P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525
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P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525 |
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Mike McMillian - The Complete Story By: Roy Riedy |
I discovered when I started rewriting the range of Mike McMillian's activities at HLT to include his recent Zenon Award that I had inadvertently left out an important portion of Mike's early work at the Little Theatre, the following paragraphs should set straight that error.
Mike's association with Highlands Little Theatre started with his working on the set construction of Director Frank Oberhausen's My Fair Lady in March,1990, the third play of HLT's Sixteenth Season. In the April, 1990 HLT Newsletter his name appeared as having been selected as a waiter in the June, 1990, presentation of Director Janelou Buck's musical Hello Dolly and in August, 1990 Mike's name appeared in the Production Staff section of the program of Tena Pollard's presentation of Woody Allan's comedy Don't Drink The Water. Mike ended the Sixteenth Season with his name appearing in the October issue of HLT's Newsletter, where he was listed with the names of several other new members of that season.
Director Jet Hansen opened the Seventeenth Season with Rodger's and Hammerstein's masterpiece, Oklahoma! Its program listed Mike as the "Dream Curley" in the list of its Cast of Characters and on the Production page Mike's name appeared as part of the set construction crew.
The third show of the Seventeenth Season was Meredith Willson's celebrated The Music Man directed by Frank Oberhausen, and again Mike's name appeared as part of the set construction crew. In June, Mike was listed once again as being involved in set construction for Tena Pollard's multi-Zenon winning musical Little Shop of Horrors. This was the last show that Mike was involved in at HLT until he returned eight years later at the beginning of the Twenty-sixth Season in November, 1999, to work with the set construction team of John Lovelette's outstanding production of Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Since his return to the Lakeside Playhouse and his work with "Cuckoo" Mike's name has appeared in every one of the following HLT play programs as either an actor, on a production staff, or as a Master Chef. His name has also appeared in the last four Zenon programs as either a stage manager, a nominee, or as a Zenon winner.
Mike acted in the reprise of Annie Get Your Gun as Mac, in January, 2000; he was a Royal Guard in the January, 2001 edition of The King and I, and a Gambler in the 2002 production of Guys and Dolls. In August, 2002, he was a member of the "fly crew" for Melanie Boulay's soaring presentation of Peter Pan. He ended the Twenty-eighth Season by serving as the Stage Manager of the Seventeenth Zenon Ceremonies.
Mike started his directing career at HLT when he was given the opportunity by Frank Oberhausen and Kathy MacNeill to be their Co-Assistant Director with Anne Phillips Hill for the Oberhausen-MacNeill reprise of Man of La Mancha in November, 2002.
In January, 2003, Mike worked as a Light Technician and a member of the set construction team for Director Pete Pollard's revival of Steel Magnolias. In February he was honored with a Gracie Award. The award statement read: "Thank you Mike for all of your hard work at set construction and HLT Scholarship Committeee Fundraisers. Mike donates a lot of time to the theatre . . . especially since he drives all the way from Venus every time! We really appreciate all you do for HLT."
Mike was listed as a Master Chef in the program for Brigadoon in March, 2003, and in April the HLT Newsletter reported that Mike has successfully completed the Certified Food Managers Course the previous month
In the June, 2003 program for Director Allen Branch's debut production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Mike's name appeared as the play's Stage Manager. At the following October Zenon Celebration, Mike received an nomination as Best Stage Manager for The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The Thirtieth Season opened with Melanie Boulay's delightful revue I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change for which Mike was the co-producer with Jean Brown, he was also a member of a Set Design Trio, a member of the Video Production Team, and headed the Set Construction Team.
In the December, 2003 HLT Newsletter, an article announced that Mike has become "HLT's Newest qualified director," armed with these credentials, Mike submitted the musical show Hoodwinked as a possible play for the upcoming season. This request became a reality in May, 2005, when both local papers announced that Hoodwinked would be the opening play of the Thirty-second Season at HLT in November, 2006.
In January, 2004, Mike was the Set Construction Manager with Larry Wollangk for Mike Logsdon's Zenon winning comedy Out of Order. At the following show, Jennifer Westergom's The Scarlet Pimpernel, Mike served with Mark Elliott as the big winning musical's Light Technicians. In August, Mike was seen as one of the apostles in Tammie Pollard's brilliant presentation of Jesus Christ, Superstar. He ended the season by receiving three nominations at the Nineteenth Annual Zenon Ceremonies which included Best Producer for I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change; and two Production/Technical Discretionary Awards, one for video work, and the other for lighting.
Mike wore five hats in the opening show of the Thirty-first Season, The Music Man, again directed by Frank Oberhausen. Mike performed the duties of Co-Assistant Director with Holly Elliott, was responsible for the Sound Design with Peter Pollard, served as a Sound Technician with Tommy Curcio, and also made an appearance on stage as a citizen of the River City; he could also be seen in the kitchen as a Master Chef of the Gourmet Division earlier on several evenings.
In August, 2005 Mike was the Assistant Director for Melanie Boulay and Jennifer Westergom's revival of Kander and Ebb's outstanding musical comedy Cabaret. He also contributed to the perfection of the show by being its Master Set Builder, Light Technician and working on the construction of the set. The show broke all Zenons records by winning 14 of a possible 15 awards which included a Best Assistant Director Zenon which went to Mike.
In November, 2005, Mike directed his first play, the musical comedy Hoodwinked which became a great favorite with the audiences that saw it. Mike's most recently documented work at HLT was recorded in the program for Denise Miriani's January, 2006 thriller Wait Until Dark where his name appeared on the Menu page as one of the Gourmet Chairs and Master Chefs.
At this moment in time Mike McMillian's name has appeared in 34 programs of the 145 plays given at HLT, almost one-quarter of all the productions presented by the organization; an outstanding number for a member who has been active for less than eight years. Congratulations Mike on your many achievements, you have shown all of us what a true volunteer can accomplish.
