A Star is Literally Born
This was a real treat to find.
One of the backstage legends of recent Broadway lore is how Sutton Foster was an understudy for the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie when it was trying out in its world premiere production at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego back in 2020. But during rehearsals, the producers just felt that the actress in the lead role wasn't working out the way they wanted. However, rather than bring in a star actress to take over the lead, they decided to go with the understudy, even though she had almost no Broadway experience -- and had never been the lead in a Broadway show.
And she went on to win the Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for the show. And a few years later won her second Tony Award.
So, that's the legend. And what the treat is that, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Broadway opening of Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002, they've released a video that's a almost 14-minute montage of Sutton Foster in that pre-Broadway world premiere tryout of Thoroughly Modern Mille in San Diego in 2000.
The montage includes the title song opening number, "Stumbling" (which was cut before Broadway, with Sarah Uriarte Berry as Miss Dorothy) "You Can Count on Me" (also cut prior to New York, with Jim Stanek as Jimmy), and one of her showstopping numbers, "Gimme Gimme," along with the curtain call.
This then is a very young, totally unknown Sutton Foster, not just at the start of her career, but right as it was about to skyrocket. No, not this specific performance, but during this World premiere, pre-Broadway run. There's something fascinating, even almost electric about watching quite literally a star being born as it's happening and seeing the "backstage legend" unfold in almost real time, as a person's life is changing in front of you. This isn't the 42nd Street cliché, this is actually -- You're going out a nobody and coming back A Star!
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