"Do Your Thing" at Outerland

Published: September 18, 2008

An unlikely singing sensation emerged last Thursday night, as Dr. Gerry Yukevich walked away with the grand prize at Outerland's contest promoting the new Vineyard Playhouse show, "Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing." He wowed the small crowd and celebrity panel of judges with his unrestrained version of The Troggs 1965 hit, "Wild Thing," accompanied by Michael Starobin, the play's musical director. Dr. Yukevich was awarded the honor of recording a jingle for "Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing," which will be heard on WMVY.

Tessa Dahl, Debra Monk, Brad Oscar, Jane Loutzenhiser, Guinevere Cramer

The judges, who included cast members of "Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing," enjoyed the off-key spectacle. From left: Tessa Dahl, Debra Monk, Brad Oscar, Jane Loutzenhiser, Guinevere Cramer.

The idea behind the unusual contest was to discover an Island talent comparable to that of Elva Miller, on whose life James Lapine based his new play, "Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing." Her outrageously off-key renditions made her a top novelty act of the 1960s, earning her regular spots on the Ed Sullivan and The Tonight show.

The play, with music of the era performed by Broadway's Tony-winning Debra Monk along with a cast of eight, previews tonight, Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Vineyard Playhouse, and will run through Oct. 4, before heading for Broadway.

Contest winner, Dr. Gerry Yukevich, was a howling success with his rendition of "Wild Thing" at Outerland this past Thursday, Sept 11.

Niki Patton captured the sound and spirit of Mrs. Miller.
Photos by Ralph Stewart