Laura Schutter plays the upwardly-mobile title flapper in the tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway show inspired by the film of the same name. The tour launched in Kansas City in July 2003, when the Broadway show was still going strong.
The Equity tour is directed by Michael Mayer, with contributions from the Broadway production's original creative team, including Tony-winning choreographer Rob Ashford. The new songs are by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan and the score includes the operetta and popular song interpolations (a funny version of "Mammy," for example) that were part of the Broadway experience. Scanlan and Richard Morris co-wrote the libretto.
Laura Schutter replaced Darcie Roberts, who began the tour. Roberts left the show April 10 due to pregnancy.
Small-town girl Millie Dillmount is seen at the top of the show with luggage in hand, freshly arrived in New York City of the 1920s. Her goal? Get a job and marry her rich boss. Obstacles along the way include an evil landlady, white slavers, romantic rivals and a fella name Jimmy, who is not her boss.
Millie won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Musical. A non-Equity national tour is being produced by Troika for the future. The current principal cast of Millie includes Bryan McElroy (Jimmy), Pamela Hamill (Meers), Anne Warren (Miss Dorothy), Richard Feng Zhu (Ching Ho), Emir Yonzon (Bun Foo), John Ganun (Trevor Graydon), Stephanie Pope (Muzzy) and Robyn Payne (Miss Flannery).
The company includes Laura Woyasz, Tobi Foster, Joanne Javien, Jessica Dillan, Renee Monique Brown, Courtney Laine Mazza, Erik Hayden, Tony Yazbeck, Troy Magino, Tyler Walz, Joe Langworth, Allan Mangaser, Kurt Robbins, Erin Webley, Steve Wenslawski.
For information, visit www.modernmillietour.com.
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Diana Kaarina, who died on the barricades as Eponine in the final Broadway performance of Les Misérables, was the first Miss Dorothy in this tour. Hollis Resnik was the first Mrs. Meers and Matt Cavenaugh played the first Jimmy on tour. Sean Krill originated the role of Trevor on tour, while Tony nominee Pamela Isaacs from The Life was Muzzy. Creating Bun Foo and Ching Ho, respectively, were Darren Lee (a respected dancer-actor from Kiss Me, Kate) and Andrew Pang.
Tech and dress rehearsals were in Green Bay, WI, July 7-12, 2003, followed by the July 15-20 launch at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City.
Thoroughly Modern Millie is presented by Michael Leavitt, Fox Theatricals and Hal Luftig, with Stewart F. Lane, James L. Nederlander, Independent Presenters Network, L. Mages/M. Glick, D. Berinstein/J. Manocherian/Dramatic Forces, John York Noble and Whoopi Goldberg.
