Special to the Journal

Leesburg, Ga - Lee County High School’s Palladium Players will spotlight the wild and wooly Roaring 20s with their production of the Broadway hit Thoroughly Modern Millie on March 15-24. A winner of six Tony Awards, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of Millie Dillmount, a young, vivacious Mid-Western girl who comes to the bustling metropolis of New York City to marry for money instead of love—a thoroughly modern thing for a woman to do in 1922. Add to the story two millionaires pretending to be your average Jack and Jill, two Chinese laundry men who understand more English than they let on, the notorious ringleader of a sinister kidnapping syndicate, plus a famous jazz singer and, of course, hilarity ensues. The show is based on the 1967 film, starring Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore. The Broadway incarnation, which is styled in the same whimsical way as the movie, opened in 2002 and propelled Georgia native Sutton Foster, who currently stars in TV’s Bun Heads, to stardom.

Dotty Davis, who directs Lee County’s production says, “This show is delightfully wacky. Although it’s a fairly new show, it looks like, sounds like, and feels like one of those traditional musicals from Broadway’s glory days of the 50s and 60s. There’s nothing heavy about Millie. It’s just plain fun!”

           Lee County’s production features a cast of more than thirty high school actors, along with two adult performers, Kathy Walker and Flo Reneau. LCHS senior Demi Davis, in her first musical lead role, plays Millie, and senior Tiffani Miller plays her sidekick, Miss Dorothy Brown. Davis Cowart and Zac Crew, both juniors, portray the leading men, Jimmy Smith and Trevor Graydon. LCHS alumna Megan Lisenby plays the comic role of Miss Flannery. Student actors Joseph Solano and Deshod Holley play brothers Bun Foo and Ching Ho. Joining Dotty Davis in staging Thoroughly Modern Millie is musical director Kevin Blaise and set designer and technical director Robby Davis.

Evening performances of Thoroughly Modern Millie begin at 8 o’clock on March 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23. There will be two Sunday matinees, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on March 17 and 24. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and children. Advance tickets are available at Lee County High School each weekday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. The box office will open one hour before each performance.