Oakbrook's 'MILLIE' a Tappy, Happy Hit

Opening this week at the high-flying Drury Lane Theatre, in Chicago's far western suburb of Oakbrook Terrace, is "Thoroughly Modern Millie," the 2002 Best Musical Tony winner which gave the world the career of Sutton Foster (and didn't too badly for her male co-stars Gavin Creel and Marc Kudisch). Based on the pretty successful 1967 film starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Channing and Beatrice Lillie (I'm sure there were men in it, too), "Millie" is one of those film properties that fans begged for years to be turned into a stage show. No, really, we did. 

When it finally arrived, its book (by original screenwriter Richard Morris) made fine enough sense and was fairly funny, but the score was of three minds, and remains so. It features three songs from the film, most of a new theater score by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlon (a shout-out to women's power here) and a handful of pastiche songs (or at least their melodies) from composers such as Arthur Sullivan (the patter song from "Ruddigore"), Peter Ilyich Tchaikowsky (a "Nutcracker" dance tune), Walter Donaldson (Al Jolson's "My Mammy") and Victor Herbert ("Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life"). Go figure, but it mostly somehow works. 

The show won six Tony Awards in all, over weak competition, and ran just over two years at New York's Marquis Theatre. Not a failure for show that wants to feel like a traditional musical comedy, to be sure, but not a megamusical success either, like most of the Tony winners which followed it. At Oakbrook, it's a successful, diversionary evening. And all ends happily, natch! 

Capturing the whirlwind life-or-death romantic adventures in the Manhattan of 1922 lived by one Millie Dillmount (fresh off the train or the plane or the bus from Salina, Kansas), it's also a show whose second act plays better than the first. Which is a good thing, because the first act is full of stereotypes that thankfully explain themselves as the night goes on: the Asian Dragon Lady is a woman in disguise who seems to know when she's been on stage too long, her Asian servants know how bad her stereotype really is and have hearts of gold to boot, the African-American blues chanteuse is not only a great singer but a wise and wealthy tycoon widow with adorable grown white children, etc.. Got all that? 

Thankfully, the cast that director William Osetek has assembled at Drury Lane do their level best to make you think this is the best show you've ever seen, thought they might hope you didn't look too closely. As Millie, Holly Ann Butler (Rizzo in the recent "Grease" revival on Broadway) must have her picture in the Merriam-Webster dictionary next to the word "spunky." She's plucky too, with gumption, like a combination of the older Shirley Temple, the younger Judy Garland and the ageless "No, No, Nanette." Her triple threat credentials are firmly in place here: flapper with heart and voice. Brava, indeed! She carries a lot of the weight of this production on her small but willing shoulders. 

As Mrs. Meers, the faux-Asian "white slavery" trader, Chicago's legendary Paula Scrofano does miraculous work with a role which in lesser hands would be virtually unplayable. She is delightful, and occasionally hilarious. Her assistants, though saddled as they are with laundry carts and "Chinese" dialogue, come through nearly as well (the small Richard Manera and the tall Paul Martinez). 

Proving she can not only sing like a bathtub gin dream but can act with the best in the bunch, area favorite Melody Betts brings warmth and a sure professional's touch to the role of socialite singer Muzzy Van Hossmere. Northwestern University graduate Dara Cameron is fine and winning as Miss Dorothy Brown, Millie's even more innocent best friend, and Sharon Sachs is truly hilarious as the frumpy office manager, Miss Flannery. 

On the spindle side of the cast, Mark Fisher is quite simply doing Broadway-caliber work in his Chicago debut at Jimmy. He sings with a smooth surety, clarity and emotional connection, and his acting is spot-on, charming and sincere. Every young musical comedy juvenile in the country should be wanting to be Mark Fisher, right about now. And as Trevor Graydon III, the man Millie first sets her snazzy cap for, Randall Dodge unleashes a crazy-wonderful voice and demeanor, with comic flair to spare. 

The sixteen women and men of the ensemble turn in very fine work in this production, executing Tammy Mader's tap-flap-happy choreography with aplomb and panache. Thank goodness that "Millie" carries on the musical theater tradition in which typists become tap dancers (I'm thinking of "How to Succeed....," "The Producers" and "9 to 5," and probably "How Now, Dow Jones" too, for all I know.). The attractive, well-scrubbed dancing, singing chorus also wears Tatjana Radisic's costumes like they are the finest in period couture, which, as it turns out, they are. Indeed, the choreography and costumes go the furthest in indicating period flavor in this production, as there aren't a lot of stylish furniture pieces or props outside of a fleet of manual typewriters, plus the fabulous Art Moderne couch near which Butler socks over Millie's "eleven o-clock number," "Gimme Gimme" (properties by Greg Isaac). 

The set does offer stupendous, towering Manhattan office buildings, designed by Kevin Depinet and lit by Jesse Klug. Ray Nardelli's sound design is fine, and the nine-piece orchestra conducted by Ben Johnson sounds fine too, even though there is room in the vast Drury Lane orchestra pit for more than nine players. 

While I can't say this is the best musical ever, "Thoroughly Modern Millie" at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace is funny, fast-moving, tuneful and emotionally satisfying. It's a tap show with a twist, a comedy with a tiny bit of slapstick, a romance to bring a tear to the eye and a longing to the soul. A handful of performances rise to the level of the very best you will see here any time soon. Congratulations to all involved. "Millie" is a hit! 

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" plays now through December 20 at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, directed by Artistic Director William Osetek. Performances are Wednesdays through Sundays. For tickets, call 630.530.1111 or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.

Photo credit: Johnny Knight. 

Photos: Holly Ann Butler, Paula Scrofano and Paul Martinez, Dara Cameron and Holly Ann Butler, Melody Betts and Mark Fisher, Holly Ann Butler and Ensemble, Randall Dodge and Holly Ann Butler.

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