A Broadway-bound show "Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing" is making its premiere at the tiny Vineyard Playhouse before shooting off to the Great White Way.
James Lapine, the writer/director is a Pulitzer Prize and multiple Tony award winner, best known for his collaborations with Stephen Sondheim. The star of the brand new musical Debra Monk has a Tony and an Emmy, as well as numerous other awards to her credit. The very funny Brad Oscar who replaced Nathan Lane in the Producers on Broadway is a Tony nominee. Larry Bryggman is a former TV soap star with multiple honors for his theater, TV and film work. The musical director Michael Starobin is one of the most successful and prolific composers/orchestrators in the entertainment biz.
However, the biggest star of this star-studded show is the real-life Mrs. Miller, whose life the play is based on. The most unlikely diva that the American star-making machine has ever churned out, Elva Miller was an obscure middle-aged housewife whose meteoric rise to fame in the 60s is the stuff of marketing hype legend. Her ridiculous off-key operatic style and "housedress chic" made her the perfect pre-American Idol anti-star, as she recorded hits of the day, including many with drug and sexual references (White Rabbit and Wild Thing to name a few) in a side-splitting warble that earned her the distinction of "The Worst Pop Singer in History"
The play features many of the greatest hits from the era, a cast that includes lots of young talented actors from New York, fun costumes and imaginative sets and, as always at the Vineyard Playhouse, a level of professionalism and production values that rival big city theater.
This is a rare opportunity to see a BIG, FUN, ALL-STAR production in an intimate setting - before crowds are lining up for tickets to catch it on Broadway. How exciting is that for September on the VIneyard!
"Mrs Miller Does Her Thing" - thru Oct 4. For tix call 508-696-6300 or go to www.vineyardplayhouse.org
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