It’s Friday night, and nerves are running high.

The lights are bright. The pressure’s on. And there’s not an empty seat in the house.

You might think I’m getting into a story about the Friday night lights at The Pit, but it’s actually about something else that’s great for your weekend plans. It’s musical season once again, with the Elder Seton Performing Arts society celebrating their 44th year of shows with a performance of Thoroughly Modern Millie to bring the house down.

Based off a ‘60’s flick starring Julie Andrews, the story features a young girl from Kansas who moves to the Big Apple in hopes of starting a new life in the big city. She goes on some big adventures, meets some new people, and ultimately finds success in the land of opportunity.

Following up last year’s production of Shrek! The Musical, the play is a good bet to be another success by the masterminds behind it all, music directors Mr. Dave Allen and Ms. Jordan Schad.

They both had great things to say about the cast, and encourage anyone to come and see what they’ve worked so hard to put together

Ms. Schad had nothing but great things to say about the group of people that made the show happen,

“We decided on the play because it was one we’d never done before, so thought it would be a cool experiment to try,” said Ms. Schad. “So far it’s been a lot of fun to do. We have great leads, who are all brilliant at what they do.”

Dave Allen also made it clear that this isn’t a show you’ll want to miss.

“There’s a lot of great singing and dancing. We will also have instrumental music featuring the Cincinnati Metropolitan Orchestra. Come and enjoy a great show, and have a wonderful evening,” said Mr. Allen

The play will star veterans Kalie Kaimann and Anthony Ciarla in the lead roles, with familiar names like Nick Gibbs, Anna Lindle, and Cierra Watkins contributing their awesome musical talents to the effort.

“I had a lot of fun working with Anthony again. He was the Shrek to my Fiona last year, so we are both pretty comfortable with each other on stage. It’s been so fun to create a show with everyone in the cast. We all worked really hard together to share a great story with the audience,” said Kaimann.

“As far as the show goes, it literally has it all! The costumes are ordered straight from Broadway, the music is beautiful, and it’s hilarious! Look out for the Chinese guys – they are hysterical. Be ready to have fun!”

The show’s other main lead, Anthony Ciarla, went into nice detail about what makes this year’s show so very special.

“Millie is an absolutely amazing show. We have huge dance numbers, great actors and actresses, and the music in the show is phenomenal. This year we have an especially good group of talent which is exactly why we were able to pull off such a great and huge show. It is a show for all ages and anyone who sees it will be intrigued by the 20’s era show.”

“I loved being able to be a part of Millie because of the bonds and friendships I have made with so many people. As you really get the show moving, you get to know the whole cast and it really is awesome. Another great aspect is watching the actors really grow into the parts they play. They get a good feel for the role and as soon as that happens you can see them take off running with great new ideas and mannerisms for the characters,” said Ciarla.

“Overall, Millie has been my favorite show to perform, and definitely one you should come out to see this weekend.”

Performances for the show include this Wednesday April 15^th, to go along with shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tickets for all weekend performances are $12 for reserved seating, but you’ll only have to pay $9 and sit anywhere you want if you make it Wednesday.

Unless you have plans already, there is not really a good reason to miss out on this chance to see some of the best musical talents Elder and Seton have to offer, and witness the payoff of months and hardwork to prepare for these performances.

The show will undoubtedly give you the best bang for your buck, so come to Seton’s auditorium this weekend to see your fellow classmates showcase their talents in this year’s Elder-Seton musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie!