January 31-February 22, 2009

Book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan
New Music by Jeanine Tesori
New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan

Producer: Brian Michael Flanagan/The Gallery Players
Director: Neal J. Freeman
Associate Producer: Amanda White
Music Director: David Fletcher
Assistant Music Director: Lilli Wosk
Choreographer: Katharine Pettit
Set Design: Ann Bartek
Costume Design: Megan Q. Dudley
Lighting Design: Ryan Bauer
PSM: Emily Rea
ASMs: DaVonne Bacchus, Becca Oursler

Illustration by Hunter Kaczorowski

Pictured (l to r): Katie Kester (Miss Flannery) and Alison Luff (Millie) in The Gallery Players production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.

Cast:

Millie Dillmount – Alison Luff
Miss Dorothy Brown – Amy Grass*
Jimmy Smith – David Rossetti*
Trevor Graydon – Andy Planck*
Mrs. Meers – Justine Campbell-Elliott
Ching Ho – Roy Flores
Bun Foo – Jay Paranada
Muzzy van Hossmere – Debra Thais Evans
Alice – Megan Kane
Gloria – Lorinne Lampert*
Ruth – Jill Sesso
Miss Flannery – Katie Kester
Male ensemble: Ryan Finley, George Papas, Drew Pournelle, Frank Sansone
Female ensemble: Rebecca Dealy, Kristin Donnelly, Angelyn Faust, Lauren Kay

*appears courtesy Actors’ Equity Association

The Band: David Fletcher (drums, keyboards), Lilli Wosk (piano), John Kramer (trumpet), Rose Imperato (clarinet, sax), Jessica Egan (flute), Haran Barak (banjo/guitar), Dennis Michael Keefe (acoustic bass).

Pictured: The company of The Gallery Players production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.

“A shining example of verve and ingenuity. Every performance is heartfelt. Director Neal J. Freeman orchestrates the scene transitions with a seamless fluidity that puts the original overproduced Broadway production to shame.” -Heather J. Violanti, nytheatre.com

“Catching a performance of Thoroughly Modern Millie is quite possibly the most fun thing you can do with your clothes on in Park Slope this month. From start to finish, this musical does not disappoint.” -Mike McLaughlin, The Brooklyn Paper

The Gallery Players continues its rich ‘Broadway in Brooklyn’ tradition this January with Thoroughly Modern Millie! Just named one of The Brooklyn Papers’ 90 to watch in 09, The Gallery Players will be dancing the Charleston into 2009 with the zany 1920′s musical that won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Musical – January 31-February 22, 2009.

Taking place in New York City in 1922, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of young Millie Dillmount, who has just moved to the city in search of a new life for herself. It’s a New York full of intrigue and jazz – a time when women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing forever. Based on the popular movie, the stage version of Thoroughly Modern Millie includes a full score of new songs and bright dance numbers. Filled with frisky flappers, dashing leading men and a dragon-lady of a villainess audiences will love to hate, Thoroughly Modern Millie is a perfectly constructed evening of madcap merriment. Thoroughly Modern Millie features a Book by Richard Henry Morris and Dick Scanlan, New Music by Jeanine Tesori and New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan, not to mention signature tap numbers reminiscent of the Golden Age of Broadway: “The Speed Test,” and “Forget About the Boy.”

Neal J. Freeman, last season’s acclaimed director of The Wild Party, eagerly returns to The Jazz Age to direct this ‘love song’ to New York City: “Set in the 1920′s, Thoroughly Modern Millie reminds us that New York is and has always been the place you go to make your dreams come true. Millie’s journey to find herself and hit it big in the big city is one that will be familiar to many of our audience members, and it is one shared by many of the cast and crew members working on the show. Listening to Muzzy van Hossmere sing her love for the city in “Only in New York” reminds me why I came here, and why I’ve stayed around. It’s a special privilege to bring this wonderful show back to the city that inspired it.”

Pictured (l to r): Andy Planck (Trevor Graydon) and Alison Luff (Millie) in The Gallery Players production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Photo by Jen Maufrais Kelly.

Read Alison Luff’s “Seeing Stars” interview on UnitedStages.com.

NOTE: All remaining performances are SOLD OUT

Performance Schedule
Saturday, January 31st at 8 pm – opening night
Sunday, February 1st at 3 pm – matinee
Thursday, February 5th at 8 pm
Friday, February 6th at 8 pm
Saturday, February 7th at 8 pm
Sunday, February 8th at 3 pm – matinee
Thursday, February 12th at 8 pm
Friday, February 13th at 8 pm
Saturday, February 14th at 2 pm – matinee
Saturday, February 14th at 8 pm
Sunday, February 15th at 3 pm – matinee
Thursday, February 19th at 8 pm
Friday, February 20th at 8 pm
Saturday, February 21st at 2 pm – matinee
Saturday, February 21st at 8 pm
Sunday, February 22nd at 3 pm- final performance

December 6-21, 2008
by Ed Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston Williams

“Justin Barnette and Brian Letchworth, the show’s only actors, run frantically between scenes and expertly jostle between costume changes without any glitches…A Tuna Christmas is well worth a visit. I left with that fantastic feeling in my stomach after I’d been laughing for two hours, and I am still chuckling at the sight of that purple tracksuit. I fear I will be giggling at that for days to come.”
-Sarah Portlock, The Brooklyn Paper

“The funniest aspect of this very, very enjoyable production is the copious drag. The two men do women so well it’s downright scary…A Tuna Christmas is like the perfect holiday gift: not expensive, not overblown, but well thought out and presented with a great deal of affection.”
-Steve Weinstein, EDGE New York

Producer: Robin Mishik-Jett/The Gallery Players
Director: Andrew K. Russell
Production Stage Manager: Erika Omundson
Assoc. Producer: Graham Mills
Set Designer: Edward Morris
Lighting Designer: Maureen Hanratty
Props Master: Nicole Gaignat
Costume Designer: Dawn Luna
Sound Designer: David Roy
ASM/Props Assistant: DaVonne Bacchus

Pictured (l to r): Brian Letchworth and Justin Barnette* in A Tuna Christmas. Photo by Bella Muccari.

Starring:

Justin Barnette*
Brian Letchworth

*courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association

The Gallery Players ring in the holidays with the affectionate satire of small-town southern life, A Tuna Christmas. Bring the whole family down to The Gallery Players for this limited holiday engagement December 6-21, 2008!

Pictured (l to r): Justin Barnette* and Brian Letchworth in A Tuna Christmas. Photo by Bella Muccari.

In this hilarious sequel to Greater Tuna, it’s Christmas in the third smallest town in Texas. Radio station OKKK news personalities Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie report on various Yuletide activities, including hot competition in the annual lawn display contest. In other news, the voracious Joe Bob Lipsey’s production of “A Christmas Carol” is jeopardized by unpaid electric bills. Many colorful Tuna denizens, some you will recognize from Greater Tuna join in the holiday fun. Audiences who have and who have not seen Greater Tuna will enjoy this laugh filled evening. A Tuna Christmas has been called, “A hoot!” by The New York Times, and the NY Post exclaimed, “So funny it could make a raccoon laugh affectionately at Davy Crockett…. It’s far too good for just Christmas.”

“I remembered our local theater back in Indiana doing all the TUNA plays and thought to myself, ‘why not return to this tiny Texas town for a spell?’” says director Andrew K. Russell. “I forgot how funny the plays were and then re-read this script and couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud. The challenge of directing two actors playing over 20 roles was also appealing.”

Mr. Russell directs performers Justin Barnette* and Brian Letchworth in hilarious fast-paced portrayals of twenty some-odd lively characters from Tuna, Texas.

Pictured (l to r): Justin Barnette* and Brian Letchworth in A Tuna Christmas. Photo by Bella Muccari.

Performance schedule:

Saturday, December 6th at 8:00 pm – opening night
Sunday, December 7th at 3:00 pm
Thursday, December 11th at 8:00 pm
Friday, December 12th at 8:00 pm
Saturday, December 13th at 2:00 pm
Saturday, December 13th at 8:00 pm
Sunday, December 14th at 3:00 pm
Thursday, December 18th at 8:00 pm
Friday, December 19th at 8:00 pm
Saturday, December 20th at 2:00 pm
Saturday, December 20th at 8:00 pm
Sunday, December 21st at 3:00 pm