Thoroughly Modern Millie

Amidst the Christmas Choir performances and the rehearsals for Annie, I thought I would try out for a show at Rodgers Memorial Theatre. It has been four years since I had been in a mainstage show there. It was Thoroughly Modern Millie, and I made it as a member of the ensemble. Dani West, the only best friend of mine whom I didn't go to school with, was also in it, and so was Devin Franke, one of my bhs musical friends. Everyone else in the cast had graduated, and many were in their thirties and forties. It was super fun! But also really intense. You see, Susan DeMill was the choreographer. I think my friend Grant Gibbons says it best, "Susan puts the 'hard core' in HARD CHOREOGRAPHY" this is very true!!! She comes up with beautiful choreography, but it takes a long time to learn and polish. Now, I have worked with her before so at first I was doing ok, but then I had to start missing for choir performances and later, Annie performances. So I missed learning all of the tap dances, and I already STINK at tap dancing, so being behind was not good. She was always yelling at me from offstage "because she cared". I believe her, but I was too stressed to care. Not only was I dealing with TWO Musicals, but my CE English teacher had a paper due every class. Not only that, but I was losing a best friend who meant the world to me, and that crushed me more than anything. I was always so tired at school that I was grouchy, whiched caused me to lose more friends. It was a pretty crappy time, one of the worst I've been through. But I pulled through and I learned the choreography in the nick of time! Being able to see Dani everyday was a blessing because not only is she one of my best friends, she was also an outsider from my troubles because she didn't go to BHS and therefore could listen to me without having an inside opinion about every person. It helped so much! Luckily all of my friends are my friends again and the best friend I lost once again became my friend, although he will never probably be a best friend again.

Anyway, Millie was fun and it was great to get to know Devin better and see how wonderful he really is. I better understand where he is coming from now and why he is the way he is. Haha and I improved my dance skills even more! It was a great experience.