Alley Mills traveled to New York for work and her spirit.
Alley Mills, understandably, took a break from acting after the sudden death of her husband, actor Norman Bean in February 2020. Prior to accepting a role on General Hospital as Heather Webber this year, she returned to the New York stage after receiving a call from an old pal. Now, Mills is sharing with Soap Hub how reuniting with a former co-star in New York City and other friends helped her move forward with her life.
Alley Mills — Moving Forward and Going Back to NYC
In a play called “Morning’s at Seven” that was off-Broadway, Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years), and other actors in the production, including Patty McCormack (‘The Bad Seed’; who briefly filled in for Leslie Charleson on GH as Monica Quartermaine), felt she would be ideal for, called Alley Mills about a year ago.
The only issue was that Mills, who was based in Los Angeles, had to leave for New York almost right away! It was the first assignment Mills accepted after Orson passed away, she tells Soap Hub.
In a play called “Morning’s at Seven” that was off-Broadway, Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years), and other actors in the production, including Patty McCormack (‘The Bad Seed’; who briefly filled in for Leslie Charleson on GH as Monica Quartermaine), felt she would be ideal for, called Alley Mills about a year ago.
The only issue was that Mills, who was based in Los Angeles, had to leave for New York nearly right away! It was the first assignment Mills accepted after Orson passed away, she tells Soap Hub.
Plot Twist
Fortunately, Mills and Bean had a pied-à-terre (small apartment) in New York City, so finding a place to stay wasn’t a problem when they had to swiftly depart for the Big Apple. Since I was a little child, I hadn’t performed in a play in New York, claims Mills. Mills, though, was moved by producer Julian Schlossberg’s proposal to further revitalize off-Broadway plays. “I reasoned that I could go to New York and watch the understudy [actor] while I learn the part, but I can’t learn the play in 10 days.”
The play’s director called Mills when she arrived in New York. Since the understudy was no longer in the play, Mills had to perform that evening. She remembers, “I continued with Judith’s wig and clothing and my book [script] still in hand.” The other actors found it hard to believe. When the reviewers arrived the following week to evaluate the play, Mills was off-book since I had to memorize the part quickly. She claims, “It was a miracle.”
Alley Mills — Liver and Gravy, and Hot Fudge Sundaes
Returning to New York helped remind Mills of many happy years she spent there with Bean. “I felt like Orson was with me,” she says. “He’d done four plays in the [same] theater [as “Mornings for Seven”]. It was as if he was urging me to do it. It was a gentle nudging to get back into the world.”
Although COVID had an impact on audience turnout, Mills had the chance to go back to some of the locations she and Bean frequented during their relationship. According to Mills, “We’d go to the theater every night.” The couple planned to visit the renowned New York restaurant Joe Allen’s after the curtain fell. According to Mills, “Audiences would go there, and so would actors; it was part of the beauty of the place.” Bean loved mingling with customers at the restaurant, and he also liked the liver and gravy and Hot Fudge Sundaes.
According to Mills, “I returned to Joe Allen’s by myself.” The theater is directly across the street. At the bar or at our table, I would sit. It seemed as though he was with me. Additionally, Mills went to Central Park and the newly demolished Loeb Boathouse. I would stroll by the lake and sit there to practice my lines.
When Mills was getting ready to leave for New York, she hurriedly packed her suitcase with a few sweaters, sweatpants, and sneakers. She claims that even though she has a home in New York, all she keeps there is a coat and a pair of boots. She had the remainder mailed to her. The season she visited—autumn—was among the nicest aspects of the trip. It was breathtaking, Mills reflects. “It was amazing.”
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