Thoroughly Modern Millie

We open up Millie on Thursday and I am so excited.  My friend, Cheri, is the lead and she is phenomenal.  Everyone is doing a really great job and I am singing the songs all the time, even the ones I'm not it.  I'm so glad I stuck this show out.  I had my doubts going into it.  First of all there are two Chinese men and I was worried they were just going to act comically stereotypical.  I wouldn't go to a show with people in blackface being stereotypical so I felt the same way about this show.  Fortunately the comedy of these characters is not in their speak and action but in their actual lines.  These two men actually had to learn Mandarin for the show and they do a great job.  One "man" is 15.

I start the show in the role of Ethel Pease, a southern girl living in New York who gets abducted.  I have the unfortunate line of "white slavery" but I guess it's a smidgen better than "sex trafficking." Which is what they actually mean.  Anyway, after that scene Ethel's whereabouts are never really cared about again.  I revive her for curtain call just in case someone out there does wonder.  I like this part because I get a little bit more acting than was intended for me and my only singing where it is not full chorus.  I have to thank Cheri for being in this song.  She was a very good behind the scenes person making people remember that I existed and could pull this off.  I think I am a good addition to this song (when I get the notes right)  so I'm glad I'm in it.  Although I do feel a little guilty about it.  After talking to another auditioned about my concern with the racial stereotypes she dropped out and this (I assume) was her role.  I almost feel like I manipulated my way in without actually trying to.  

Next I am a stenographer.  This role I tap dance in.  I love dancing and this was really fun and really hard.  We started back in May with the choreographer.  I tapped at 5 years old so I thought I would be fine.  Big difference!  It's challenging but so great.  I miss the hours of Dance that really felt like workouts.  I have a lot of fun with this character, giving her a prissy face and such.  Unfortunately I must have gotten fired after this scene because there is one more stenographer scene and tap dance and I'm not in it.  I'm not sure why, but I've shed enough tears about it to not care anymore.  At first I thought it was because I had an immediate scene change, but actually I have no conflicts and barely even grace the stage in the entire act 2.  There is even an actor who can't be at all the performances in it.  I just figure I must have had one suck ass audition where people didn't get that I could act, sing, or dance. 

Next I'm a dancer at the Speakeasy.  I started with this wig but have since decided to use the black one since this one falls off.  I added the cigarette holder because I've always wanted to use one.  This scene we just dance and act drunk.  Easy.  I mostly like dancing with my actual dentist.  And if the lighting ever gets completely figured out this will look really cool with cop like spotlights and flashes for mug shots.

My final character is, Mathilde, the maid.  This is my original casted character, complete with two lines and 2 min stage time.  Like I said, bad audition.  We hardly practiced this role so it's my least developed character.  I'm still working on her.  I get to interact with my friend, Karin, which is fun.  I also put myself in the dance and started walking the stage carrying a tray.  The butler waiting in the wings always gives me weird faces like "what are you doing that is not in the script" but I'm just doing what I like my high school actors to do "think like your character."  No notes from the director means it looks fine, right?

Karin plays Muzzy and she has two stunning songs that she just knocks out of the park.  My very first musical I was in with her was Fiddler on the Roof.  She was my mother, Golde, now I'm her maid.  

I'm very excited to present this show to an audience, I hope we pack the house every night.  There is so much talent exuding from so many people.  I still love watching it and I've seen it many times now.