The air is sweltering in Vancouver this week, and I have plans to see Thoroughly Modern Millie again tonight at TUTS in Stanley Park. I’m hoping against rational belief that this evening’s temperatures will cool to something more bearable.
If you haven’t already been to TUTS yet, go see both shows. It’s a great pairing this season; the ever-popular and solid Annie (read my review) and the thoroughly fabulous Thoroughly Modern Millie (read my review).
Sarah Rodgers has spent the past few years directing musicals, but it’s been a while since she’s acted and sung in one. This summer Rodgers is returning to her roots as she hams it up playing the villainous Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie at Theatre Under the Stars. Rodgers gave us a few of her thoughts regarding her role.
Rodgers on musicals:
“I’ve been directing a lot of musicals in this city and having a ball with it and just loving it. I’ve done the last three seasons at Gateway Theatre. I directed Emily, My Fair Lady and last year, Guys and Dolls.
But before that I have been a professional actor for over 15 years and I did perform in musicals years ago. But it’s been a while and I am just thrilled to be back on the stage, singing, (laughs) kicking up my heels.”
Danny Kim, Sarah Rodgers and Aaron Lau in TUTS' production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Photo by Tim Matheson.
Rodgers on preparing for the role:
“I have to learn a Chinese accent, and in all honesty, I have to learn a very over-the-top, stereotypical, and for lack of a better word, a bad Chinese accent. Because I play a character who thinks she’s a wonderful actor. There’s a lovely footnote in the script that says ‘it is not important that Mrs Meers’ Chinese accent be good, but it is important that she thinks it is good (laughs).’
I worked with a student of mine [at UBC] who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Canada. He sat down with me and I taped him and he helped me greatly with the accent. I also had to do a lot of work. . . . a lot of coaching and work on singing, just because I haven’t sung, myself, in many years. So of course, I’ve been working privately on that. Just prepping and preparing vocally.”
Rodgers on the 1967 film version of Thoroughly Modern Millie:
“I am a huge fan and I was probably not born when the movie came out. But, they were showing it in reruns. My mother and I would watch it on the television every year. I’m a huge fan of Mary Tyler Moore and Julie Andrews. So, I know the film inside out, love it, love it, love it! [In the play] the character Mrs Meers is very different, which is fun for me. I’m reinventing it and making it completely new because she doesn’t play her as an Asian woman in the film at all. They’ve totally changed it, they’ve made it even campier and it is a crazy, crazy depiction.
But of course it’s supposed to be a real send-up on the woman and I end up going to jail, I think, for my bad accent (laughs). Mrs. Meers ends up going to jail and the Asian sidekick gets the beautiful girl, so it all works out well in the end.”
Rodgers on playing the villain:
“I’m loving it and I would say that it’s a new venture for me as an actor. I’m not used to playing the villains, or the old broad. I wake up one morning and suddenly I’m playing the old broad in the show. When did that happen? I’ve been playing ingénues all my life (laughs), I’m used to playing the Mary Tyler Moore role. It’s a great comic role, wonderful, wonderful comic role. It’s a great character part and it’s fun being the bad guy. Who knew?”
Rodgers on Beatrice Lillie:
“From the film itself, I am a huge fan of Beatrice Lillie and a lot of people of this generation don’t know [her]. But Bea Lillie was a famous vaudevillian actress and she was also, a lot of people called her the first female comedian. I am so honoured to be playing a Beatrice Lillie role. I’m beside myself.
There’s one thing that she does in the film which is absolutely ridiculous. She barks at the boys. She barks at them and she says ‘shu sho, shu sho.’ Of course the first thing I wanted to know was what does ‘shu sho’ mean, because that’s the one bit of Chinese that she uses in the film. She says it quite a lot and in a way that you think she’s saying hurry up, hurry up, get going, ‘shu sho.’ And it means absolutely nothing, I found out. , Well I put it into the show. I do it twice in the show and that’s a treat really for the diehards.”
Tickets are still available through Tickets Tonight. Thoroughly Modern Millie plays every other night at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park at 8 pm until August 22nd.
Musicals in Vancouver 