•June 28, 2017•

By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

The music was written by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlon and it was based on the 1956 British musical, “Chrysanthemum”. The pre-Broadway promo starred Kristin Chenoweth as Millie and the redoubtable Bea Arthur as Mrs. Meers. It had nearly 1,000 performances and won six Tony awards including Best Musical and Best Actress.

Basically, it is a small town Kansas girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York in the 20’s to marry for money and not love. She takes delight in the flapper lifestyle, but problems arise when she checks into a hotel run by a washed-up stage star who is reduced to a life of crime in a white slavery ring in China.

Having never seen this musical before I came prepared to be wowed. Thoroughly Modern Millie is thoroughly, magically magnificent.

The musical opens on a beautiful blue and grey New York backdrop, and above the stage is a marquee which sets the scenes and also translates the Chinese language of some characters so pay attention to the marquee!     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.