Having never seen the movie, I had absolutely no idea what the show was about. From the logo and title and vague things I'd heard, I was afraid it was going to be a real '20s based, tap-dancing, sequins and "old style" Broadway show - which, though that can be fun, is not really my first choice of the way to spend a Saturday afternoon in New York.

In a way, the show is all those things - and yet, it is also a "thoroughly modern" show, with great humour and some real poignancy. I absolutely adored Sutton Foster as Millie - she is just the right mix of spunky and vulnerable, romantic and level-headed. Gavin Creel was a pleasant surprise as well, since I wasn't really familiar with anything he'd done before, and he's just a doll. The "name" in the show, as far as I was concerned, was Marc Kudisch, who I'd been wanting to see on stage for quite some time, and he certainly didn't let me down!! In fact, the only person that I didn't really love in their role was Angela Christian as Dorothy, although that may be more the fault of the role than anything else.

The first couple of songs had me wondering just what I'd gotten myself into...up until about the "Not for the Life of Me" reprise by Ching Ho and Bun Foo (who were pretty much my favourite part of the show, besides Marc!!). That was the point that I really started to warm up to the story, and it seemed the whole audience got a little more involved from there on in. The only parts I felt after that that dragged a bit would have to be Muzzy's songs - Sheryl Lee Ralph did a lovely job, but they weren't related to the plot at all, and the style of music isn't my favourite to begin with.

By the time the curtain fell, I, like everyone else around me, was wearing a smile, and feeling 10 times lighter than I did when I entered the theatre. And *that* is exactly how I'd choose to spend a Saturday in New York.


The Thoroughly Modern Millie cast filming their segment
for Rosie O'Donnell's farewell show

The Quotes:

Me: Are you not feeling well?
Marc Kudisch: Actually, I'm really ill.
Me: Well, I couldn't tell. At all.
Marc: I like you. You lie, but I like you.

The cast: (in order of appearance)

Millie Dillmount SUTTON FOSTER
Jimmy Smith GAVIN CREEL
Ruth MEGAN SIKORA
Gloria JoANN M. HUNTER
Rita JESSICA GROVÉ
Alice ALISA KLEIN
Ethel Pease JOYCE CHITTICK
Cora CATHERINE BRUNELL
Lucille KATE BALDWIN
Mrs. Meers HARRIET HARRIS
Miss Dorothy Brown ANGELA CHRISTIAN
Ching Ho KEN LEUNG
Bun Foo FRANCIS JUE
Miss Flannery ANNE L. NATHAN
Mr. Trevor Graydon MARC KUDISCH
Speed Tappists CASEY NICHOLAW, NOAH RACEY
The Pearl Lady ROXANE BARLOW
The Letch NOAH RACEY
Officer CASEY NICHOLAW
Muzzy Van Houssmere SHERYL LEE RALPH
Kenneth BRANDON WARDELL
Mathilde CATHERINE BRUNELL
George Gershwin NOAH RACEY
Dorothy Parker JULIE CONNORS
Rodney AARON RAMEY
Dishwashers ALDRIN GONZALEZ
AARON RAMEY
BRANDON WARDELL
Muzzy's Boys GREGG GOODBROD
JOHN MacINNIS
NOAH RACEY
T. OLIVER REID
Daphne KATE BALDWIN
Dexter CASEY NICHOLAW
New Modern JESSICA GROVÉ
Ensemble KATE BALDWIN
ROXANNE BARLOW
CATHERIN BRUNELL
JOYCE CHITTICK
JULIE CONNORS
DAVID EGGERS
GREGG GOODBROD
ALDRIN GONZALEZ
JESSICA GROVÉ
AMY HEGGINS
JoANN M. HUNTER
ALISA KLEIN
DARREN LEE
DAN LoBUONO
JOHN MacINNIS
CASEY NICHOLAW
NOAH RACEY
AARON RAMEY
T. OLIVER REID
MEGAN SIKORA
BRANDON WARDELL


Back to Thoroughly Modern Millie Index