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 By Alessandra Djurklou, Staff writer for the Press Telegram
Tapping
flappers and sex slavery
Innocents
in a big city, scheming pseudo-Asian madams, lots
of flappers tapping and entire scenes in Chinese are
just some of the delights in the musical "Thoroughly
Modern Millie," now playing at the Carpenter Performing
Arts Center. Produced by Musical Theatre West and
directed by Troy Magino, the show is a 2000s adaptation
of a '60s film set in the `20s.
Millie
(Kate Fahrner) has come from the Midwest to make a
new life for herself in New York City. She is, of
course, relieved of all her money in minutes. She
turns for help to a young man (Kurt Robbins) she meets
on the street. He is brusque to her, but recommends
she try and stay at the Hotel Priscilla, where the
Chinese manager, Mrs. Meers (Cynthia Ferrer), will
give her a deal.
 The
motives behind Mrs. Meers' generosity to penniless
young women, however, are suspect. If any of them
are orphans, she rapidly sells them to East Asian
sex traders. Two Chinese brothers (Daniel May, Arthur
Kwan) help her, but only because she has promised
them she will bring their mother to America. Most
of their dialogue is in Chinese, with supertitles.
Millie,
not being an orphan, is safe from Mrs. Meers. She
gets a job, sets her sights on her boss (Robert J.
Townsend) and bumps into her rude young man again.
His name is Jimmy, and in spite of being penniless,
he knows people, including wealthy widowed nightclub
singer Muzzy Van Hossmere (Reva Rice). Millie also
meets naive Dorothy (Jill Townsend) who, as an orphan,
soon captures Mrs. Meers' interest.
Will
Dorothy be shipped off? Will Millie marry her boss
or Jimmy? Dennis Castellano conducts an energetic
though not very memorable score. Sets and costumes,
however, are more inventive and compelling (for example,
a bottle of rootbeer turns into the door of a speakeasy).
The
performances are all nicely polished.
Fahrner
sings and dances her heart out, though Millie isn't
really that interesting of a character. Ferrer mugs
as Meers and has a wonderful time. May and Kwan are
good, and easy to understand even without translation.
Jill
and Robert Townsend, who are married in real life,
play marvelous onstage lovers. Their number, "I'm
Falling in Love with Someone," is the funniest in
the show.
Rice's
body mike went out opening night, making part of her
first song inaudible. But she handled it like a pro,
and her nightclub numbers were all very good.
Robbins'
character, like Fahrner's, was not that interesting,
but he also knocked himself out in the role.
A
truly fun role, however, is that of Miss Flannery,
Millie's office supervisor. Kami Seymour plays the
matronly and hairdo-challenged woman wonderfully,
and proves that pointy elbows are an asset, indeed.
10/27/2006
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