New production based on 1967 silver screen comedy
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

Photo courtesy Actors' Repertory Theater of Simi SILLY WITH MILLIE- Anna Graves, center, plays the title role in "Thoroughly Modern Millie," opening tomorrow night at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.

Though its title may suggest otherwise, "Thoroughly Modern Millie" is an oldfashioned musical comedy, complete with a large cast and lots of tap dancing, according to Jan Glasband, the show's director.

The Actors' Repertory Theater of Simi production opens tomorrow, Feb. 24, at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.

"It's such a colorful, fun show, and there's incredible dancing," Glasband said. "It's all tongueincheek and over-the-top characters with twists and turns in the story."

David Daniels joins Glasband as codirector. In addition to directing, Daniels designed the innovative sets of scenery projected on a scrim backdrop.

"Jan has trusted me to do a lot of the blocking and incorporate my vision of the show," Daniels said. "She'll come in and tweak what I've done. We both have the same vision, and we help each other out."

The play, set in 1922, centers around a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who goes to New York City seeking a wealthy husband.

Anna Graves, 28, plays the determined stenographer with her sights on a rich boss. Graves came to Los Angeles eight years ago to follow her own dreams. She lives in Woodland Hills and, along with stage work, enjoys a voice-over career in commercials and television promos.

"Millie is a small-town girl from Kansas with big dreams," Graves said. "I struggled when I started rehearsing because she seemed like a gold digger, and yet she's just naive and has a lot to learn."

To become thoroughly modern, Millie changes her conservative country clothes for the "flapper" look of fringed short dresses and dangling necklaces. Costume designer Shon Le Blanc created the flamboyant jazz-age fashions for the show.

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" was originally a 1967 film starring Julie Andrews as Millie and comedians Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing.

Several years ago the musical was adapted for the stage with a book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan, new music by Jeanine Tesori and new lyrics by Dick Scanlan. The Broadway production of "Millie" won Best Musical along with five other Tony Awards in 2002.

An eightpiece combo, including a keyboard, saxophone, trumpet and bass, will play the show's lively tunes, said Gary Poirot, the musical director.

"The style is Dixieland jazz. The music is very uplifting- that's the nice thing about it," Poirot said. "The new music is written by a genius, Jeanine Tesori. She's the ultimate new writer who can write 1920s music."

Simi Valley resident Kristina Stieffel, 19, and Seth Kamenow, 21, of West Hills choreographed the show. They pulled together both veteran hoofers and talented beginners for the tap dance numbers, Kamenow said.

Millie's love interest is Jimmy Smith, whom the audience first meets as a devil-may-care city slicker. Los Angeles actor Cameron Fife, 24, plays the role.

"Jimmy is kind of a playboy, a man about town who knows everybody and knows the places to go," Fife said. "He literally runs into Millie and brushes her off romantically."

Romance blossoms when Jimmy and Millie meet again and he realizes she is strong and persevering despite the obstacles thrown in her path, Fife added.

Millie's troubles start when she takes a room at the Priscilla Hotel for Women, unaware it's a front for a white slavery ring. Farley Cadena, 39, a Woodland Hills resident, plays Mrs. Meers, the villainous hotel owner.

"There's a whole white slavery subplot in this crazy comedy, believe it or not," Cadena said. "Mrs. Meers is really crazy and wacky and passing herself off as Chinese."

Mrs. Meers' assistants- two Asian brothers- carry out her dastardly plans, speaking and singing entirely in Chinese. The audience should get the jokes though, Cadena said, as English subtitles are projected above the stage.

"The show is hysterically funny. If you love those oldfashioned musicals with tap dancing and great costumes, this is the place to come," Cadena said.

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" runs from Feb. 24 until April 1 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., and matinees on Sundays are at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $14 for children under 12.

For more information, call the box office at (805) 583-7900.