Suzy Chen ’14: At this time each year, the Domino Club’s annual musical production starts to generate excitement at the Episcopal Academy. This year’s musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, will whisk EA back to Manhattan during the Jazz Age in a high-spirited musical romp. The year is 1922, and young Millie Dillmount (played by Caroline Hunter ’14) has just moved from Kansas to New York City in search of a new life for herself at a time when women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were undergoing dramatic changes.
According to Daniel Clay, upper school drama teacher and director of the production, Thoroughly Modern Millie was selected to be this year’s musical in part because of its numerous female roles. “Females take a strong lead in it, and we have lots of girls, so it’s a good fit for us,” Clay stated.
However, the Domino Club was not originally planning on performing Thoroughly Modern Millie. At first, the musical was going to be Chicago; however, Episcopal was unable to obtain the rights for the production. Consequently, Millie was chosen as the replacement because it is similar to Chicago in both its style and the era in which it takes place.
Mandie Banks, Chair of the Theatre and Dance Department, said that Thoroughly Modern Millie is an action-packed musical with challenging and varying dance styles. “[Thoroughly Modern Millie] involves lots of Charleston-type movements, so I need students to dance loosely,” stated Banks.
Hunter agreed that the choreography is difficult, but she is excited to take on the challenge. “The tap dancing is very fun but enough of a challenge; it motivates me to work hard and improve,” remarked Hunter.
The camaraderie of the cast members and the shared passion for the musical creates an ideal atmosphere for preparing the show. It is this enthusiastic environment that draws many of Episcopal’s students to the theatre. “I love acting, and I love the people who do the shows with me,” raved Hunter, who has participated in every Domino production during her Upper School career and is especially excited for Millie. “I can get into the scenes easily because I love my character. We are really similar and she’s just a crazy and fun character,” Hunter explained.
Joanie Hofmeyr ’14, who plays Miss Dorothy Brown, said that her strong musical inclination drew her to the musical. “I like to spend my afternoons learning music, dance steps and staging for a show. I just love performing, especially period pieces like Thoroughly Modern Millie,” stated Hofmeyr.
Emma Smith ’15, who plays Mrs. Meers, commented on her own dedication and commitment to theatre. “I’m really passionate about theatre… I get to see people break out of their shells and surprise everyone with their talent. I also love seeing how different people interpret different things. I’ve always been involved with the plays and musicals.”
Throughout the process of putting together Millie, the cast members have encountered challenges, but they support each other and feel responsible to one another for the success of the musical. “Compared to the fall play, [Millie] is a bigger production. There are a ton of different pieces that go into putting on a musical rather than a play or a one act,” Hunter explained. Despite the challenge and difficulty, Hunter truly enjoys working alongside and having fun with her fellow thespians. “I really love my friends in the musical. It’s such a fun atmosphere and I look forward to play practice every day,” she exclaimed.
“The most challenging thing [about performing Millie] is translating the idea that I have of my character in my head into my actual physicality,” Hofmeyr said. Hofmeyr also pointed out a difference between the spring musical and fall play: “The spring musical rehearsals are in the Mainstage Theatre which can seat a lot more people, so rehearsing with all those empty seats in front of me makes me feel more official and professional!”
The 2012-2013 school year marks the first year that students can choose to participate in the spring musical to fulfill their after-school fitness requirements. This new rehearsal scheduling allows students who are fully committed to musical theater the opportunity to focus their time in the best way possible and provides more consistency in the rehearsal schedule. Smith, who also participated in the musical last year, thinks that the new scheduling policy allows rehearsals to be “more productive, focused and enjoyable.”
“We have a smaller cast, but all of them are so talented and passionate,” Hunter commented. Hunter also noted that the schedule change brings “a more focused group, and now that it’s a sport I can put all of my energy into it.”
Rehearsals for Thoroughly Modern Millie are well underway and the Domino Club is excited to perform the show for the entire Episcopal community. “We put our heart and soul into it and we are making great progress,” said Hunter. Thoroughly Modern Millie will be performed at the Crawford Campus Center’s Mainstage Theatre on Friday, May 3rd at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 4th at 2:00 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Tickets are available at showtix4u.com, $5.00 for students and $10.00 for adults. “I think the community is going to respond very well,” Clay said with confidence. “We put lots of effort in it and people are going to love it.”
The Episcopal Academy