By JOHN BENSON

Special to The Gazette

Big and splendid is what the Cooperative Alliance of Medina Entertainment Organizations (CAMEO) has in store for its sixth annual summer musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” which runs weekends July 25 through Aug. 3 in the Medina Performing Arts Center.

“We always pick a very grand production,” said CAMEO Administration Manager Terry Stancin Spetrino. “A show that’s family friendly, can spotlight the talent that’s available and has really strong music and strong dancing. In fact, this year we wanted to feature more of the dancing. So there will be some fantastic tap dancing in this show with some very talented dancers, as well as singers, performers and actors.”

With a cast of about 30 people led by veteran actor-director Bill Hoffman, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” is a high-spirited, zany musical set in 1922 New York City. The plot revolves around a young woman in search of a new life at a time when women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing forever.

Since its Broadway revival a few years ago, the fun production, which was based on a 1967 feature film starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Channing and Pat Morita, has become a popular community show around the nation. More so, it fits perfectly into the CAMEO mindset of bringing blockbuster-type musical theater to the Medina area.

“‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ is the largest theatrical event this summer in Medina County,” Spetrino said. “It’s held in the Medina Performing Arts Center, which is really a truly amazing facility. A lot of communities begin by having shows and then looking for a place to perform, but actually the community in Medina built this fantastic state-of-the-art facility.”

Even though CAMEO performances — recent shows included “The King and I” and “Oklahoma!” — average 4,000 to 5,000 audience members annually, they believe there is room for growth. “Definitely people are still learning about it, and we’re trying to reach audiences outside of the immediate Medina County area,” Spetrino said. “We’d really like to consider this a regional theater, not just a community production. We are trying to reach a larger audience and bring more people to Medina.”

She added, “We have so much to show them, and I think with ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ people will be very entertained. It will be visually spectacular, and a very high-quality, stunning show that they can see in their backyard rather than having to go to Cleveland, pay enormous prices for parking and for a show.” Show times are at 7:30 p.m. July 25, 26 and 31, Aug. 1 and 2 and 2 p.m. July 27 and Aug. 3 at the Medina Performing Arts Center, 777 E. Union St., Medina. Tickets are $12. For more info, visit www.cameo-medina.org.

Benson may be reached at ididhear@aol.com.