The Whitefield Academy’s Dramatic Society presented three performances of
Thoroughly Modern Millie to sell-out crowds in the Louise Owens Theater on Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21. The show, which won first place in the GHSA region competition, and second place in the GHSA state competition, told the story of Millie Dillmount, played by sophomore Ruthie Evans. Millie leaves her small Midwestern hometown for the thrill of New York, determined to marry rich and live an exciting life. However, her first encounter in New York is with a thief who steals her bag and Jimmy Smith, a handsome but poor womanizer (played by freshman Alex Eaton), who declares instantly that she will never make it in the Big Apple.
Despite Jimmy’s predictions of failure, Millie finds her way to a hotel, operated by Mrs. Meers ( played
by Anna Reeves McCutcheon), who fakes a Chinese accent to appear innocent when she is actually kidnapping orphans and selling them to the highest bidder. Assisted by her Chinese cohorts, Foo (played by Luke McLemore) and Ching Ho (played by Joe Martin Tvaroch), Miss Meers identifies orphans and sets a trap to kidnap them.
Millie finds a job as the fastest typist in New York and sets her mind on catching her boss, Trevor Grayson (played by senior Evan Johnson), as a husband. The task is harder than she imagined because Grayson pays little attention to her and her life is regularly interrupted by encounters with Jimmy, who takes her out “as a friend” but secretly loves her.
Millie’s supervisor Miss Flannery (played by Emily Sumlin) makes working a challenge and Millie depends on her friend and roommate, Dorothy Brown (played by Brendan Thomas), to lighten her heart despite the harshness of the city. Jimmy ultimately declares his love for Millie who then wrestles with the thought that love might actually be more important than money. In the end, Millie succumbs to Jimmy’s proposal of marriage, and then exposes the evil Miss Meres with the help of Ching Ho. Once Millie accepts that love is more important than money, Jimmy reveals his true identity as the wealthiest bachelor in New York, an identity which was hidden by his mother, Muzzy Van Hossmere (played by Brittany Crisp), in order to ensure a love-filled match.
Each main character sang his or her way through the storyline, with the supporting cast filling in as background vocals, dancers, party guests, and more. The supporting cast included: Ansleigh Brown, Jessica Burnett, Lucy Eichelberger, Crawford Folk, Grayce Guthrie, Cha Cha Hamilton, See Dee Hammond, Miles Hampton, Caron Llewellyn, Misha McDaniel, Julia Mixon, West Peterson, Anna Schierbaum, and John Schwartz.
Fifteen students served on the Millie stage crew, running sound and lights, designing costumes, and
helping actors with costume changes, props, hair and make-up. Students on the production team included: Natalie Bell, Rachael Lewis, Anna Kate Peterson, Samara Huggins, Maggie Leigh Faulk, Lucy Eichelberger, Mary Jo McCutcheon, Preston Evans, Jonathan Marshall, William Thomas, Caleb Corliss, Jolie Gaston, Connor Miller, Ellie Richburg, and Emma Mixon.
The play was directed by Kayla Marsh, drama director; Keith Denmon, technical director; Millie Turek, musical director; and Aims Lamason, choreographer.
Special thanks to the Arts Alliance and all parent volunteers.
