HITS to Open Miller Outdoor Theatre’s 90th Season with Thoroughly Modern Millie
HITS Theatre is honored to open Miller Outdoor Theatre’s 90th Anniversary season with the Tony award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie on April 4-6 and 11-13 at 8 p.m.
Every year since 1987, HITS Theatre has partnered with the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board to produce a Broadway-style musical at Miller Outdoor Theatre.
HITS Theatre provides talented students in grades 4-12 cast in Thoroughly Modern Millie with the unique experience of performing before a large audience at Miller Outdoor Theatre in a full-scale theatrical production. The all-youth cast features 53 HITS students from throughout Greater Houston.
“We chose Thoroughly Modern Millie to showcase our young talent and the journey that each one of our kids, especially our seniors, has made,” HITS Executive Artistic Director JoAnne Woodard said. “There is no better place for our students to experience this than on this fabulous stage with a professional orchestra and the wonderful Miller crew. To open Miller’s 90th Anniversary of providing free performing arts experiences for everyone to treasure is truly an honor for HITS Theatre.”
Millie will be played by Hattie Marks, a senior at Memorial High School and a National YoungArts finalist in theater. As a National YoungArts finalist, Marks was one of 152 finalists from across the country to travel to Miami for YoungArts Week in early January. During YoungArts Week, Marks participated in master classes, workshops and talks with renowned artists such as Marisa Tomei, culminating in a showcase of all the finalists work. Marks has been a student at HITS Theatre for five years and Thoroughly Modern Millie is her fifth show with HITS at her favorite place, Miller Outdoor Theatre. Marks starred as Tracy in HITS Theatre’s production of Hairspray at Miller Outdoor Theatre in 2011.
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a high-spirited musical set in the Roaring Twenties with an exciting plot and endearing characters that the whole family is sure to enjoy. This charming musical follows Millie Dillmount, a small town girl with big dreams, who moves to New York City. Once she steps off the train, she quickly realizes that life in the city may not be exactly as she imagined. Thoroughly Modern Millie showcases the thrill of an era when women were entering the workforce, bobbing their hair and changing societal norms. The show features vibrant dance numbers and lively tunes that will entertain audiences and transport them to the Roaring Twenties.
From daytime programs especially for young children to family friendly evening performances of music, dance, theatre and more, and admission is FREE!
For a complete schedule, visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com.
Free tickets are available on a first-come first-serve basis (four per person over age 16 while they last) at the Miller Outdoor Theatre box office the day of the performance between the hours of 10:30 a.m.―1 p.m. for assigned seating under the canopy. If tickets remain at 1 p.m., the box office will re-open one hour before show time to distribute the remaining tickets. As always, open seating on the hill.
Under normal circumstances, all unoccupied/unclaimed seats are released five minutes before the show is scheduled to begin. We encourage all patrons to be in their assigned seats at least 10 minutes before showtime to insure that their seat is not released. Again, there is NO charge for tickets. Tickets may not be reserved by phone. Only four (4) tickets per person. At managements’ discretion, all unoccupied seats may be released at any time for any reason.
About HITS Theatre
HITS Theatre is a leading performing arts education organization for young people in the Houston metropolitan area. HITS Theatre provides a performance-based curriculum for students in grades 1-12 through after-school and weekend classes held throughout the year and taught by skilled professionals.
HITS Theatre provides a quality performing arts education in a safe, nurturing environment for young people to learn and grow as performers and individuals. HITS programs serve 750 to 800 students per year, with 10 to 15 percent of those students receiving partial or full needs-based scholarships.
Photo of Hattie Marks courtesy of HITS Theatre.