Thoroughly Modern Millie

I just saw a middle school production of the Broadway musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie." The musical was first produced in 2002, and based on the 1962 movie. The story has been updated a bit, and the music completely redone.

The production was done by St Andrew's Episcopal School, a pricey private school in a pricey area southwest of Austin.

It's a beautiful campus; more like a little college than a school. The campus includes the Middle and Upper schools. The performance took place in the Dining Hall (that's lunchroom, to us hoi polloi). I was surprised that such a privileged educational edifice did not include a theater.

The performance was good enough that I frequently forgot I was watching middle-schoolers. The girls were great singers, the boys may need a bit more work. Several of the kids had a good grasp of character, and the dances, though simple, were well-done. The music was very good. I enjoyed the show. Kudos to their teacher and director, Jason Kruger for a job very well done. As far as the costumes went (Ramona and I did them), I will always wonder how all these little boys manage to wind up with their legs measured six inches longer than they actually are.

Still, I must say that the children of the wealthy are no better behaved than public school kids when it comes to audience etiquette. There was a group sitting behind us that talked throughout the performance. At one point, an adult hushed them, but that didn't last long.

The ladies' room had better toilet paper than RRISD provides, also.