Thoroughly Modern Millie TLP Opener

As a new season of Timberlake Playhouse begins there’s always anticipation regarding the new cast. The first show of the season gives a good indication of the season to come. If the opening night performance on June 1 of Thoroughly Modern Millie is an indicator, this is going to be an excellent year at TLP. The singing, dancing, acting and comedic parts were all played flawlessly.

Millie is a small town girl from Kansas who sets out in 1922 for New York City to be a modern woman. She immediately runs into some bad luck and then meets Jimmy, played by Seth Lieber, who advises her to turn around and go home right now. Because of her persistence Jimmy sends Millie to a local hotel for young woman run by the very funny Mrs. Meers, played by Meredith Gifford, who tries to steel the show and often does. Millie then meets other young women at the hotel including Miss Dorothy Brown. Millie is “on her way up”, while Miss Dorothy is “on her way down”, and they “meet in the middle”.

The first thing you’ll notice about Erin Childs, who plays Millie, is her small stature but her big voice and feisty spirit take over and she is very impressive. I kept thinking she’s a little dynamo. Millie is determined to be a modern woman with a bobbed hair cut and a flapper dress. “A new woman chooses reason over romance” so she plans to marry her boss. Next she meets the socialite Muzzy Van Hossmere, played by a beautiful singer Sarah Dothage, who advises her to find love. I really enjoyed Sarah’s performance of “Only in New York”. Will Millie be a modern woman and marry the boss or find true love as Muzzy advises her? Why are the women at the hotel mysteriously disappearing? Order your tickets to TLP and see the end to find out.

One of the best scenes of the play is the very feisty tap song “Forget About the Boy” by Millie, her boss Flannery, and the office woman. There was lots of energy from a group of very mad secretaries.

The background for the play shows the NY skyline but scenes changed quickly and often throughout the play. Costumes were colorful and the dancing and choreography were energetic. This is an old fashioned musical, fun and very enjoyable.

The biggest changes at TLP came outside with a new gift shop and 10 new stalls and 4 new sinks in a bigger ladies room.

The staff is selling Witch t-shirts to help pay for rigging to make the monkeys fly during their performance of the Wizard of Oz. If you are thinking of attending that performance it’s a good investment.

(by Barb Benson, Guest Columnist)