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Actress Christie L. Kiska has crafted a number of performances at the Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, but at home of late she has inhabited an all new role: Thoroughly Modern Mommy.

Kiska's daughter, Madelyn, will be almost four months old on the eve of her mother's return to live theater in the title role of Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan's "Thoroughly Modern Millie," opening Friday.

"It's been wonderful," said Kiska, who shares the role with actress Jesse Palmer. "I've missed it so much, especially the physicality of the role."

The character is a perfect fit for Kiska, who began her on-stage career as a dancer, before meeting her inner-actress, as well as her husband Trey, in Way Off Broadway's revival of "Grease."

But Millie, originally immortalized by Julie Andrews in the 1967 film, has been the highlight.

"It's been a dream role of mine for a long, long time," she said. "It's my biggest role so far at Way Off Broadway. And it's been a nice vacation from being a stay at home mom."

"Millie" began life at the cinema in the Andrews-led frolic that co-starred no less than Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing. Set in the roaring twenties, the story follows small town Kansas girl Millie Dillmount who makes way for the Big Apple with designs to marry for money, but instead finds flapper finery, dastardly villains, and, of course, true love along the way. In 2002, the tale took Broadway by Tony Award-winning storm, taking home six honors – including Best Musical.

Although familiar with the production's score, Kiska said she has never seen the Broadway version – but cites originating actress Sutton Foster as a role model. Following the lead of Way Off Broadway, which largely adheres to the stage version yet takes cues from the film, Kiska said she has borrowed bits and pieces of previous Millie portrayals while still "adding my own personal flare."

"Flare" appears to be a keyword for Millie, a show traditionally dance-heavy.

"It's just a lot of fun dancing," said choreographer Amanda Parker. "It's a lot of high-energy stuff. Everyone's been working really hard and doing a good job mastering the steps. It's infatuating. Just awesome to watch."

Parker, a dance instructor at Dance Unlimited in Frederick, began working with Way Off Broadway six years ago as a performer with the children's theater. Prior to "Millie," she choreographed the company's premiere of "The Goodbye Girl."

"It's great to go back," she said. "They always have such a great group of people to work with."

And where this show is concerned — the signature dance numbers of the 20s are no slouches, either.

"It's been so fun," said Parker. "Lots of Charleston, lots of hand-clapping. It's been awesome pulling steps from that era."

Kiska concurs regarding the cast, which boasts such Way Off Broadway regulars as Jordan Stocksdale, Tina Ghanchilar, Paul Chamerlain, Jessica Billones, Trey T. Kiska, Shawn Nakia, and Susan Thornton, with an ensemble including Lauren Ebbin, Lance Hayes, Erica Loy, David McClintock, Darnell Morris, Jenni Muller, Mike Muller, Laurie Newton, Jeremy Trammelle, and Tina M. Vogtman.

"The majority are what people call Triple Threats — they sing, act and dance," Kiska said. "Sometimes that's difficult to come by when you're doing community theater. But we absolutely have that with everyone in the cast."

By ‘Modern' standards, that sounds like a sure thing.