As the lights dimmed, and the orchestra filled the room with an opening drumroll, the crowd hushed with anticipation.
“This is great,” whispered a bystander in the crowd.
March 14 was the opening night for Boise State’s musical production “Thoroughly Modern Mille.”
The 1960’s musical was set in the 1920’s and was about a young gal, Millie Dillmount, who left her southern ways to move to the Big Apple and start a new “modern” lifestyle, in which she encounters a new love, a new job and faces the danger of sex trafficking.
The vibrant cartoon backdrop of an old 1920s downtown city set the perfect tone for this lively musical. And the costumes were all types of glamorous for the men and women in the performance. Costume designer, Darrin Pufall, captured the 1920s through the women’s sequined dresses, feather caps, gloves and the men’s rustic suits and brief cases.
Not only was the set outstanding, the performances by all actors in the musical were top-notch as well. Stand out vocals from actresses Tess Gregg, who played star Millie Dillmount, and Nicole Snelgrow, who played the role of Dorothy Brown, a young southern bell, were phenomenal.
The star men in the musical, Alaggio Laurino, who played Jimmy Smith, Millie’s new love, and Robert Tombari who played Trevor Graydon, Millie’s boss, were also phenomenal.
All actors could not only act and sing they could also dance (including tap dance) as well.
One of the biggest hits of the show was Sasha Allen-Greives’ performance of Mrs. Meers. The comical Asian landlord of the Pricilla Hotel for Young Actresses brought humor to the stage that the audience thoroughly enjoyed.
Mrs. Meers was no doubt one of the favorite roles in the performance and had the crowd laughing each time she hit the stage.
Judging from the audience’s reactions after curtian-fall, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” was a great success.
The competant acting, singing, dancing and production as a whole were impressive and director, Richard Klautsch, did an excellent job from top to bottom.
