[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of “The Allure of Thug Life” written and performed by Mélia Mills at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2023.
Melia Mills is a gifted storyteller. An Oakland native, she has created a semi-autobiographical account of a young girl, “Melia,” growing up in an affluent neighborhood with supportive loving parents whose only dream is to be ‘thug.’
Melia is a sweet kid though. Thoughtful, kind, and a good student, but her daily prayers to Tupac, her poetry writing, and her yearning to rap is making this 15-year-old picked upon. It’s making a good girl turn bad…or at least naughty enough to sneak out of her parents’ house and enter the local girl’s rap competition. And the rest, as they say, is history.
This is an absolutely brilliant show and Melia Mills is a Hollywood Fringe breakout star…no question. She is incredibly funny, utterly original and fearless. The play is beautifully written, the timing priceless and the music fly!
Is that the right word??? I don’t know, but I do know that “The Allure of Thug Life” has got to be a best of the fest!
Melia holds the audience in the palm of her hand as she relives these events and plays every character from her dad to her school bully to perfection. The audience was literally on their feet for her and she deserves it! Solo shows are hard to do, and I have seen enough of them to know someone special when I see her. There’s just so much to this show. It’s heartfelt, poignant and important enough to Melia that she felt moved to share her story. Which makes it the perfect fodder for Fringe.
The best stories are the most personal, but they don’t have to be heartbreaking. And although the ending of “The Allure of Thug Life” is surprisingly intense, it’s iconic, at least to Melia’s story. And she puts her own very special twist to it and brings the house down.
Melia Mills has a big career ahead of her as a writer and a performer. She’s an original and I’m so glad I got to catch her on her way up!…don’t miss this!!
Tickets:
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/9618?tab=tickets
When:
Final Show – Friday June 23, 5:30pm
Where:
905 Cole Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038