Question re: Cheno and "Thoroughly Modern Millie"

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:27am

Hey all

I recently saw on the IMDB trivia section that Kristin Chenoweth was offered Miss Dorothy in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" but turned it down to do her sitcom. However, I had long been under the impression that she was to have played the title role. Anyone?

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:29am

Nope. She did workshops as Miss Dorothy with Erin Dilly as Millie, however Chenoweth left the show long before the La Jolla production. [I believe she was replaced by Sarah Uriaarte Berry, and she by Angela Christian.]

[Katurian2]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:32am

Aw= she would be so sweet in this role!

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:36am

She actually played both roles in workshops. Originally she was Miss Dorothy, but after her sucess for YAGM Charlie Brown hit, she was asked to audition for Millie. Later, she left so she could work on her sitcom.
From kristenchenoweth.com:

I was doing the workshop for Thoroughly Modern Millie, which I was supposed to do. I was originally cast as Miss Dorothy and after Charlie Brown kind of hit, Michael Mayer (director of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Thoroughly Modern Millie) asked if I would consider auditioning for Millie because they were having trouble finding the right person. Of course, I had no problem auditioning – I would love to play that role. So, I went in and auditioned, and got the part.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:57am

Too bad. If she had stayed with the show, as Miss Dorothy, she could've spent every night kissing that adorable Ken Leung

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 2:53pm

Not to start gossip or anything, but I've often wondered if she would have felt uncomfortable working with Marc Kudisch, wasn't this around the time they broke off their engagement?

[zoran912]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 3:23pm

Who knows? Maybe that's a contributing factor.

I'm really glad the casting worked out the way it did. Without it, we wouldn't have any clue about Sutton Foster!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 3:25pm

She was def Millie in at least 1 workshop.

[BroadwayDoc]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 3:29pm

She performs on the demo as well.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 3:55pm

How is it?

Kristin Chenoweth and Marc Kudisch were engaged?

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 3:58pm

Chenoweth and Kudisch were a couple for some years. They met on a blind date, they were together by the time she won the Tony for You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, and worked together in the Thoroughly Modern Millie workshops.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 4:05pm

Funny.

I need to pick up the Broadway tabloids more often :P

[adamized88]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 4:44pm

i think susan egan was involved in some original workshops where cheno was dorothy and susan was millie - i know susan played millie after sutton on broadway - but i once interviewed susan and she mentioned that she and kristen had workshoped it before sutton was involved

just a tidbit - got it from susan but don't have articles or info to back it up

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 4:46pm

Workshop/reading chronology:
http://www.geocities.com/milliedillmount/history.html#reading

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 6:07pm

Thank you for the website. I find the whole process fascinating! I would have loved Bea Arthur and Tonya Pinkins (thought I also adore Harriet Harris and Sheryl Lee Ralph). So exciting!

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:46pm

I definitely see Cheno as Dorothy over Millie..

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 11:50pm

One thing struck me from reading this: poor Jim Stanek. After playing Hero in the revival of Forum he's not heard from again for years, he is then cast as Jimmy in the out-of-town tryout of Millie and is replaced before the Broadway opening. He eventually resorts to playing a "Footman" in The Rivals only to be cast finally as a lead again in Lestat, which as we know is going to be a tremendous flop.

And the funny thing is, as far as showbiz is concerned, he's been very successful!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 11:52pm

I feel the same way. (And thought he was a lot of fun in Lestat.)

He was also a standby in "Saturday Night." Did he ever actually go on?

[cooperross]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 11:28pm

actually the workshop recording I have of TMM has Cheno as Millie.