Willow Glen Resident
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Photograph courtesy of Marquee Productions
Thoroughly Charming: Elizabeth Earnheart and Children's Musical Theater San Jose alum Ian Leonard star in 'Thoroughly Modern Millie,' opening April 20 at the Montgomery Theater. Earnheart plays Millie Dillmount, a Kansan looking for a wealthy husband in New York. Leonard portrays Jimmy Smith, a charming but penniless bachelor.
Michael Mulcahy jumps back on the stage for a fundraiser
By Alicia Upano
Willow Glen resident Michael Mulcahy may have spent many of his younger years on stage, but he took over the family business in 2000 and became one of the most visible businessmen on Lincoln Avenue.
On April 20, Mulcahy returns to the theater in Thoroughly Modern Millie, in which he plays a character not too far from reality--a businessman, the successful and debonair Trevor Graydon.
"I was very interested to get back on stage," said Mulcahy, who ran for mayor last year. "There's really not much that compares to the energy and excitement that's created by a production."
Mulcahy also performed two years ago in Marquee Productions' inaugural show, Chess. Marquee Productions was created by Children's Musical Theater San Jose to serve two purposes--to provide opportunities for working actors to perform in this area, and to raise funds for CMT. Marquee Productions features an all-adult cast, some of whom are CMT alumni, and all of whom donate their time to the production.
Millie is directed and choreographed by Kevin Hauge, artistic director of CMT. Marquee Productions chose Millie because of its appeal to modern audiences, with the charm of a bygone era, Hauge said.
The story takes place in 1922 in New York City, when Millie Dillmount leaves Kansas in hopes of finding a wealthy husband in the Big Apple. Millie's first boss is Mulcahy's character, Trevor Graydon. The title role is played by Elizabeth Earnheart, and her opposite, Ian Leonard, is a CMT alum who plays Jimmy Smith, a charming and penniless bachelor. The show has won many Tony awards, including Best Musical, since it opened on Broadway in 2001.
Along with Mulcahy, Willow Glen residents Brittany Ogle and Frank Mulcahy will be singing and dancing in the musical. Like his nephew Frank, Mulcahy is a CMT alum.
Beginning at the age of 6, Mulcahy was a performer in plays at CMT, professional shows in San Francisco and television commercials. He continued to be involved with CMT as an adult, and served as its executive director from 1993 to 2000. He continues to serve on its board.
Today, he is managing director of his family's real estate and investment firm, SDS NexGen Partners, which owns the Garden Theater, among other properties in Willow Glen. He is also president of the Willow Glen Business Association.
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" opens on April 20 at the Montgomery Theater, 291 S. Market St., and runs until April 29. For more information, visit www.marqueeproductions.org or call 408.288.5437.
