The Flapper Dress
The iconic flapper dresses is a recurring image throughout the show. The dress signifies a shift from Millie's country life to her life as a modern, city woman. The women she surrounds herself are also dressed in short, fringe-filled flapper dresses. The flapper dresses are an iconic image of the roaring 1920s and serve to illustrate a progressive counterculture taking root in American society.
The Green Glass Necklace
Muzzy tells Millie a story about how a man she loved gave her a "green glass" necklace. At the time, men who didn't have the means to give their loves expensive pieces of jewelry would present them with something simple, but meaningful, like a piece of green glass. Muzzy was so in love with this man that she came to realize the piece of green glass meant as much to her as an emerald. Millie ultimately decides she wants a "green glass love" and lets herself fall for Jimmy.
Dancing as an Image
As a musical, naturally, Thoroughly Modern Millie is filled with exciting dance sequences. The dancing in Thoroughly Modern Millie represents the free and fun energy of the 1920s in Manhattan. The characters dance enthusiastically at a speakeasy and lavish parties. This allows characters like Millie and Jimmy to let go of their inhibitions. The dancing serves to illuminate their feelings for each other, revealing their true emotions through movement and spirit.
New York City
New York City is a different world for Millie, who was born and raised in Kansas. The set expertly captures the life of New York and the shift from an older, traditional culture to the new progressive wave taking root in the 1920s. The image of Manhattan permeates the show, and each character has a unique and loving relationship with the city. Millie is awed by New York, even after she is mugged as soon as she arrives. Muzzy devotes a whole song to her love of Manhattan and sings, "Hear what I'm saying, oh but it's grand, that's why I'm staying, right here as planned only in New York."
