Why did Erin Dilly leave Millie?

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 1:11am

Erin Dilly was originally Millie correct? What was the reason behind her leaving the show?

Posted: 11/2/05 at 1:21am

I heard she simply wasn't working out and I don't think it was her decision, although it was spun as a "mutual" decision. It's nice to see her have success in Chitty after the Millie and Martin disappointments. She's a real talent.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 7:38am

Really? I thought she got terribly ill -- not, like, deathly ill, but sick enough to where it wasn't just a a passing cold -- then Sutton went on and the rest is history.

[jasobres]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 7:41am

Erin Dilly was not Millie!
Millie was Cheno who was bueno!

(Why the hell am I rhyming???)

Anyway, the original Millie was Kristin Chenoweth, but she left because she had a choice between Millie and her mediocre self-titled television show. So she chose the latter, which was not a good choice in my opinion.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 7:51am

But Erin Dilly WAS Millie at one point. I think it was right after Cheno and I think Dilly was more instrumental in the whole originating thing than her, since Cheno left VERY early in the process.

But I could also have wrong information. LOL

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 7:57am

Sutton slipped her a Mickey Finn.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 9:37am

don't forget that Tony-winner Tonya Pinkins left Millie after the La Jolla tryout, as well.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 9:44am

"Anyway, the original Millie was Kristin Chenoweth, but she left because she had a choice between Millie and her mediocre self-titled television show. So she chose the latter, which was not a good choice in my opinion."

I think Kristin made out just fine. I don't think she made a bad choice at all, considering where her career has gone at this point.

[jasobres]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 10:57am

No, I was just criticizing her television show. Well, I'm a big Cheno fan, but when I saw the TV show, I immediately changed the channel.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 11:07am

"Thoroughly Modern Millie was at La Jolla Playhouse in late 2000...this was where Erin Dilly was Millie"

No...shortly before the show opened at La Jolla, Erin Dilly left the show and Sutton Foster replaced her. Sutton was Millie in La Jolla, I have the pictures to prove it.

[starlight2]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 11:44am

Jane Krakowski was also a "Millie" at one point?
By the way, and I do NOT mean to thread jack, but I read 2 weeks ago that the Women Of Faith conference had taken back their offer for Kristen to perform at their conference since she felt that Gay Rights were ok with her and because she was playing a lesbian in her upcoming movie. Does anyone know what has happened with this if anything?? And I think it is good for Kristen to break out of her "goody goody" persona by doing a role like this.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 11:50am

About the Kristin thing...that was posted on here awhile...should be able to find it if you do a search

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 12:26pm

Elaine Stritch was originally Millie. But then when she found out they wanted Bernadette Peters to play Miss Dorothy, she backed out.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 12:27pm

I actually heard that Kristin read for Miss Dorothy in the readings

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 1:54pm

The workshop had Kristin as Millie, David Campbell as Jimmy, and Amanda Serkasevich as Miss Dorothy. (Sutton was Ethel Peas.)

Posted: 11/2/05 at 2:09pm

I've never heard the Erin Dill health issues before. Heard several other explanations but never that one.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 2:27pm

Sorry to dig into private issues, but what sort of health issues?

Posted: 11/2/05 at 3:23pm

It doesn't sound like it was anything serious, Eponine. I dug up some articles surrounding her dismissal or departure, however you want to label it.

Here's an article from TheaterMania comparing Brad Oscar assuming the role in The Producers after Henry Goodman got canned to Sutton Foster winning the Millie role in the same way.

"Between your show and Thoroughly Modern Millie, this is really the Year of the Understudy. Erin Dilly missed some performances of Millie in La Jolla, Sutton Foster went on, the powers that be decided that they liked her better in the part...and it was so long, Dillie."

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/2197

Playbill also wrote an article on it.

"Many a journalist will miss the Erin Dilly-Thoroughly Modern Millie rhyme. The young actress, who made a splash in Babes in Arms and Martin Guerre, was set to perform the title role in the La Jolla Playhouse production, but several production meetings later, she and the creative team determined that Dilly would not be able to continue with the show."

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/55640.html

Posted: 11/2/05 at 3:26pm

Last link. Dilly gets some closure on the issue. Class act.

Que sera, sera," is what Erin Dilly trills if you mention her missing the Thoroughly Modern Millie boat. (She disembarked in San Diego last year, during tryouts.) "I have no ill will [about Millie], and the production is going to be phenomenal. I wish them all the best."

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm?int_news_id=1331

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 3:37pm

did they not find it risky to open the show with an understudy? I mean considering they wouldn't open Wicked on Bway w/ Block because she wasn't a big enough name. Or was it because Sutton got such outstanding reviews, that they openend it with her?

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 3:41pm

They took a chance (which doesn't happen often) and it paid off.

Sutton was lucky to have that chance taken on her -- and she deserved the chance.

Posted: 11/2/05 at 3:41pm

Good question.

Speculating, here. It's not like Dilly was a well-known actress when they gave her the role. Maybe they were hoping to make someone a star and they felt Sutton was the better bet once they saw her in the role. Updated On: 11/2/05 at 03:41 PM

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 4:29pm

You've got to give Sutton credit for stepping in and making such an impression. My guess is that Dilly was cast because (both in looks and talent) she's a lot like Julie Andrews. Sutton has a grittier, gutsier edge to her that, perhaps, the producers hadn't anticipated would work so well in the roll. I, myself, can't see Erin being that great as Millie, but perhaps that's just because I see it as a "Sutton" role. You've got to give Erin credit, too, for being a true lady in how she handled herself in interviews regarding her departure. Many actresses would have said nasty things that would have come across as sour-grapes. In some respects, I'm sure Erin FELT those things, but was wise not to voice them.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 7:01pm

Erin Dilly wanted to play Dolly, so she left Millie, which I think is rather silly.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 11/2/05 at 7:36pm

Well I don't really want to say anything, but my voice teacher is personal friends with Erin and from what I've heard from her Erin was sort of...I guess a mutual consent to leave so Sutton could play the role. Again, I don't REALLY want to say anything for sure because I'm not 100 percent sure, this conversation was a while ago.