|
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan
New Music by Jeanine Tesori
New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan
Directed & Choreographed by Marc Robin
At the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire
Milwaukee Avenue & RT 22
Lincolnshire, IL
Call 847-634-0200, tickets $42 - $45
Wednesdays at 1 & 8 PM
Thursdays at 8 PM
Fridays at 8 PM
Saturdays at 5 & 8:30 Pm
Sundays at 1 & 5 PM
Running time is 2 hrs, 30 min with intermission
Through April 23, 2006
Marriott Theatre’s energetic Millie produces laughs and bounces throughout.
How do you improve a show that won six Tony Awards? Answer: Have Marc Robin direct and choreograph with the slick, polished production team from Marriott Theatre together with an ensemble team of “A” list Equity actors. Thoroughly Modern Millie is a fun show full of outstanding dancing, energetic performances with lots of laughs. Considered as one of the lightest shows ever to win the Tony Award for Best Musical, Millie delights us with two and a half hours of songs, dances, and more laughs than anticipated. Many folks who saw the Broadway production liked Marriott Theatre’s production better mainly due to the fabulous craftsmanship of Robin and his crew. This show is big, bubbling and bright.
Thoroughly Modern Millie boasts a fine score by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan that echoes the sounds of the 1920’s Jazz Era. Based on the 1967 Oscar-winning film of the same name, Millie takes audiences back to the height of the Jazz Age, when “moderns,” including a flapper named Millie Dillmount (Tari Kelly), were bobbing their hair, raising their hemlines, entering the workforce and rewriting the rules of love. Millie takes NYC with her razzmatazzing in a bold bright old-time Broadway musical that is so much fun that we simply lay back and soak up all the cute fluff.
The recognizably “Thoroughly Modern Millie” song by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen is nicely presented and used to underscore and enhance the new songs by Tesori and Scanlan. I love the 20’s Jazzy flavor to Millie and from songs like the terrific opening number “Not for the Life of Me” to the clever zany “Speed Test” number (an ode to the old Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald film operettas) to “Jimmy.” The 19 song score features many show stopping dance numbers that feature outstanding tap, jazz and clever satirical dances that give depth to the story as well as offering breathtaking entertainment. Millie is an under rated dance show that features refreshing takes on 1920’s dance styles like the Charleston. I loved the slick Marc Robin choreography and talented hoofers in this show.
Tari Kelly gave Millie a strong vocal as well as a cute, Carol Burnett persona that easily wins our hearts. Her “Jimmy” and “Gimme, Gimme” songs light the torch with haunting emotions and her “Forget the Boys” number with the typing girls demonstrate Kelly as a triple threat performer. Stephen Schellhardt with fine vocal range and sincere acting and outstanding dancing talent, is the likable Jimmy Smith love interest for Millie. E. Faye Butler belts out several songs in the best Dorothy Danderage tradition while Rosalyn Rahn Kerins is a hoot as the oriental imitator, white slaver Mrs.Meers. Kerins steals several scenes and her “Muquin” song with Dawen Wang and Emir Yonzon brings down the house.
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a light show that sings well, dances superbly and garners enough laughs to make it a pleasant show that will thoroughly entertains you. The mark of a Marriott Theatre show, in the capable hands of the director Marc Robin, is the swift pace, terrific costuming with vivid lighting and a lively outstanding sounding orchestra deftly delivering the bouncy score. I especially enjoyed Brian Herriott’s stiff take on the stuffy Trevor Graydon and the clever dances. Millie is a fine spoof of all those old MGM film musicals set in the 1920’s. This show is pure joy.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com
Talk Theatre in Chicago Podcast
Date Reviewed February 22, 2006
Jeff Recommended
|
