About the work
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical by Jeanine Tesori (music) and Dick Scanlan (lyrics) with a book by Richard Morris and Scanlan, premiered on Broadway in 2002. Based on the 1967 film of the same name, it won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Plot
In 1920s New York, the young Millie Dillmount arrives from the provinces, determined to become a "modern" woman and marry a rich man. She takes a room in a hotel whose owner secretly traffics young women. While Millie fights for a job as a stenographer and for love, she becomes entangled in a turbulent comedy of mistaken identities, crime, and the irresistible charm of the Roaring Twenties.
Cultural significance
Thoroughly Modern Millie celebrates the spirit of the 1920s with tap dance, jazz, and exuberant wit. Jeanine Tesori's first major Broadway score already displayed her stylistic range. The work became a popular repertoire piece, capturing the energy of the flapper era and the spirit of young, self-determined women.