Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Site Map

CSPA is affiliated with the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in the City of New York.

Imagine sitting in a theatre, watching a show and hearing the same old monotone voices for an hour and half. Boring. That is definitely not the case in the spectacular musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. The music is the heart and soul of this Broadway production. There is never a dull moment on the Marquis Theatre stage.

Millie is a comedic musical about a small town girl from Kansas trying to make it in the big city. She gets a bobbed haircut, wears short dresses and goes on a quest to become more "modern". Millie, played by Sutton Foster, looks for a job as a stenog and tries to find herself a suitable husband in the new city.

Millie is brought to life with its bubbly melody. You can feel the drama building up as you begin to get intoxicated by the divine atmosphere that seems to come hand in hand with Millie. It's like witnessing an amazing transformation right before your eyes. The lights start to dim and the audience automatically recognizes its cue. The chatter stops. The curtains open slowly and the magic unfolds.

The orchestra begins to play the overture that sets the tranquil tone. It also serves as an introduction for what lies ahead and the cheerful melody foreshadows the excitement that is drawing near. The costumes, background, dancing and even the way they changed from scene was amazing but nothing could top the music that radiated through the theatre and echoed in people's ears.

The cast all had spectacular voices. Each had their own unique style, which they were sure to incorporate in every piece they sang. Sutton Foster was magnificent in every song she performed. Her true talent was poured into her solos like "Not for the Life of Me", "Jimmy", and "Gimmie, Gimmie". These songs portrayed her bold and energetic character.

Another great song, "The Speed Test", was more humorous and showed another aspect of Sutton as well as a great introduction for Mr. Graydon. The songs that took place in Millie's new job, The Sincere Trust Insurance Co., though more amusing because of their lyrics were not as impressive with the instrumentals. Nonetheless, the audience will still be entertained.

Angela Christian and Foster made for the perfect duo. Both were great on their own or with other cast members, but together they were phenomenal. This is evident in the song "How the Other Life Lives". This song was upbeat and very energetic and both women were able to show off their angelic voices. This is just one of the many cheerful, happy songs featured in the musical. The music is by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan wrote the lyrics for this song along with a couple of others that were song.

Overall, the show would not have been the same without its musical aspect. It definitely stands out against any other Broadway shows playing today. It features the many different characteristics of music that creates all types of varied emotions from the crowd. They can almost feel what the character is experiencing when they are singing. "Back at Work" is lively and very dynamic while the "Thoroughly Modern Millie Finale" creates a soft romantic feel. This just completes the Broadway experience.

The best part of it all is that this ambiance can be achieved over and over again whenever a person wants. All you have to do is buy the soundtrack. This CD features all the outstanding songs which allows you to experience the profound energy of Millie in your home. All Millie lovers are sure to enjoy it.

Priscilla Nuñez is a junior at the High School for Telecommunication Arts in Brooklyn, N.Y. Nuñez is one of 12 New York City high school students selected to participate in CSPA's Stringers Program, co-sponsored with Camp Broadway.