Local residents have an opportunity to be “thoroughly” entertained when FDR High School in Hyde Park presents the Tony Award-winning musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” at the FDR.Auditorium on March 14 and 15 at 7 p.m.
The play’s director, Carl Defoe, is a member of the FDR English faculty and chose the show based on its entertainment value. “It’s fun, it’s exciting and it has great dance numbers,” he said. The musical is also a show that appeals to a wide audience, according to Defoe. “It’s a mix of old time and modern time,” he said, adding that it will remind the older crowd of the “good old days.”
Set in 1922, the play revolves around the adventures of Millie Dillmount (played by Amy Van Norstrand), who leaves Salina, Kan. and heads to New York City determined to marry a wealthy man. Shedding her naïve country girl image for the modern look of a “flapper,” Millie gets a job as a stenographer at the Sincere Trust Insurance Company. In short time, she finds herself involved with Jimmy Smith (Willie Sleight), a sweet but apparently ne’er-do-well paper clip salesman; Miss Dorothy Brown (Kathryn Fiet), a genteel aspiring actress who never seems to have spare change; Trevor Graydon (John Raphael Pichardo, III), her no-nonsense boss; and Muzzy van Hossmere (Chelsea Corbett), a madcap heiress with a zest for the high life.
The play mixes dance, music and comedy with a touch of suspense. The Priscilla Hotel proves to be a front for a white slavery ring, headed by Mrs. Meers (Lindsay Marinelli), the building’s proprietor, and her two bumbling Asian henchmen, Ching Ho (Ryan Guilaran) and Bun Foo (Thinh Le). Millie eventually puts two and two together and devises a plan to save her friends from evil Mrs. Meers. Before long, Jimmy’s in drag, Trevor is drugged, and there’s chaos in Chinatown.
One of the biggest challenges of producing a show in March is, of course, the weather and school cancellations, said Defoe. “We’ve had a few weather-related setbacks but the kids are great – they just keep plowing along,” said Defoe. The play also requires that two characters, Ching Ho and Bun Foo, speak Mandarin Chinese. Defoe said students Ryan Guilaran and Thinh Le have been practicing at home on language CDs and have become quite proficient in speaking Mandarin. “They’re actually learning another language in order to be able to perform this,” he said.
At a recent rehearsal, the cast was busy polishing their dance routines with choreographer Jerusha Aman, a student at Dutchess Community College and FDR graduate. The play, said Defoe, has “amazing dances,” and credited Aman’s rapport with the students. “She really has a way with the kids,” he said.
Defoe also praised the dedication and talent of student teacher Amanda Shreiner, set designer Joshua Brehse, vocal director Bonnie King and pit orchestra director James Osborn. “Everyone is working so hard,” said Defoe. “Right now it’s nothing but school and rehearsals until the show runs.”
Tickets for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” are $10 general admission, $5 for students and senior citizens. Advance ticket purchases will be available at Molloy Pharmacy and East Park Pharmacy in Hyde Park; tickets may also be purchased at the door. For more information, call Paul Scatenato, director of fine and performing arts at 229-4020, ext 1253.