handsome boss: Mr. Trevor Graydon (played by Ryan Lantzy), who fits all of her husband qualifications: single and good looking. But first, she has to get past the frumpy and grumpy Miss Flannery (Graydon’s secretary, played by Kathleen Mizii), whose rude comments take the audience off guard and add to the humor of this musical. Graydon approves of Mille after making her go through a rigorous interview and she immediately falls for him. Is he in love with her as well? Or is her true love still waiting for her to notice him? Is it possible that being “thoroughly modern” isn’t every girl’s road to happiness?
The beautifully dynamic characters and their contrasting life-styles captivated the PASD audience in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Emilie Starczewski firmly captured the personality of Millie, with her tireless determinism to be a “thoroughly modern woman.” Millie’s modern attitude mixed with Miss Dorothy’s adorable innocence was a terrific match. In one scene, after being confused with what a “New Yorker” was saying, Dorothy explains, “I’m from California; I don’t speak New York yet.” Meanwhile, the antics of Mr. Meers’ Asian henchmen, the Ching Ho and Bun Foo brothers, (played by the Cappelli twins) had everyone in stitches. The glamorous Muzzy “Van H” (Muzzy Van Hossmere, played by Monicka Fosnocht) wowed the audience with her dynamite vocals, while her carefree attitude made even the viewers want to be her friend. And when Mr. Graydon’s type-A personality is faced with a dramatic entrancement for, none other than, Millie’s best friend Miss Dorothy Brown, the audience is able to see a second side of him and revel in his comic love-sickness.
Charming and comical, Thoroughly Modern Millie at PASD was a high-school musical masterpiece. This romantic musical was sprinkled with humor, from the wittiness of the characters to the hilariously awkward circumstances they find themselves in. Lisa Starczewski (Musical Director), Christine Tavani (Musical Producer) and Jessica Starczewski (Musical Direction) truly conducted an amazing program. Everything from the lights (thanks to Lew Osterhoudt and Fitch Electronics), to the dancing (thanks to Diane Hodgkiss, Jean Osterhoudt and Deborah Brand Fosnocht), to the silky smooth sounds casually ascending from the musical pit (directed by Heather Moll, performed in part by the PAHS band) was dead-on, never missing a beat. The beautifully crafted costumes (designed by Lauriel Wisely, Fern Heit and Christine Howson), and the first-class scenery (prepared by Andy Cappelli, Rick Snead, Tom Horan, Jim Henzie, John Henken, and assisted by Franzi Denz, Brad DeLeone, Brett Williams, Aimee Powell and James Pappas) captured the time period perfectly, while the accents of the cast took us completely back in time. As we sang along in our heads to the fun, catchy lyrics of this musical we lost ourselves in the story. Sitting in the auditorium, watching students that I’ve known for years, suddenly transform into 1920’s New Yorkers, I had to frequently remind myself where I was. Do I regret having seen this musical? As they said in the show, “Not for the life of me.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoroughly_Modern_Millie_(musical)
Students, residents and cast members of Phoenixville had been anxiously awaiting the opening night of the high school musical Thoroughly Modern Millie for months. The night finally arrived and the atmosphere was tense with nerves. The lights dimmed in the high school auditorium, and suddenly a silk menagerie of sounds streamed through the auditorium as the audience waited in anticipation for the curtains to open. Finally they parted and we were introduced to our main character: Millie Dillmount (played by Emily Starczewski.)
Millie is a naïve country-bumpkin who comes to New York City trying to free herself from the suffocation of her boring life back home in Salina, Kansas. Her mind is crowded with hopes of finding a rich man who can fulfill her dreams of being a “thoroughly modern woman.” Within ten minutes of her arrival she is mugged and already frustrated with the city. In her desperation she trips a man walking by (Jimmy Smith, played by Liam/Mac Snead) and tells him about her tragedy. After giving her some discouraging advice, he tips her off to a place where she can stay for free until she gets some money: the Hotel Priscilla. Millie takes the tip and heads off to continue her journey in the big city with unrelenting optimism and courage. Her first goal: to marry her future boss!
Unfortunately, Millie is not the best job-seeker in town and also not the only young lady looking to find a new life in New York. After a couple of weeks, a Miss Dorothy Brown (played by Jamie Dougherty) comes to stay at the Hotel Priscilla after seeing a vacancy sign on the door. Millie, unaware of her landlord, Mr. Meers’, (played by Brendan Farrell) evil scam of kidnapping the young and beautiful tenants, assumes the vacancy sign is there because Meers is giving her the boot and replacing her with Dorothy for not paying up. Needless to say, Millie’s and Dorothy’s friendship starts off on the wrong foot, but they soon they realize they are the perfect balance for each other and become close friends. Even though money is tight, Millie never gives up her hope of finding a job. She says to Dorothy, “I’m broke, not poor. Poor sounds permanent- broke can be fixed.”
Soon after, Millie has a job interview as a stenographer for a handsome boss: Mr. Trevor Graydon (played by Ryan Lantzy), who fits all of her husband qualifications: single and good looking. But first, she has to get past the frumpy and grumpy Miss Flannery (Graydon’s secretary, played by Kathleen Mizii), whose rude comments take the audience off guard and add to the humor of this musical. Graydon approves of Mille after making her go through a rigorous interview and she immediately falls for him. Is he in love with her as well? Or is her true love still waiting for her to notice him? Is it possible that being “thoroughly modern” isn’t every girl’s road to happiness?
The beautifully dynamic characters and their contrasting life-styles captivated the PASD audience in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Emilie Starczewski firmly captured the personality of Millie, with her tireless determinism to be a “thoroughly modern woman.” Millie’s modern attitude mixed with Miss Dorothy’s adorable innocence was a terrific match. In one scene, after being confused with what a “New Yorker” was saying, Dorothy explains, “I’m from California; I don’t speak New York yet.” Meanwhile, the antics of Mr. Meers’ Asian henchmen, the Ching Ho and Bun Foo brothers, (played by the Cappelli twins) had everyone in stitches. The glamorous Muzzy “Van H” (Muzzy Van Hossmere, played by Monicka Fosnocht) wowed the audience with her dynamite vocals, while her carefree attitude made even the viewers want to be her friend. And when Mr. Graydon’s type-A personality is faced with a dramatic entrancement for, none other than, Millie’s best friend Miss Dorothy Brown, the audience is able to see a second side of him and revel in his comic love-sickness.
Charming and comical, Thoroughly Modern Millie at PASD was a high-school musical masterpiece. This romantic musical was sprinkled with humor, from the wittiness of the characters to the hilariously awkward circumstances they find themselves in. Lisa Starczewski (Musical Director), Christine Tavani (Musical Producer) and Jessica Starczewski (Musical Direction) truly conducted an amazing program. Everything from the lights (thanks to Lew Osterhoudt and Fitch Electronics), to the dancing (thanks to Diane Hodgkiss, Jean Osterhoudt and Deborah Brand Fosnocht), to the silky smooth sounds casually ascending from the musical pit (directed by Heather Moll, performed in part by the PAHS band) was dead-on, never missing a beat. The beautifully crafted costumes (designed by Lauriel Wisely, Fern Heit and Christine Howson), and the first-class scenery (prepared by Andy Cappelli, Rick Snead, Tom Horan, Jim Henzie, John Henken, and assisted by Franzi Denz, Brad DeLeone, Brett Williams, Aimee Powell and James Pappas) captured the time period perfectly, while the accents of the cast took us completely back in time. As we sang along in our heads to the fun, catchy lyrics of this musical we lost ourselves in the story. Sitting in the auditorium, watching students that I’ve known for years, suddenly transform into 1920’s New Yorkers, I had to frequently remind myself where I was. Do I regret having seen this musical? As they said in the show, “Not for the life of me.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoroughly_Modern_Millie_(musical)
posted by The Phoenix Files at
11:09 AM
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