The amount of talent I have seen in Central Minnesota is amazing to me. I’m talking pure, natural talent that is on stage at our local high schools. I have been blown away by the productions I have seen so far. If you aren’t catching this talent on stage, you are truly missing out. This time we head to Apollo High School for their production of 'Thoroughly Modern Millie'.

The show is set in New York City in 1922. The women’s liberation movement had just begun and women were becoming a bit more risqué – or “modern”. The dreams of many young women of the time are to move to New York and make a new life for themselves. Sometimes it works for them, sometimes they become victims of kidnappings. Millie Dillmount is one of those girls from a small town trying to make it in the big city. She meets other girls just like her and ends up staying at the dingy Priscilla Hotel. In search of a man with money, Millie sets out on her adventures and ends up finding true love.

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Thoroughly Modern Millie holds a special place in my heart. When I lived in New York, the only time my parents came to visit, we went to see this show on Broadway. I mentioned this to the cast and they were afraid that because I had seen the show on Broadway, I wouldn’t like their version. Let me tell you something, I enjoyed this version better than the performance on Broadway. These students have a show on their hands that they should be very proud of and I encourage you to show your support and see it at least once while they have it on stage.

The casting is spot on, the comedic timing is great and the additions to the production make it much more enjoyable. This is a musical which means the majority of the production is in song. This particular musical also incorporates dancing. To remember lines, sing, dance and be in front of an audience is something not just anyone can do, but these 30+ youngsters pull it off with the grace of a seasoned Broadway pro.

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This is a very impressive show and Apollo has spared nothing to present it. There are so many costume changes, it was hard for me to keep track. The stage itself looked incredible. All the work creating the props and backdrop was done by the students and advisors. The one thing that impressed me the most is the use of a Chinese in this story. These students learned to speak and sing their lines in this foreign language. Don’t worry there are sub-titles so you won’t get lost.

You can catch Thoroughly Modern Millie at Apollo High School’s Theater Thursday, December 1 – Saturday, December 3 at 7:30pm, a matinee on Sunday, December 4 at 2:30pm and again Thursday, December 8 – Saturday, December 10th at 7:30pm. Admission is $10 at the door, children, students and seniors are $6. If you want to see some truly talented individuals hit the stage, dance and sing their hearts out and have a great night out, dance your way over to Apollo High for Thoroughly Modern Millie!

 

 

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