Senior music theater majors Jordan Bondurant and Chelsea Reynolds play the lead roles in "Thoroughly Modern Millie".

Samford Theatre presents "Thoroughly Modern Millie"

By: Tully Taylor

Posted: 4/28/10

Samford Theatre will present the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in the Wright Center Concert Hall Friday and Saturday April 30 and May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 2 at 2:30 p.m.

The musical centers around a small-town girl with big ambitions whose path gets diverted, director Mark Castle said.

"It's about a girl who comes to New York to make her fortune in the modern world," he said. "But instead, she finds true love in the form of a young man she meets who she thinks is penniless. But it turns out he is a millionaire."

The concept of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" has been around since 1967 when it was released as a musical film. From there it was converted to a musical, male lead and senior musical theater major Jordan Bondurant said.

"It was originally a movie starring Julie Andrews that was made into a musical about eight or nine years ago and it won a bunch of Tony Awards," Bondurant said.

Senior musical theater major Chelsea Reynolds has the opportunity to play the title character of the story, Millie Dillmount. It is a role she is cherishing.

"It's one of my dream roles. As cheesy as it sounds, it is a dream come true," she said. "It's such a fun, fun part and really challenging. She is on stage every single scene except two, I think. It is very demanding, but it's so rewarding. I love her."

Reynolds is surrounded by a talented and dedicated group of 32 other cast members and a 22-piece orchestra. It's been a wonderful experience working with the group, she said.

"It has been so great. It's a big cast. We've been working on it since January, so we definitely bonded over that," she said. "The chorus is really strong and the ensemble is really strong. We have some really, really great dancers."

While the cast is a lot of fun, there is also a level of work ethic that has made the experience all the better, Bondurantsaid.

"It's been a lot of fun because of how professional this cast is," he said. "Everyone is really on top of it. I'm blessed to be in a show with so many talented and fun people."

The musical has been a work in progress for several months now, but the hard work is going to pay off, Castle said.

"It's been a long process, but really fun," he said. "They have a great energy about it, and it really shows in the singing and the dancing. People really love the story."

A certain aspect of the preparation that made it a challenge was the choreography by Roger Van Fleteren, Castle said.

"It was really fun and challenging because he is a very professional choreographer and the sophistication of the dances has been complicated and fun to learn, but a challenge for them to learn the difficult choreography," he said.

All the hard work is going to pay off in a big way, Reynolds said.

"It's the biggest show we've done since I've been here," she said. "The professors are saying it's the biggest show we've ever taken on. It's just hysterical. There are all these subplots that are just really funny."

The whole musical comes together to create a must-see event, Bondurant said.

"It's just a big experience, a lot of great music, a big company tap-dancing numbers, and it's just a lot of fun," he said.

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" is a performance that offers a welcoming dose of escapism coupled with great entertainment, Castle said.

"I say it is a completely entertaining evening in theater," he said. "It is not heavy. If you want to be distracted from real life for a couple hours, just come into our imaginary world, have fun and enjoy our story."

Tickets are $6 for students, $12 for adults and $9 for those over 55. Tickets can be purchased through the box office in Harrison Theater.