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 By Les Spindle for Backstage West
Thoroughly
Modern Millie
The
obligatory audience applause following each number
in a musical sometimes reminds us of the canned laughter
that was a standard ingredient in old sitcoms. On
opening night of L.A.'s first locally produced staging
of this Tony-winning 2002 tuner, the cheering, whistling,
and clapping felt spontaneous and richly deserved.
And it wasn't limited to the songs; the divine comic
characterizations likewise elicited showstopping reactions.
Director-choreographer Troy Magino's stylish and joyous
production takes us back to the glory days of lighthearted
musical comedy. His rendition is far superior to the
national touring edition.
 In this freewheeling adaptation of the 1967 Julie
Andrews film, librettists Richard Morris and Dick
Scanlan retained the basic plot and two songs (the
title ditty and "Jimmy"). Improving on the source
material, they interjected nifty spins on Morris'
original screenplay and added sprightly 1920s-flavored
songs by composer Jeanine Tesori and lyricist Scanlan.
Demure small-town girl Millie moves to Manhattan and
becomes a saucy flapper, seeking employment with a
rich boss she can marry, love be damned. The plot
thickens when a long-in-the-tooth failed actor, masquerading
as a Chinese hotel proprietor called Mrs. Meers (Cynthia
Ferrer), runs a white-slave ring, abducting young
girls from the hotel and shipping them off to China.
The familiar conventions of romantic farce get a shot
in the arm with a dazzling array of spot-on performances.
As the titular pixie, the hilarious Kate Fahrner vamps
her handsome boss Trevor Graydon (the delightful Robert
J. Townsend), while denying her love for gadabout
Jimmy (the charmingly funny Kurt Robbins), tap-dancing
her way into our hearts. The list of triumphs goes
on: Ferrer's sidesplitting shenanigans as the self-deluded
con woman; Reva Rice's bravura singing and warm characterization
as wealthy chanteuse Muzzy; Jill Townsend's delicious
take on saccharine ingˇnue Dorothy; Kami Seymour's
uproarious Gestapoesque office manager Miss Flannery;
and the inspired lunacy of Daniel May and Arthur Kwan
as Meers' bungling henchmen.
With
J. Branson's exquisite art-deco sets, Jean-Yves Tessier's
lovely lighting effects, and Debbie Roberts' chic
and witty costumes, the show looks like a Technicolor
dream come true. Dennis Castellano's music direction
and Magino's choreography are likewise magnificent.
Musical Theatre West, raising the bar for quality
in recent seasons, makes a quantum leap forward this
time.
10/26/2006
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