AUDITION DATES
Sunday, January 27 @ 7pm
Monday, January 28 @ 7pm
Call-backs, Tuesday, January 29
Mishler Theatre, Altoona

PERFORMANCE DATES
Thursday, May 1 @ 8pm
Friday, May 2 @ 8pm
Saturday, May 3 @ 8pm
Sunday, May 4 @ 2pm


Order Tickets On-line Now!

Cast

RACHEL VOLPE Millie Dillmount

CODY JONES Jimmy Smith

SUSAN BRANDT Muzzy Van Hossmere

MARIA PACIFICO Mrs. Meers

SAM WAGNER Trevor Graydon

MEGAN MARCAURELLE Dorothy Brown

MIKE SEIDEL Ching Ho

ZACH WEIRICH Bun Foo

KRISTIN FRANCO Miss Flannery

KELSEY INGOLD Rita

KATIE KENSINGER Alice

MEGHAN MCCABE Lucille

JANELLE PARKER Gloria

MOLLY RIVA Cora

JULIE SETTLE Ethel Peas

GINA VOLPE Ruth

JOSH BARR Ensemble

PARRIS CROMER Ensemble

JESSICA DAVIS Ensemble - Dorothy Parker

CAROL FEDELI Ensemble

DEVON INGOLD Ensemble

CORY JONES Ensemble - Rodney

JENELLE LOCKARD Ensemble

MIKE MANFRED Ensemble

MARLAINA PACIFICO Ensemble

MARK PEREHINEC Ensemble - Policeman, Dexter

MIKE PETYAK Ensemble - Kenneth

TYPHANI JANELLE RUSSO Ensemble

KARLEE SALLINGER Ensemble

LINDSAY SATRYAN Ensemble

SARAH SLEP Ensemble - Mathilde

EMILY VOLPE Ensemble - The Pearl Lady

NICHOLAUS UWE WEINDEL Ensemble - George Gershwin

KATE WOLF Ensemble - Daphne

Production Staff

JONATHAN C. O'HARROW Director

MARY VILLANI Music Director

AMBER MCDONALD Choreographer

BILL SHOEMAKER Stage Manager

ERIC WOLF Production Manager

CINDY BANEY Props

MARY LEE O'HARROW Costume Design

JOHN ISENBERG Set Consturction Supervisor

MARLENE LISZKA Light Design

BRIAN MCCONNELL Sound Design

BRETT KEITH Orchestra Conductor

KAREN VOLPE Board Liaison

Thoroughly Modern Millie

"THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE" DANCES INTO MISHLER MAY 1

Rachel Volpe as Millie
Photo by Amber McDonald

The show which won Broadway’s 2002 Tony Award for Best Musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” is the closing production of Altoona Community Theatre’s 2007-2008 season at the Historic Mishler Theatre. Four performances will be presented May 1 through 4, under the direction of Jonathan O’Harrow and starring Rachel Volpe in the title role.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” is based on the 1967 movie starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing, about a young woman from Salina, Kansas, who moves to New York City in 1922, intent on modernizing herself into a jazzy flapper. In the big city, Millie finds herself immersed in a world of intrigue, romance and hilarious mishaps when she moves into a rooming house run by a wacky proprietress who uses it as a front for a White Slavery scheme. Although a the basic plot and few songs from the movie were used for the stage version, several new musical numbers and lively dances were added and helped the show gain popularity for a run on Broadway that lasted more than two years.

Director Jonathan O’Harrow of Altoona has previously helmed ACT’s award-winning production of “Smokey Joe’s Café” and “Urinetown: The Musical!” and is a frequent performer with the group, most recently as Dr. Jason Posner in “Wit” and the voice of the man-eating plant Audrey II in “Little Shop of Horrors.” The webmaster at Penn State Altoona and current President of ACT, Jonathan also has acted and directed with Cresson Lake Playhouse and Tyrone Community Players.

Teaming with O’Harrow on the production are Music Director and Accompanist Mary Villani of Altoona, Choreographer Amber McDonald of Hollidaysburg and Orchestra Conductor Brett Keith of Tyrone.

Rachel Volpe of Altoona, starring as “Millie,” has been featured in four ACT productions in the past year, as Prudence in ACT’s state competition entry “Beyond Therapy” last Spring, Cathy in “The Last Five Years” in August, Susie the nurse in September’s “Wit” and Chiffon, one of the urchins, in November’s “Little Shop of Horrors.” A theatre graduate of University of Pittsburgh, she also has performed with Cresson Lake Playhouse and P&J Productions.

Playing the two men in Millie’s new life are Sam Wagner of Altoona as Trevor Graydon, Millie’s boss, and Cody Jones of Altoona as Jimmy Smith, Millie’s love interest. Wagner is returning to ACT, having made his debut last year as John Truitt in “Meet Me in St. Louis.” He also has performed on the Mishler stage as Memphis Aaron in “Ghosts: The Musical” with P&J Productions, and at Penn State Altoona in “Damn Yankees.” Jones made his ACT debut as Bobby Strong in “Urinetown: The Musical” and has been seen in “Ghosts: The Musical” and “Sherwood” with P&J Productions and in “The Secret Garden” at Cresson Lake Playhouse. He was also is a member of the dance company Allied Motion at Penn State Altoona.

Megan Marcaurelle of Altoona, last seen in P&J Productions’ “Ghosts: the Musical,” plays Dorothy Brown, a rich girl who befriends Millie. Maria Pacifico of Altoona, plays fiendish hotel owner Mrs. Meers, whose two co-horts, Ching Ho and Bun Foo, are played by Mike Seidel of Altoona, making his ACT debut, and Zach Weirich of Hollidaysburg, remembered as Goat in ACT’s “The Robber Bridegroom.” Susan Brandt of Altoona, who was Mrs. Potts in ACT’s “Beauty & the Beast,” plays nightclub singer Muzzy Van Hossmere. Kristin Franco, who recently played the title role in ACT’s “Miss Nelson is Missing,” is cast as office manager Miss Flannery.

Also in the cast as supporting characters, ensemble members and dancers are Josh Barr, Parris Cromer, Jessica Davis, Carol Fedeli, Devon Ingold, Kelsey Ingold, Cory Jones, Katie Kensinger, Jenelle Lockard, Mike Manfred, Meghan McCabe, Marlaina Pacifico, Janelle Parker, Mark Perehinec, Michael Petyak, Molly Riva, Typhani Janelle Russo, Karlee Sallinger, Lindsay Satryan, Julie Settle, Sarah Slep, Emily Volpe, Gina Volpe, Nicholaus Weindel, Kate Kale Wolf and Eric Wolf.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie,” sponsored by M&T Bank, will be presented Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 1, 2 and 3, at 8 p.m. plus a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, May 4. All seats are reserved at $18 each and available through the Mishler Box Office at (814) 944-9434 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays. Select seats also may be purchased online through Ticket Leap.