Thoroughly Modern Millie (play)
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Thoroughly Modern Millie is a stage adaptation of the 1967 film of the same name.
In the early 2000s, the movie was adapted for the stage at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, with a book by Richard Morris (from his original screenplay) and Dick Scanlan and additional songs by Scanlan (lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music).
The stage version maintained the basic story line of the original but, in an effort to be politically correct, toned down many of the stereotypical traits associated with the Asian characters in the film. The plot revolved around Millie Dillmount, who escapes to New York City from Salina, Kansas determined to marry her wealthy boss - whomever he may be. Shedding her country girl image for the modern look of a "flapper", she takes a room at the Priscilla Hotel for Women and gets a job as a stenographer at the Sincere Trust Insurance Company. In short time, she finds herself involved with Jimmy Smith, an apparently ne'er-do-well paper clip salesman, Miss Dorothy Brown, a genteel aspiring actress who never seems to have spare change, Trevor Graydon, her no-nonsense boss, and Muzzy van Hossmere, a madcap Manhattan heiress with a zest for the high life.
Critical reaction was favorable enough to warrant a move to Broadway. Prior to opening, Sutton Foster was plucked from the chorus to assume the title role, a move that propelled her to stardom.
After thirty-two previews, the production opened on April 18, 2002 at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran for 903 performances. The opening night cast included Sutton Foster, Marc Kudisch, Angela Christian, Gavin Creel, Harriet Harris, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
In 2003, the original creative team reunited to stage the show in London's West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre, a theatre notorious for consistently housing flops. It began previews on October 11th and opened on October 21st. Starring in the title role was well-known TV personality Amanda Holden, with Maureen Lipman as Mrs. Meers and Sheila Ferguson as Muzzy Van Hossmere. Mrs. Meers subsequently was played by Anita Dobson, and when Amanda Holden was forced to take time off due to illness, her understudy Donna Steele took over the role to great acclaim.
Despite positive reviews and booking periods extended to January 2005, Thoroughly Modern Millie failed to catch the public's attention and closed prematurely on June 26, 2004.
A UK tour beginning in March 2005 fared much better and successfully toured many of the country's major theatres until November, when it closed as planned in Nottingham. The tour starred Donna Steele as Millie, Lesley Joseph as Mrs. Meers, and Grace Kennedy as Muzzy Van Hossmere.
[edit] Musical numbers
Songs are by Tesori and Scanlan, unless otherwise noted
Act One
- Not for the Life of Me... Millie
- Thoroughly Modern Millie...Millie and Ensemble (Lyrics by Sammy Cahn, Music by James Van Heusen)
- Not for the Life of Me (Reprise)... The Hotel Girls
- How the Other Half Lives... Millie and Miss Dorothy
- Not for the Life of Me (Reprise)... Bun Foo and Ching Ho
- The Speed Test... Trevor Graydon, Millie, Stenographers, Office Singers (Instrumental derived from the patter song My Eyes Are Fully Open from Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore)
- They Don't Know... Ms. Meers
- The Nuttycracker Suite (derived from music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
- What Do I Need with Love?... Jimmy
- Only in New York... Muzzy
- Jimmy... Millie (Lyrics by Jay Thompson and Scanlan, Music By Thompson and Tesori)
Act Two
- Forget About the Boy... Millie, Flannery, Office Singers, Stenographers
- I'm Falling in Love with Someone... Trevor Graydon and Miss Dorothy (Lyrics by Rida Johnson Young, Music by Victor Herbert)
- I Turned the Corner.. Millie, Jimmy, Miss Dorothy, Trevor Graydon
- Muqin... Ms. Meers, Bun Foo, Ching Ho (Lyrics by Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, Walter Donaldson, and Scanlan, Music by Lewis, Young, and Donaldson)
- Long as I'm Here with You... Muzzy and Muzzy's Boys
- Gimme Gimme... Millie
- Thoroughly Modern Millie (Reprise)... Whole Cast
An original Broadway cast recording is available on the RCA Victor label.
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Tony Award for Best Musical (winner)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster, winner)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Harriet Harris, winner)
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design (winner)
- Tony Award for Best Choreography (winner)
- Tony Award for Best Orchestrations (winner)
- Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Gavin Creel, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Marc Kudisch, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (nominee)
- Tony Award Best Original Musical Score (nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Musical (winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster, winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Harriet Harris, winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Michael Mayer, winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations (winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical ( Marc Kudisch, nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design (nominee)
