"Thoroughly Modern Millie" is Thoroughly Amazing!

[SUSAN J. SILVESTRI]

The 1967 American musical film starring legendary Julie Andrews was adapted to the stage and the Hollywood High School's opening night yesterday was nothing short of amazing and I've seen many Broadway plays. This was good, really and truly great actually. Except for the fact that middle-aged characters were being portrayed by teens, I completely lost track of the fact that this was a high-school production. I was pretty stunned to see that Julie Andrews even purchased a full-page ad in the Playbill wishing the cast a huge success.

The screenplay by Richard Morris focuses on a naive young woman who finds herself in the midst of a series of madcap adventures when she sets her sights on marrying her wealthy boss.

This musical is set early in the flapper era of 1922 (as stated in the title song's lyrics) (in fact this day was a Friday). Millie Dillmount's ambition is to find work as a stenographer to a wealthy businessman and then marry him—a thoroughly modern goal. Millie befriends Miss Dorothy Brown as the latter checks into the Priscilla Hotel. When house mother Mrs. Meers learns Miss Dorothy is an orphan, she remarks, "Sad to be all alone in the world." Unbeknownst to Millie, the woman is selling her tenants into white slavery, and those without family or close friends are her primary targets.

The rest can be discovered by attending this truly spectacular, highly professional production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie".

Performances that remain are:

• Saturday, May 26, 2012 @ 1pm
• Saturday, May 26, 2012 @ 7pm
• Sunday, May 27, 2012 @ 7pm
• Monday, May 28, 2012 @ 1pm

Prices are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for students

The Hollywood High School auditorium is quite large so you can simply show up. The Hollywood High Theatre is located at:

1521 North Highland Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90028

Park on the school property by entering Selma and Highland.

Please do not miss this show. It is extremely high quality work put on by some seriously dedicated students.

[Patricia Carroll]

If you are in town over the weekend, RUN, to see Thoroughly Modern Millie tonight...and if you cannot make tonight's performance, try tomorrow's matinee. We went opening night and it was just wonderful.....the sets, the costumes, but mainly the kids. The level of talent was fantastic. We could have been seeing a production at the Pantages and at $15 a ticket this has to be the best buy in town. Tell your friends! There should be a full house every performance. Made me so proud to be an alumni of this amazing school. Patricia Carroll S'66

[SUSAN J. SILVESTRI]

Today's email from an alum:

I did this film at Universal Studios with the designer Jean Louis the costume designe. I was assistant to  him.  I am glad to know that the school is doing the story.  It was a wonderful film to work on with months of preparation and hundreds of wonderful costumes to design.  Loved Carol Channing as well, and of course Beatrice Lilly.  I hope the students had a wonderful turnout, it is definitely worth seeing.. Of course that was the film that got Julie together with Blake Edwards.  Many memories of my days as a designer at Univeral Studios.

Best Wishes with the play....

Sheryl Ellison W'56