NCC's 'Millie' is a carefree good time
2-minute drill
A quick chat with a Naperville newsmaker
North Central College opens its theater season this weekend with a light-hearted musical boasting an impressive display of heavy metal.
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" garnered six Tony Awards for its 2002 Broadway version, as well as an Oscar for its 1967 movie adaptation.
The zany romance takes place during the Roaring '20s when a small-town girl heads to New York City looking for a life of glamour, wealth and excitement.
Fine arts director Brian Lynch choreographed and directs, and professor Jeordano Martinez is musical director.
Lynch talks about choosing and individualizing such a highly regarded show.
Q. How do you personalize a show with a Tony-winning reputation?
A. Working with our design team, we come up with designs that will work well for our space. We customize the show while staying as true to the original production as we can in terms of the intent of the numbers, the acting and the singing.
Q. What song or dance in the musical has been the most challenging?
A. "The Speed Test" might be that based on the number of desks and cast members we have on stage. To make everything work without looking overcrowded has been a little difficult. It is when Millie first applies for a job and the secretaries and file clerks type to give the office sounds. It's a big tap number in the show.
Q. Do you purposely not watch the movie version so it won't influence the way you present the story?
A. In this case, I didn't bother watching the movie because I saw it years ago and I loved the movie, but the movie and this stage play are very different animals. Sometimes I'll watch a movie just to get ideas and other times I purposely steer away so that I am not influenced by what other people did.
Q. What happens backstage during a production?
A. There is an awful lot of running around and changing clothes. Anybody who is back stage is primarily there for any set changes and prop changes.
There is a backstage manager who lets the stage manager in the front of the house know by wireless headsets when they are ready with scene changes and if there are any problems backstage so (the front manager) can get them fixed without the audience being aware of what's going on.
Q. Since this is a new production, do you need to buy a license to show the play?
A. Yes, we did have to pay. I think after 50 years the licensing agreement on a show runs out and it becomes public domain.
All the Gilbert and Sullivan ones are now public domain. Often, a producer can renew the license and then you need to pay. Sometimes companies have scripts and there is a small royalty you need to pay for the right to produce those plays.
Q. In this musical you need three strong female performers and a dashing leading man. Do you base your selection of a play or musical on the talents of students you have in the department?
A. The musical director and I decided to do a show that was light-hearted, and were torn between this one and "Hello, Dolly."
We decided to go with this musical because it was a little more modern piece. We have a luxury now that the campus population is so talented. We knew we had the people to fill all the roles.
Often, when we are picking a show, we will try to decide if we have someone on campus that can do the role before we pick it, but that wasn't the case with Millie.
Q. Do you get together with other venues and schools in the area to make sure no one else is planning to stage the same show at the same time?
A. No. The audiences for the high schools are pretty much self-contained; they will sell their show regardless of what we do here. Hopefully the North Central reputation is such that we will draw audiences even if a school just did the show.
Q. When did you personally become interested in theater?
A. I was in fifth grade. I was recovering from pneumonia, so I couldn't go outside that winter. My mom actually directed the shows at the neighborhood high school and was doing the musical "Bye, Bye Birdie," in which they needed a 12-year-old boy. I happened to be a 12-year-old boy. She asked me to sing something from the show and then if I wanted to be in it, and I said, "Sure." And, as they say, "The rest is history."
Q. Were you then involved in college productions?
A. Constantly. There wasn't a term when I wasn't doing a show.
Q. What was your favorite role to perform?
A. Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables."
Q. If given a sentence to encourage people to attend "Thoroughly Modern Millie," what would it be?
A. This show is absolute, perfect family entertainment that is fun from beginning to end.
-- Joan Broz
If you go
What: "Thoroughly Modern Millie" musical theater
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Nov. 1-3; 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: North Central College's Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville
Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors
Info: (630) 637-SHOW