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'Thoroughly Modern Millie' Opens Tonight At HLT

Joe Seelig, Highlands Today

Dancers rehearse Wednesday in the Highlands Little Theatre musical production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," which runs March 27 through April 12.

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: March 27, 2009

SEBRING - The Roaring '20s will come to life tonight when "Thoroughly Modern Millie," brings the age of flappers, prohibition and wild times to the Highlands Little Theatre.

The musical comedy, directed by Patty Young, is set in New York City, 1922.

The plot centers around young Millie Dillmont, played by Kelly Pelham, who fresh from Salina, Kan., hits the city with a plan to marry for money rather than love.

But things go awry.

Mugged and alone, Millie discovers the streets of New York City aren't filled with friendly faces nor paved with gold.

Getting her wealthy boss Trevor Graydon to pay attention to her, let alone marry her, turns out to be more complicated than Millie expected. Graydon is played by Larry McCandless.

Another twist comes when Millie runs into Jimmy Smith, played by Justin Acker in his first stage performance. He is the poor but fun-loving guy with an eye for the ladies, a song in his heart and a background in paperclip sales. He develops a thing for her.

Millie rooms at the Priscilla Hotel for Women, run by Mrs. Meers, the villainess dragon lady, played by Kristin Taylor.

It isn't long before the audience learns of Meers' evil plot to kidnap young women and force them into white slavery.

She's helped by her Chinese henchmen, played by Adam Meredith, as Ching Ho, and Chris Friend as Bun Foo.

Pelham made her HLT debut about 10 years ago in "Bye Bye Birdie," and according to her biography, has worked in more than a dozen shows since and fundraiser shows.

She recently appeared as Gertrude McFuzz in "Seusical the Musical" and as Princess Amneris, in "Aida."

She is working on an associate's degree at South Florida Community College and next year plans to transfer to Florida Southern to earn a degree in public relations.

The role wasn't such a stretch for Pelham, 20, who like her character hails from a small town, Lake Placid.

Before her trial performance on Wednesday night, Pelham said she visited Manhattan about four years ago when she was 16, and understood the city's appeal.

"Reading the script, I tried to get a feel for where she was at," she said. "I fell in love with the first opening number and said, 'Wow, that's me.'"

In two or three years, Pelham plans to return to New York State, find work as a personal assistant, and earn her bachelor of fine arts degree from Ithaca College, she said.

Woodlawn Elementary School music teacher Molly Widolff plays Millie's best friend, Miss Dorothy Brown, and funny lady Ellen Lemos is cast as Muzzy Van Hossmere, a cabaret singer and heiress with a penchant for living large.

Lindsay Lynch gets some great laughs as Miss Flannery, Millie's floor manager at the Sincere Trust Insurance Company.

Millie's friends are played by Lydia Ford, as Alice; newcomer Christy Waits, as Ruth; and Brook Shaffer is Gloria.

"It's truly been a labor of love," Pelham said. "We started in January with choreography and music and in February we started blocking the scenes (directing the movement of the show's 27 performers on stage)."

This Tony Award winning show, voted Best Musical for 2002, runs from March 27 through April 12 and tickets are going fast. About 91 percent of the shows are sold out, according to the box office Thursday.

Call 863-382-2525 for ticket information or visit www.highlandslittletheatre.org .

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at 863-386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com

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