By Eddie King
Staff Writer
Sometimes the elusive thing one has been searching for and missing in her life has been right in front of you the whole time. Such is the case of Millie Dillmount, the protagonist of Mira Costa’s remarkable spring musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Once again, the Mira Costa Drama Department impresses, showcasing a multitude of talented individuals in a seamless reproduction of the modern Broadway classic. Headlined by spectacular multidimensional performances by the leads and a brilliantly executed musical score, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” is a Mira Costa masterpiece in every regard.
The story follows Millie Dillmount (Julia Mcdermott), a young girl who has just escaped to New York City from the dreary Salina, Kansas in pursuit of a new “modern” life with the lofty goal of finding and eventually marrying a wealthy boss.
After checking into the Hotel Priscilla, she meets and befriends other young women with various ambitions including Miss Dorothy Brown (Calyssa Frankel) and the hotel’s mysterious owner Mrs. Meers (Hadley Thomas). Along the way, she also meets a seemingly poor yet energetic man named Jimmy Smith (Cameron Boyer) and encounters new people and experiences that ultimately lead her down to find the life that she has truly been pursuing all along.
Much of the play’s success can be attributed to the admirable performances by the multi-talented individuals on the stage. Mcdermott brings the stage to life with her powerful yet elegant voice and sincere acting. The sincerity and well-polished nature of her performance as Millie captures the true essence of the character. Her portrayal makes Millie seem life-like, allowing viewers to make a stronger connection with the characters and story.
The play also successfully integrates comedic breaks in various scenes, most notably in the form of the Chinese immigrants Ching Ho (Zack Zeoli) and Bun Foo (Derek Zeoli). Their presece keeps the mood light, contrasting the more serious scenes and ideas in the musical. This adds a different dynamic to the storyline, allowing the audience to be entertained in more than one way.
Another contributing factor to the overwhelming success of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” is the play’s musical score. Running smoothly throughout the entire performance, the Mira Costa orchestra is able to weave together a story itself, using shifts in the music to hint at subtle differences in tone, setting the mood for each scene.
Additionally, the various backgrounds on stage look like professionally created sets, making the story of the musical seem more genuine and believable. In conjunction with the stunning sets, the lighting is able to clearly highlight the key characters and themes of each scene. By visually accentuating the key details of the story in each scene, the play’s mood, tone and meaning is clear and comprehensive.
However, the only drawback of the musical is that the cast’s singing is sometimes overshadowed by the orchestra and difficult to understand due to poor acoustics. This occasionally takes away from the performance, as it is difficult to hear characters at times. Therefore key plot information could be easily misheard or glossed over.
From the evident hard work, dedication and immense talent that went into the making of this production, Costa’s take on the classic musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” is a complete success. The musical talent, contrasting moods of the comedic and serious themes in the play and believabilty of both the costumes and the sets enhance the production as a whole.
“Thoroughly Modern Millie” opened on Apr. 24 at 7:30 in the Mira Costa Auditorium with successive shows on Apr. 25, 29 and 30 and May 1 and 2.
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