Taylor Quick, Loretta Ables Sayre to Lead Goodspeed's THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE; Cast Announced!

Goodspeed Musicals kicks off its 2017 season at The Goodspeed with the Broadway hit Thoroughly Modern Millie. You'll get a kick out of this dance-filled musical comedy running April 21 - July 2 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn.

In 1922 New York, all the modern girls are sporting bobbed hair and heightened hemlines! Newcomer Millie is no exception, jumping headlong into a makeover and a dizzy plan to marry rich - until she falls for a penniless charmer. Her jazz-kissed adventures are crowded with a flurry of flappers, a runaway heiress, a nefarious landlady and more. A mix of madcap mistaken identity, high-spirited show tunes and tap-happy dance has more kick than bootleg gin in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical.

Thoroughly Modern Mille features Book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan, New Music by Jeanine Tesori, and New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan. Based on the original story and screenplay by Richard Morris for the Universal Pictures Film. This effervescent musical will be sponsored by Chester Village West, The Shops at Mohegan Sun, and Webster Bank.

Millie will be played by Taylor Quick, who has performed at numerous regional theaters across the U.S. including Lyric Stage and Casa Mañana. Tony nominee Loretta Ables Sayre will play Mrs. Meers. Ms. Sayre received a Theatre World Award for her performance as Bloody Mary in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific. Dan DeLuca, returns to Goodspeed where he played Danny in Snapshots at The Terris Theatre in 2013. Mr. DeLuca who recently performed as Jack in the 1st National Tour of Newsies will play Jimmy. The role of Miss Dorothy will be played by Samantha Sturm whose Broadway Credits include Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, On the Town, Matilda, Nice Work If You Can Get It and The Addams Family.

Edward Watts returns to Goodspeed as Trevor Graydon. Mr. Watts was last seen at The Goodspeed as Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Prior to that he thrilled audiences at The Terris Theatre in The Girl in the Frame. On Broadway, Edward appeared in Scandalous, and Finnian's Rainbow. Ramona Keller, whose Broadway credits include Brooklyn The Musical, Caroline or Change and Smokey Joe's Café will play Muzzy. Bun Foo will be played by Christopher Shin who appeared in last spring's buoyant romp Anything Goes at The Goodspeed. Shin performed on Broadway in Mary Poppins. Ching Ho will be played by James Seol who last appeared at The Goodspeed in Mame. Mr. Seol performed on Broadway in A Naked Girl on the Appian Way and Off-Broadway in Small Mouth Sounds and Around the World in 80 Days. The role of Miss Flannery will be played by Lucia Spina whose Broadway credits include Kinky Boots, South Pacific, Legally Blonde, the revival of LES MISERABLES and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

The ensemble includes Darien Crago (Goodspeed and Broadway's Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, National Tour of Irving Berlin's White Christmas), Caley Crawford (Goodspeed and Broadway's Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, National Tour of A Chorus Line), Patrick Graver (1st National Tour of Bullets Over Broadway), Bryan Thomas Hunt (Goodspeed Musicals' Chasing Rainbows and Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, Broadway and National Tours of Irving Berlin's White Christmas and Billy Elliot), Emily Kelly (Assistant Choreographer on Goodspeed's The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd), Daniel May (Broadway's Flower Drum Song, National Tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie), PJ Palmer (National Tour of Elf), Amelia Jo Parish , Sherisse Springer (National Tour of Chicago, Cirque du Soleil's Criss Angel Believe, West Side Story at Carnegie Hall, TVs "The Wiz Live" and "Bunheads", and the motion picture Hairspray), Sarah Quinn Taylor (Goodspeed 2012 Festival of New Musicals' Harmony, Kansas), Amy Van Norstrand (Goodspeed and Broadway's Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn and National Tour of Elf), and Darius Wright (1st National Tour of Matilda). The swings will be Evan Mayer (National Tours of My Fair Lady, A Christmas Story, and Annie) and Elise Mestichelli (Goodspeed's Chasing Rainbows).

Thoroughly Modern Millie will be directed and choreographed by Denis Jones, who choreographed Goodspeed's world-premiere production of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn and The Terris Theatre production of Band Geeks!. Mr. Jones choreographed the Broadway productions of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn and Honeymoon in Vegas, He served as Associate Choreographer for Broadway's Legally Blonde and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. As Director Jones's credits include Piece of My Heart: The Bert Berns Story at Signature Theatre; 42nd Street, Grease, Spamalot, and Chicago at The MUNY; Legally Blonde at North Carolina Theater and the upcoming NY lab of Fancy.

Scenic Design will be by 2017 Helen Hayes Award nominee Paul Tate DePoo III. Called Live Design Magazine's 'Designer To Watch,' Paul designed Guys and Dolls at The Goodspeed and last season's A Sign of the Times at The Terris Theatre. Most recently, he designed the sets for the Broadway-bound productions of Josephine and War of the Roses.

Costumes will be designed by two-time Tony nominee Gregory Gale, who designed several shows for Broadway including Rock of Ages, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Wedding Singer, Urinetown, and the 1995 revival of Hello, Dolly!. For Goodspeed, Gale designed the productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, High Button Shoes, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Fabulous Lipitones. Lighting Design will be by Rob Denton, who served as Associate Designer for the Broadway productions of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, Blackbird and A Delicate Balance. Hair and Wig Design will be by Mark Adam Rampmeyer, whose work has been seen at The Goodspeed in last seasons' Anything Goes, Bye Bye Birdie, Chasing Rainbows, as well as La Cage aux Folles, Good News!, 42nd Street, and Big River to name a few. On Broadway, he designed West Side Story, Lysistrata Jones and The Farnsworth Invention. Sound Design will be by Jay Hilton, who is in his 31st season at Goodspeed.

The Music Director for Thoroughly Modern Millie will be Michael O'Flaherty, who is in his 26thseason as Goodspeed's Resident Music Director. William J. Thomas will be Assistant Music Director. Orchestrations will be provided by Dan DeLange, who has created the orchestrations for over 40 Goodspeed productions.

Casting for Thoroughly Modern Millie is by Paul Hardt of StewartWhitley Casting

Thoroughly Modern Millie will run April 21 through July 2, 2017 [Official Press Opening May 10, 2017]. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select

performances at 2:00 p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.).

Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week, or online at goodspeed.org. For show highlights, exclusive photos, special events and more, visit us at goodspeed.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter @goodspeedmusicl, Instagram and YouTube.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Michael Gennaro, Goodspeed Musicals is dedicated to the preservation, development and advancement of musical theatre and is the first theatre in the nation to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement). Goodspeed produces three musicals each season at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn., and additional productions at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre. Goodspeed gratefully acknowledges the support of United Airlines, the official airline of Goodspeed Musicals; the official audio sponsor Sennheiser; and official auto sponsor Hoffman Audi. Goodspeed is also grateful for the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts.