By Misty Severi
Thoroughly Modern Millie comes to Performance Riverside
Image courtesy by Performance Riverside
Spirits are high as the cast and crew of Performance Riverside’s latest musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” rehearse for their upcoming show in Riverside City College’s Landis Performing Arts Center.
“Thoroughly Modern Millie” is a Tony award winning Broadway musical that has achieved major success, including winning Best Musical in 2002.
The musical follows Millie Dillmount a girl from Salina, Kansas who moves to the Big Apple in hopes of marrying a rich man. But when she gets there she encounters different people who prove that New York is nothing like she thought it would be.
RCC faculty member and drama advisor Ashlee Espinosa stars as the titled role in Performance Riverside’s production of the Broadway musical. “Millie is a small town girl, she comes from a very small town with big dreams to move to New York,” Espinosa said. “She thinks she’s gonna find love, wealth, power and high society versus finding love in an actual person she’s going to love for the rest of her life.”
Some members of the cast and crew come from extensive theater backgrounds, even as far up as Broadway.
“It’s a great mix of professional actors, students from Riverside City College and then our directing and choreography team are from Broadway,” Espinosa said. “We got a little bit of everybody supporting the arts, not just here on campus but from California and New York as well.”
RCC students and ensemble members Xavier Bush and Matthew Ryan are looking forward to taking the audience away from the stress of midterms.
“We’re taking them back to that 1920s feel and we just want to let them live in that for a moment,” Bush began “And there are some sad moments, but overall we just want the audience to have a good time,” Ryan added.
“Thoroughly Modern Millie” will be at the Landis Performing Arts Center on March 31 at 7 p.m. April 1, 7 and 8 at 7 p.m. and April 1, 2, 8 and 9 at 2 p.m. tickets are available for purchase through the box office or online through the Performance Riverside website.
————————————————————————-Spirits are high as the cast and crew of Performance Riverside’s latest musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” rehearse for their upcoming show in Riverside City College’s Landis Performing Arts Center.
“Thoroughly Modern Millie” is a Tony award winning Broadway musical that has achieved major success, including winning Best Musical in 2002.
The musical follows Millie Dillmount a girl from Salina, Kansas who moves to the Big Apple in hopes of marrying a rich man. But when she gets there she encounters different people who prove that New York is nothing like she thought it would be.
RCC faculty member and drama advisor Ashlee Espinosa stars as the titled role in Performance Riverside’s production of the Broadway musical.
“Millie is a small town girl, she comes from a very small town with big dreams to move to New York,” Espinosa said. “She thinks she’s gonna find love, wealth, power and high society versus finding love in an actual person she’s going to love for the rest of her life.”
Some members of the cast and crew come from extensive theater backgrounds, even as far up as Broadway.
“It’s a great mix of professional actors, students from Riverside City College and then our directing and choreography team are from Broadway,” Espinosa said.
RCC student and ensemble member Xavier Bush is looking forward to taking the audience away from the stress of midterms.
“We’re taking them back to that 1920s feel and we just want to let them live in that for a moment,” Bush said.
“Thoroughly Modern Millie” will be at the Landis Performing Arts Center on March 31 at 7 p.m. April 1, 7 and 8 at 7 p.m. and April 1, 2, 8 and 9 at 2 p.m. tickets are available for purchase through the box office or online through the Performance Riverside website.
