Each winter, Tabor Academy puts on its largest annual production: a musical.
Dancers, singers, actors, and students who are looking to try something new all gather to put together an amazing production. Currently, the cast is in rehearsals working all winter long to learn and perfect the songs, dances, and lines.
This year’s musical is entitled Thoroughly Modern Millie and is set in the 1920s. Millie Dillmount, played by Aurelia Reynolds, comes to New York City from Kansas to escape small town life and find a rich businessman to marry.
The effects of the 1920s on women – for example, allowing them to break social norms through their dress (the famous flapper style is a prime example) and lifestyle (engaging in previously forbidden behaviors such as smoking and drinking in public and demanding more freedom in careers and choices) – are also heavily explored in this play, through Millie as well as other women.
Another interesting aspect of the musical is its focus on ethnic stereotypes.
Mrs. Meers, under the guise of a Chinese Madame, runs a boarding house for girls who are new to the city. She has an underlying motive, however, to sell these women into slavery. She acts as a villain in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and nearly succeeds in selling Dorothy, another main character who befriends Millie, into slavery.
John Heavey is the director of Thoroughly Modern Millie.
“Rehearsals are going great!” said Heavey.
One big challenge with this show is that there are two huge tap dance numbers, a feat previously not attempted by any Tabor musical.
“The cast has been working really hard,” said Heavey. “Danielle LaTullippe, our choreographer, has tackled the challenge of tap nicely, and the cast has already memorized the big company numbers.”
The main characters, too, are “perfect for their roles,” Heavey said. “They’re doing a great job bringing their respective characters life.”
While this musical differs greatly from Hairspray, last year’s show, the core returning cast has been able to adjust and tackle all of the new challenges.
A lot of work goes into creating a musical production, beyond just memorizing lines and songs. The technical crew is working to build the sets, utilizing many pieces and techniques to put it together. The lighting designers, too, must constantly work to adjust spotlights and decide and implement lighting for each scene. The costume crew must create authentic-looking 1920s costumes, and the stage managers work with Heavey to help direct the actors and keep the show running smoothly.
“They’re all awesome,” said Heavey. “Millie would be impossible without them.”
The production of Thoroughly Modern Millie will undoubtedly be impressive and entertaining, but it’s easy to overlook the astounding amount of work that goes into every rehearsal and all the different people involved in bringing it to fruition. From directors to lighting and set designers to the actors, costumers, and choreographers, many different talented people have to come together to make this production work.
The show opens on February 18 at 7:30 pm at the Fireman Performing Arts Center on Front Street and runs again on February 19 and 20.
By Madeleine Gregory