Thoroughly Modern Millie
at Mater Dei High School

Reviewed on April 8, 2017

Audrey Mitchell
University High School
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

Mater Dei's "Millie" is thoroughly enjoyable.
written by Audrey Mitchell, a junior at University

When a small-town girl moves to New York, she has no idea that she is about to step into a web of love, money, and white slavery. The paths of a stuffy businessman, an evil hotel owner, a womanizer, and a group of Chinese brothers collide in this tale of love and modernism in New York City.

Mater Dei High School's fast-paced rendition of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" is energetic and heartwarming. Skillfully executed technical elements, strong vocals, and heartfelt relationships combine to create a thoroughly enjoyable production.

McCallister Selva is incandescent as the excitable Millie Dillmount. Often bubbling over with emotion, Selva is pleasantly awkward as she transitions from wide-eyed country girl to independent city girl. Whether falling out of her chair trying to flirt with her boss or pouring soy sauce on Dorothy Parker, Selva tackles a range of emotions with boundless energy and rich vocals.

Opposite Selva, Harrison Patri is lovable and carefree as Jimmy Smith. Together, the two are heartwarming—from sitting together in prison to waltzing carefully on a window ledge.

Sinister and cunning, Annie Flati stalks across stage as Mrs. Meers, a criminal with a flair for the dramatic. Flati commands the stage, whether milking the audience for applause or pretending to be a Chinese hotel owner (complete with over-the-top accent and mocking gestures).

Courtney Hays portrays the naive, sheltered Miss Dorothy. With a gentle smile, an upper-class accent, and a sweet soprano voice, Hays is the perfect picture of a California belle.

Cassidy Sledge steals the show as Muzzy Van Hosmere, a wealthy singer. Sledge communicates her class with smooth motions, excellent posture, and a light Southern accent. In the show-stopping number "Only in New York," Sledge remains cool and confident as she showcases amazing vocals.

Scene changes, orchestrated by stage manager Jacob Nguyen, are smooth and unobtrusive, often with actors carrying out scenery in character without the use of a blackout.

Hair and makeup (designed by Megan Jones, Rosa Saporito, Vicki Silva, Grace Whitley) reflect both the characters' personalities and the time period. An abrasive secretary (Cat Silvey) wears a tacky bouffant wig, while many of the girls have bobs to reflect the "modern woman" look.

Full of plot twists and unexpected love stories, Mater Dei's "Thoroughly Modern Millie" is delightful and touching as it delivers its message about the importance of love for love's sake.

Katherine Schloss
La Habra
Submitted for publication to OC Varsity Arts

Mater Dei's "Thoroughly Modern Millie" makes a fabulous whoopee
written by Katherine Schloss, a senior at La Habra High School

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" follows Millie Dillmount, a young girl from middle-of-nowhere Kansas, on her journey to becoming a feisty flapper girl and securing her boss as a doting husband.

The show is chock-full of dynamic ensembles- from the flouncy and giggly Priscilla girls to Bun Foo's brothers who are sweet, charismatic, and speak fluent Mandarin--all serving as wonderfully punctuated layers within Millie's adventures.

McCallister Selva is a wide-eyed Millie, entrancing the audience with her boundless energy and witty portrayal of the lead character. She is strong in all things and her bold choices reflect on the rest of the cast, spreading an infectious energy. Her quirky and goofy side shows in the subtle yet important choices she makes, such as gazing lovingly at her boss behind his back.

Courtney Hays is a graceful Miss Dorothy, foiling Millie's often impulsive and reckless behavior with a cheery disposition and ballerina-like movements. With perfect curls and a pristine vibrato, she joins Millie in singing "How the Other Half Lives," proving that opposites attract as they tap in-sync and blend gorgeous harmonies. Her attraction to Trevor Graydon (Chris Rodrigues), Millie's stiff boss, is comical as they suddenly sing of their love-at-first-sight experience. Rodrigues is also impressive in "The Speed Test" in which he dictates a letter to Millie with incredible speed and stamina.

Millie's unlikely friend turned lover, Jimmy, is played by Harrison Patri. His chemistry with her shines through on a window ledge as he sings "I Turned the Corner" in a beautiful and engaging voice.

Cassidy Sledge bursts on the scene as the dazzling Muzzy Van Hosmere, performing "Only in New York" with a poised, smooth, jazzy voice. Her warm and endearing Southern accent contrasts wonderfully with her sparkly show of glitz and glamour.

The makeup and hair team brings to life the lavish atmosphere of a 1920s party with time period-esque bobs and smokey eyeshadow. Mrs. Meers (Annie Flati) stands out in her white foundation and jet black wig both of which enhance the illicit feel to her character.

Mater Dei's "Thoroughly Modern Millie" reminds us that we can paint the town red and let loose while still managing to find true love in the midst of all the insanity that is life.

Candler Cusato
Los Alamitos High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook Page

‘Millie' Taps her Toes at Mater Dei
written by Candler Cusato, a junior at Los Alamitos High School

Bright eyed and just off the bus from Kansas, modern girl Millie Dillmount journeys to New York City to follow her dreams of marrying a successful boss. While waiting for her proposal, Millie bunks at the Hotel Priscilla for struggling actresses, where a string of disappearances, a suspicious manager, and a new love force her to discover that even the best laid plans go awry. With toe-tapping musical numbers and infectious energy, Mater Dei's "Thoroughly Modern Millie" entertains with its charming yet hysterical tale of unexpected love and self-discovery.

As Millie Dillmount, McCallister Selva dazzles with her unceasing energy. Her uncoordinated movements, complete with robust arm gestures and exaggerated facial expressions--displaying gaiety, terror, and all emotions in between-- establish her as the perfect counterpart to Dorothy (Courtney Hays), whose poised and operatic voice make her a naive but high class socialite. Together with her suave beau, Jimmy (Harrison Patri), Selva demonstrates the sporadic nature of new love, chastising him one moment and falling into his arms the next. In his solo while behind prison bars, Patri hilariously showcases his romantic indecisiveness, pacing back in forth in his cell and rubbing his face in frustration, while leaving his impressive notes resonating in the air.

Cassidy Sledge, playing middle-aged but world-renowned actress Muzzy Van Hosmere, also stuns with her musical abilities, for her rich vocals match the smoothness of the velvet dresses popular during the time period. She seamlessly combines her musical talent with maternal instincts, as her unwavering southern accent and kind advice comfort Millie and inspire her to admit her feelings for Jimmy.

Mater Dei's hair and makeup department has the Herculean task of designing period-appropriate makeup and hairstyles that also demonstrated the variety of characters in their ninety person cast. Despite these challenges, they ensure that there is never a hair out of place onstage. Hays' curls and Mrs. Flannery's (Cat Silvey) towering auburn bouffant survive countless tap numbers, and Mrs. Meers' makeup, inspired by traditional Chinese cosmetics, enhances her Asian disguise, as does actress Annie Flati's thick and stereotypical Chinese accent.

With melodic and memorable musical numbers, as well as impressive technical direction, Mater Dei's "Thoroughly Modern Millie" showcases the glitz and glamour of the 1920's while teaching the important lesson that marriage is a union based in love, rather than a modern business arrangement.