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Theater: Broadway by the Bay goes ‘Modern’
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Melissa WolfKlain and Ben Jones kick up their heels in Broadway by the Bay’s “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - New York City in 1922, where the Roaring Twenties are going full speed, is the setting of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Broadway by the Bay presents the musical in San Mateo; the show runs July 10 to July 27.
The first “Thoroughly Modern Millie” was a 1967 film musical starring Mary Tyler Moore with a screenplay by Richard Morris. In 2002, the show opened on Broadway, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics by Dick Scanlan. It won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actress.
It’s about Millie Dillmont, a girl from a small town in Kansas who goes to New York in search of a new life. Though she plans to get a secretarial job and marry her rich boss, she finds herself falling for a penniless paperclip salesman.
Peninsula native Melissa WolfKlain, whom audiences will remember from “Peter Pan” and “Singing in the Rain,” plays Millie in the Broadway by the Bay production. She says, “This is a role I have dreamed of acting. Like ‘Peter Pan,’ the show revolves around Millie. She is in almost every scene, nonstop with speaking, singing and dancing.”
Even though WolfKlain says “I like to think of myself as a funny person,” she admits that this role is her first in a comedy. She adds, “At San Mateo High School I always wanted to make my friends laugh and have fun.”
Millie, WolfKlain says, is much like women today: They want to be modern, and “do their own thing,” but face internal struggles over life choices of love, career and family.
Ben Jones returns to Broadway by the Bay, where he played Ravenal in “Showboat,” as Jimmy Smith. He says, “It is easy to put myself into this role, as Jimmy is close to my age, very energetic and a lot of fun. The period dialogue is not easy, as it has a fast pace. Yet it fits both today and the time period that it portrays.”
Director Dennis Lickteig makes his Broadway by the Bay debut in this show. He says, “When I saw the production in New York, I was very impressed by the fresh approach showing a tone of optimism as well as the transfer of new music for modern audiences.”
Calling “Millie” a family show all ages will enjoy, he says, “We are lucky to have such extremely talented people, who bring tremendous energy and experience. WolfKlain is a triple threat with her acting, singing and dancing routines. She brings a leadership quality for everyone onstage.”
Attilio Tribuzi is the musical director, the choreographer is Robyn Tribuzi.
The show is onstage at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 North Delaware St. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $17 to $45; except discount special family matinees at 2 p.m. July 19 and July 26 cost $15 general and $5 for children. For information, call (650) 579-5565 or visit www.broadwaybythebay.org.
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Examiner Reader said:
GOOD
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Bessica said:
The government should get out of marriage entirely. Straight or gay, we need good family law to protect children, we need contracts for interdependent relationships. Marriage is an important institution. Rename the legal part something else for EVERYONE. Many GLBT on the site **bisexualmingle c o m** want the same-sex marriage.
8 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I thought it was a great production and both Alexa Ortega and Adam Barry were absolutely fantastic.
23 agree | 16 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Government Inspector: Quite poorly done. Actors unprepared. Line delivery mishaps. Overpriced. Prop failure at the end. It reminded me of sequels such as Oceans v11 - v13, where a group of well known actors use their names to draw a crowd and sell tickets. Uk. The result is a mediocre performance, in part because of too many cooks -- and some of these cooks, e.g. Geoff Hoyle are really good. Hopefully this review will save someone else the time and money.
24 agree | 17 disagree
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Parkside Poulegene said:
Re: High School Musical I just took my daughter Sharmuta to this show and we had to leave early! When we got home I took away all her "High School Musical" CD's and tee-shirts. If she even mentions the show again she's grounded for a month, and that goes for her other mother too. This show is really racist, homophobic and pro-Zionist and pro-Bush-Terror. There's too many white people in it. This show needs to be shut down and outlawed.
18 agree | 18 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for the first honest review that I have read on this production. The length of Act two was tortuous to sit through.
391 agree | 338 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I bet the scene where Macbeth and Macduff are branishing their CLAYMORES is a hoot!
307 agree | 321 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Playing naked? Not really - the main character's body is covered by fur! As the reader before wrote the actor playing Macbeth is extremely hairy. It is quite strange to see how hairy a mans body can be... His body hair was the most impressing thing of the whole play.
330 agree | 299 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Bloody, Bold, Resolute, and Naked - AND HAIRY!!! I read an article that all actors were not allowed to shave any body hair three months before the play started to look "naturally". So it is impressive how hairy the actor playing Macbeth is - he has a furry chest and even a quite hairy back and bushy pubic hairs. It is very unusual today to see such a hairy actor fully nude, because normally an actor shaves at least his back hairs doing a nude scene on stage or in a movie... So big compliments to Daniel Eichner for presenting us his great furry body fully nude!
359 agree | 314 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Good review... one of the few critics able to articulate some of the problems with this show. I left at intermission and the lighting was troublesome. sometimes I wonder what the other critics are thinking --- if you are still curious fgo on Saturday afternoons when the tickets are "pay what you can."
393 agree | 351 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Munch claims "there is no denying" that the nudity in WSC's "Macbeth" "does little to enhance or elevate Shakespeare’s Scottish play." Well, the critics at www.PotomacStages.com and www.DCTheatreScene.com have taken the opposite view. Potomac Stages, in fact, wrote: "in no uncertain terms that this is a quality production that presents "the Scottish play" in a new and very effective light (or is that a new and very effective darkness?)." DC Theatre Scene wrote: "The actors’ nudity provides an extra dimension to their presentations...By being physically naked, these actors become emotionally naked as well. This production of Macbeth is a great gift to those who have the will to receive it. We are unlikely to see anything like it in the foreseeable future." So it seems the only thing there is no denying is that Munch doesn't speak for everyone.
411 agree | 320 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Tonight's performance of "Macbeth" started at 8:05 pm and was done precisely at 10:30. I'm not the best at math, but that seems like under 2 and half hours...not over 3 hours, which the critic claims the play to be.
397 agree | 362 disagree
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JaimeK said:
Shame Fat Pig wasn't given an actual review on the acting. There were some pretty phenomenal performances. Especially Erin Riley as Helen and Courtney Ryan as Jeannie. Very VERY good show.
523 agree | 411 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Closes in 4 days
455 agree | 406 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why review it a few days before it closes and not mention its closing in the review?
447 agree | 436 disagree
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EdnBetty said:
We just returned from Titus Andronicus, the play that Kenneth Tynan called "the worst play Marlowe ever wrote". We expected gore and got it! Tsoutsouvas was also great, but Valerie Leonard was vamping it over the top. And that voice set my teeth on edge!
751 agree | 486 disagree
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Reader said:
Yes, "She Stoops to Comedy" at Woolly Mammoth is a treat!
551 agree | 470 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Oh, we just a-DORed this show!
578 agree | 463 disagree
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