Thoroughly Modern Millie

The zany, madcap 1920s of New York City is brought to life at Tabor Academy with their production of Thoroughly Modern Millie on February 18, 19 and 20 at 7:30 pm in the Fireman Center for Performing Arts in Hoyt Hall. The winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie was the 2002 season’s most-awarded new show on Broadway. Based on the 1967 Academy Award-winning film starring Julie Andrews, Thoroughly Modern Millie takes us back to the height of the Jazz Age in New York City, when “moderns” including a flapper named Millie Dillmount were bobbing their hair, raising their hemlines, entering the workforce, and rewriting the rules of love. One theater critic described Millie as a “high-spirited musical romp, a delightful valentine to the long-standing spirit of New York City and the people who seek to discover themselves there.”

Indeed, self-discovery is at the heart of the Tabor Academy production as all of the principal characters make a surprising discovery about their identities – often by falling in love with an unlikely person! What the characters seek is not at all what they find. Kansas-born Millie Dillmount flees to New York to become a modern woman by marrying a wealthy guy in a business arrangement. Her friend, Dorothy, seeks to find herself through escaping her wealthy upbringing and living as a working class woman. Jimmy seeks the playboy’s life without ever risking a long-term loving relationship. Bun Foo and Ching Ho seek to be reunited with their Chinese mother. By the end of the show, you will be amazed at whom each character finds!

Other principal characters include Muzzy Van Hossmere, a famous nightclub performer and mentor to Millie; a failed actress turned criminal who disguises herself as a Chinese madam of a boarding house for young women; Trevor Graydon, the executive who is Millie’s dream husband (until she meets Jimmy); and the tyrannical office manager for Mr. Graydon. The chorus includes the Priscilla Girls and Tappers, and the Moderns, a group of 22 students whose singing and dancing will be sure to entertain!

The international cast and crew includes a number of local students from around the Southcoast including Aurelia Reynolds (Sandwich) as Millie, Lucy Saltonstall (Marion) as Dorothy, Gianni Cavallo (West Falmouth) as Trevor Graydon, and Zoe Boardman (So. Orleans) as the Office Manager. Chorus members include Nicole McLaughlin (Plymouth), Lauren Ehrreich (Lakeville), Annaelle Ndoye (Westport), Megan Carchidi (No. Falmouth), Cam Baer (E. Sandwich), Philip Ransley-Szuszkiewicz (So. Dartmouth), Jackson Burke (Westport), Matt Carvalho (Mattapoisett), Harding Daniel (Chatham), Tayler Rogers (E. Falmouth), Lauren Craig (Marion), Trevor Atkins (Yarmouthport), and Marc Millette (Middleboro). The hard-working production staff includes Jack Gordon (Marion) as the stage manager with April Mihalovich (Buzzards Bay) as the assistant stage manager; Karan Tandon (Dartmouth) in lighting design; Maddie Kistler (Marion) in projection design; AJ Macrina (Carver), Elijah Tremblay (New Bedford), Jack Murray (Marion) in stage and lighting crew.

The director is John M. Heavey with musical direction by David Horne. The technical director is Richard Van Voris while Susan Kistler designed the set. The costumes were designed by local friends Annemarie Fredericks, Ruth Finnie, Mitsuyo Kim, Sophie Polonsky, and Kyle Horton. Tabor’s InDesign class, taught by Karen Alves, designed the posters.

The cast and crew invite the local community to Tabor Academy to enjoy the show in the Fireman Center for the Performing Arts in Hoyt Hall at 235 Front Street, Marion. The show will begin at 7:30 pm on February 18, 19 and 20 with free admission! With show-stopping tap numbers, a lively score, and engaging characters, Thoroughly Modern Millie is a show not to be missed.

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