When one has been in the theater game as long as Judith Miller, there are many touchstones that serve as a credit to longevity. One of those is taking place at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley through the world premiere musical “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,” directed by artistic director Giovanna Sardelli. Miller is making her TheatreWorks debut in the show, an adaptation of a play she’s done twice before, the first time nearly 40 years ago.
The musical, adapted from Ed Graczyk’s 1976 play, follows the Disciples of James Dean, an all-female fan club that meets at a local Texas drugstore to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Dean’s death, where they deeply examine their own lives.
Both of Miller’s previous performances in Graczyk’s play were with San Jose Stage Company, first in 1986 when the company was in its infancy and housed in an old auto body shop just steps from its longtime present home.
Up to now, her high-tech day job kept her from performing with TheatreWorks, where daytime rehearsals are required. Her recent retirement freed her up during the day, and a longtime connection with TheatreWorks associate director of casting Jeffrey Lo ultimately led to a role in the musical adaptation, created by the trio of Ashley Robinson (book), Dan Gillespie Sells (music) and Shakina (lyrics).
Miller, who plays Loretta, says the show resonates with her more now than she performed in the original version. She points specifically to her being a breast cancer survivor (in the play, the character Sissy survived the same) and raising a transgender child.
“There’s a lot of depth to this play for me and the things these people are experiencing,” Miller says. “I grew up in Oklahoma, so I understand that sort of regional mentality. It’s not Texas, but it’s similar in terms of conservativeness, so there’s a lot more depth to my understanding, in addition to the fact that with age comes wisdom.”
That wisdom has been something Sardelli finds invaluable.
“Judith is one of those actors who always knows where to be onstage; her instincts are wonderful,” Sardelli says. “She knows the story she wants to tell, and knows how the character she is playing feels about every moment. There is a rich specificity and nuance to her work, and when you have someone onstage who is that present and grounded in their work, it helps everyone in the room.”
Lo reached a similar conclusion in his many collaborations with Miller.
“No matter the role, Judith brings a strength and gravitas to the stage, and you can’t help but lean in and watch her,” Lo said. “In rehearsal, she is always a joy to have in the room. She leads by example with her hard work ethic and a warm smile.”
Miller is quick to ensure the praise of both Lo and Sardelli is warranted. It has been many years since she’s worked at larger theater companies. Now, Miller is taking full advantage of the opportunity.
“Many theaters I work in are minimally staffed, so it’s such a blessing for TheatreWorks to have this core of people there to support the production in every way possible,” she says.
Even though this is her third go-around with the material, the thrill of building a world premiere musical is very much brand-new.
“It’s fascinating to be part of a new work like this, and even though I’ve done the play, it really is new material and a new character that I did not play, which is a different perspective of the story,” Miller said. “I come into work every day feeling just so grateful to be here experiencing this kind of thing.”
“Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean: A New Musical” runs June 18-July 13 (opening night June 21) at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. Tickets are $34-$115 at theatreworks.org.
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association and a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (‘22-‘23); @davidjchavez.bsky.social.
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