Marcia Milgrom Dodge is a director, choreographer and writer for the stage. After working in regional theatre, off-Broadway and elsewhere for thirty years, Dodge directed and choreographed her first Broadway production, a revival of Ragtime in 2009. The production received 7 Tony Award Nominations including one for Dodge for Best Director of a Musical.
Dodge was born in Detroit, Michigan (where Hello, Dolly! premiered) , grew up in Southfield, Michigan and attended Vandenberg and Adlai Stevenson Elementary Schools and Birney Junior High graduating from Southfield-Lathrup High School in 1973.

As a child, she took dance lessons at the Julie Adler School of Dance in Oak Park, Michigan. She is the daughter of Myron and Jacqueline Milgrom, and her sisters are Carole Lasser, Paula Milgrom and Marianne Milgrom Bloomberg. Dodge received her degree in Speech Communication and Theatre at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating in 1977. Upon graduation, Dodge moved to New York City pursuing a career as a choreographer. Her Kennedy Center production of Ragtime received four 2010 Helen Hayes Awards including one for her for Best Director, Resident Musical.

In its glorious opening tableau, "Ragtime" finds its purest, most exhilarating Expression . . More successfully than the lavish Broadway original -- Dodge manages to make the idea of a turbulently evolving America the star. . ."
-- Peter Marks, Washington Post

"Can less truly be more? 

Director and choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge gives a definitive answer to that often-asked question with her glorious, high-powered revival of Ragtime, now at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater. Dodge has carved away some of the original Broadway production indulgences, and, as a result, the story of America becoming itself in the early part of the 20th century evokes even stronger emotions
than before."
-- Michael Toscano, DC Metro

"Director/choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge concentrates on telling the story, not competing with the memory of the earlier production. Her swirl of the full cast in the openings of both acts are beautiful pieces of
stagecraft."
-- Brad Hathaway, Potomacstages.com

Marcia and I sat down and discussed Dolly and her approach just before she directed her production of Dolly at The Jupiter Maltz Theatre in Florida. She looked at this classic American musical with fresh new eyes BUT with much respect to the original craftsmen of this musical. This isn't Marcia's first involvement with Dolly. She played Minnie Fay years before with Mary Ellen Ashley as Dolly. Mary Ellen told me that Marcia was the tallest Minnie Fay she had ever seen. Mary Ellen said she was an absolute delight and loved working with her. Marcia is respectful of the powers that be that came together to create Dolly, but she is also relying on her own instincts to make this show reliable to newer audiences. With  the late great Gary Beach, who Marcia said is very much in the David Burns arena of Comedy and Vicki Lewis who brought a sexuality to the role, they put their own stamp on this classic musical.

Lewis told Dodge at the time that she would follow her anywhere.

She was inspired with the look and feel from photos she saw of Hearst castle on a to San Simeon, California.
Hello, Dolly! has local ties, too. Its original Broadway costumes were designed by former Tequesta resident Freddy Wittop, with many that can still be seen in the permanent collection of the Costume World Broadway Collection, a theatrical museum dedicated to Broadway costuming in Boca Raton in Florida.
“We are ecstatic to be ending our season with a large-scale, song-and-dance extravaganza that will truly excite our audiences, and hopefully whet their appetites to renew their subscriptions for our upcoming 10th anniversary season,” said Andrew Kato, the Theatre’s artistic director. “People of all ages will love this show.”

Gary Beach said to me at the time, " I'd just say that this is my fifth production with MMD and I'm looking forward to the sixth.  I love the way she's not afraid to shake these old chestnuts like "Dolly" up a bit, and make them "new"."

 Director and Star Deliver Fresh Hello Dolly As If It’s Brand New

And another! Dodge’s direction is fluid, incorporating the set’s pair of moving staircases in varied ways.
As choreographer, she gives the dancing waiters a lengthy razzle-dazzle tap number, and she showcases Loehr’s impressive control and flexibility.
Many of the performances of Hello, Dolly! are already sold out. There is, and always will be, great affection for this tuneful adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker. For the way this Dolly is sung, Dodge and the cast do deserve the crowd’s thunderous applause.
-Christine Dolan, Miami Herald

To learn more about Marcia Milgrom Dodge, please visit her website.

Here is a recent Interview with Marcia: BWW Interview: Tony-nominated Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge Talks RAGTIME

Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge discusses her vision and process for the new Kennedy Center production of the Broadway musical 'Ragtime,' playing April 18-May 17, 2009 in the Eisenhower Theater in Washington, DC. The video features a peek at the cast rehearsing the title number. From 10 Years Ago. See HERE

Updated 4/28/19