I have always been one of those outraged that Thoroughly Modern Millie beat Urinetown for the Best Musical Tony. The national tour that played this area a couple years ago did nothing to change my mind, either. And while I still believe that Urinetown is the superior work of art, there might actually be reason now to say that Millie might have deserved more acclaim than I was willing to give it. That reason is now onstage at Toby's Dinner Theatre in
Perhaps this production is what should be traveling the country instead of the aforementioned dull, lackluster national tour. Everything about this version is winning and right on target. And like the Dollys and Mames before her, the success of this show rest squarely on the shoulders of the girl lucky enough to play Millie Dillmount, a wannabe "Modern" from
Supporting Spencer-Harris is the booming voiced, nearly over the top and blissfully ingratiating Ken Ewing as Trevor Graydon, Millie's first boss. He is absolutely hysterical, and gives a performance of both nuance and extremes, in nearly perfect measure – the chance to overact is implicit in most of the characters here, and (again kudos to the director)
Oddly, though, the one character that could be forgiven for being overplayed here is underplayed. And I'm not sure the fault for this lies with the actress. Mrs. Meers, the villain (that twist your moustache and tie the ingénue to the railroad tracks kind of villain) of the piece, here played by Debra Barber-Eaton, should be one of the 2 main conflicts, the other being will Millie find a husband and be the modern girl she dreams of being. Instead, this plot point seems almost an after thought. Ms. Barber-Eaton has the evil laugh, the accent (here an Eastern European gypsy - more on that later), and a wonderful character actress voice that are needed to make this character zing. But I found myself wanting just a little more. Then I remembered that I felt the same way seeing other productions of the show. Perhaps the fault for this clearly unintentional blandness lies with the script.
This production is noteworthy in that Dick Scanlan, who co-wrote the book and new lyrics for the show, came to Toby's to work with the cast and made script changes, mainly in making Mrs. Meers and her henchmen stereotypical Eastern European gypsies. Rumor has it that the change was made in deference to school groups coming to the show that might have Asian students who take offense at such stereotypes. One wonders if someone from
Production-wise, this production is nearly flawless. Helen Hayes Award winner, Toby Orenstein, as I mentioned, has created a fast-paced, exciting, often heart-pounding production. If the energy she gets from her cast could be bottled,
The choreography by multiple award-winner Ilona Kessell is thrilling, evocative of the period and absolutely astonishing. Many times there are 20 or more people dancing in that tight space (though as staged, you'd think it was
The set (designed by David A. Hopkins) is surprisingly intricate and detailed, and never gets in the way of sightlines. (Maybe more translation screens could be added so you can watch the show and read the screens from every seat?) The costumes (designed by Lawerence B. Munsey) are exquisitely detailed and create stunning stage pictures throughout, and the lighting (designed by Lynn Joslin) is moody and striking. Together, these technical elements, a terrific leading lady, and a supporting cast and ensemble delivered from Heaven it would seem, create the perfect musical-comedy world of the roaring twenties and a superlative production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. You do not want to miss this production – and bring the kids – it is so clean it squeaks. I think the little girls doing their best Millie-moves in the lobby during intermission are proof-positive that this "Modern" is timeless, age-proof fun!
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