High School holds spring performance of "Thoroughly Modern Millie."
By: Marisa Maldonado
A small-town girl leaves home for more exciting opportunities.
This could be the story of many South Brunswick High School graduates come June.
But for now it’s the plot of the spring musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie", which is being held Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The musical, based on a 1967 movie of the same name, premiered on Broadway in 2002 and won six Tony awards, including best new musical.
Virginia Kraft, director of the South Brunswick production, said she has wanted to bring the musical to the local stage since she saw it on Broadway.
"It’s very funny," Ms. Kraft said. "The music is great. It’s very jazzy, like the music of the 1920s."
The story follows Millie Dillmount played by senior Chelsea Lepore a woman who moves from Kansas to New York City in the 1920s to find work.
"She has this idea that modern women marry their bosses to be well off," Ms. Kraft said.
But the dashing yet poor Jimmy Smith, played by senior BJ Olson, tests her dream of ending up with a wealthy man. She also lives in a hotel that ends up being part of a white slavery ring run by the hotel’s owner, Mrs. Meers, who lures orphaned women into her hotel and sends them to Hong Kong.
"I can’t tell you more, because there’s all sorts of secret identities," Ms. Kraft said.
The musical, which cost between $6,000 and $7,000 to produce and includes 60 students in both cast and crew, is one of the more involved productions the high school has done because of the 10 sets it requires, Ms. Kraft said.
The title song is the best known musical number in the score, most of which was written specifically for the Broadway production. Most of the numbers, which include both songs sung by large ensembles and solo numbers, are not familiar to the general public, Ms. Kraft said.
"You’ll feel like you’ve known them forever (after seeing the musical)," Ms. Kraft said, "but they’re not famous. They’re specifically written to the show."
Tickets, which cost $6 for adults and $5 for students, will be sold at the door.

