Thoroughly Modern Millie

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

The current production at The Arvada Center may be Thoroughly Modern Millie, but the show belongs to Beth Flynn. A Master of comedic timing, a mastermind with comedic disguises, a genius with a repertoire of strange and interesting voices, Flynn owns this show with her caricature of the sneaky Mrs. Meers, proprietor of The Hotel Priscilla for young women in New York City. On the scuttle from the police for running a White Slavery operation, “Meersy,” as the girls call her, figures no one is going to look at an Asian woman with a high-squeaky voice unable to pronounce her R’s dressed to the hilt in outrageous Asian costumes. Her headdresses alone are a work of art. In theatre reality, Meersy is a hard-boiled businesswoman looking for young women without family or friends. Orphans are a gleeful find because they mean a gleeful pay-off for Meersy.

Nicole Sterling (Millie) and Leo Ash Evens (Jimmy) in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Arvada Center. Photo: P. Switzer

With the assistance of her two Asian slaves Ching Ho (Dean Mackensie) and Bun Foo (Fang Du), she concocts means to drug the innocents burying undetected in laundry carts to sell into slavery. Mackensie and Du have their comedic art down pat. Combine these two with Flynn, and one can’t help but wish they were on stage the entire time. Meersy contains Ching Ho and Bun Foo in her own slavery pocket with the promise to bring their mother to New York from China. Of course, she has no intent of doing so, corralling them exactly where she wants them.

She doesn’t count on one thing, however. She doesn’t count on Ching Ho falling head over heels in love with Miss Dorothy Brown (Pamela Brumley), an orphan. With the addled assistance of Bun Foo, he does everything in his power to thwart Meersy’s fuddled attempts.

Placed in the middle to the Roaring 20s, its New York and Flapper-time. Hundreds of small town girls arrive in the Big Apple seeking their fortunes as actors. With little money in their pockets, looking for jobs, they find their way to The Hotel Priscilla where Meersy greets them with open arms. Her antennas braided into her headdresses, Meersy keeps a sharp eye out for the orphans.

The 1967 movie starred Julie Andrews. Richard Morris provided the original story and screenplay. In early 2000, Thoroughly Modern Millie was adapted to the stage with the Book by Morris and Dick Scanlon, new music by Jeanine Tesori and new lyrics by Scanlon.

Directed by Rod A. Lansberry for the Arvada production, Thoroughly Modern Millie features Nicole Sterling in the role of Millie. Straight from Kansas, within ten minutes in New York, Millie is mugged and loses her scarf, hat, purse, and one shoe. No one pays any attention to her in mythical New York style so she deliberately trips a passerby, Jimmy Smith (Leo Ash Evans) who after a few sparring words sends her to The Hotel Priscilla.

After a job with a single boss, Millie is determined to belong to the Moderns determined to marry for money not love. Interviews are many for the Kansas girl turned Flapper, but not quite good enough if the Boss is married or engaged. Not fitting Meersy’s criteria, she kicks Millie out for back rent. Millie connects with Dorothy, who insists upon being called Miss Dorothy, and time again belongs to Millie.

Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck choreographed the fun musical numbers with a touch of her unique creative awareness. David Nehls conducts the orchestra with its jazz era tempo, Joseph J. Egan designed the blue/purple modern set, and Nicole M. Harrison completed the look with her bright colored costume design.

Even with sharp words exchanged Jimmy falls in love with Millie. Millie goes after her new self consumed boss, Trevor Graydon (Scott Ahern) at the Sincere Trust Insurance Agency. With his strong powerful voice, Ahern gives Graydon the puffed up self-centeredness needed.

Sharon Kay White plays Miss Flannery the hard-nosed office manager for Graydon with severe strictness except when she momentarily loses herself in the music and tap dancing of her office staff, joins in, then abruptly returning to her disciplined self. She’s wonderful.

Sterling’s created Millie gives humor, sympathy, determination to the Kansas girl turned Flapper. With a powerful voice designed for musical theatre, she brings Millie alive with one small exception. There are too many times in the course of the production, Sterling grows stiff not knowing what to do with her arms. These are arms that don’t belong to the animated Millie.

Gabrielle Goyette plays Lounge singer Muzzy Van Hossmere who ends up befriending Millie. Goyette has a slow start with rich character, in her song “Only In New York,” but once she lets the power out of the gate, she commands her role.

Although none of the electric songs became memorable, “Not For The Life of Me,” “How The Other Half Lives,” “What Do I Need With Love,” “Long As I’m Here With You,” “Gimme Gimme,” and “I Turned The Corner,” they do fit into the scheme of the energetic production.

One of the major highlights comes back to Meersy, Ching Ho and Bun Foo with their Chinese interpretation of Mammy. The English translation appears above the stage, as does the Chinese translation when they sing in English. No matter how good the cast is it is difficult to compete with an authoritative comedic venture.

Confusion abounds when Graydon falls for Miss Dorothy, Millie admits love is more important than money. Ching Ho will not be deterred from his love for Miss Dorothy. With girls disappearing and not saying goodbye, the troops become suspicious of Meersy. The infamous Meersy’s famous line “There’s nothing worse than being all alone in the world” proves to be a very important clue for the mastermind sleuths. Muzzy agrees to the bait, and a trap is set. This is indeed one very hilarious scene as Muzzy attempts to convince Meersy she just arrived from the orphanage. Questioning the reality, greedy Meers will take anything she can get. In connecting with Muzzy in disguise as an orphan waif, she gets far more than what she bargained for.

The spotlight belongs to the supporting cast of Hotel Pricilla girls including: Juliana Black, Michelle Sergeeff, Amy Board, Shannon Steele, Rebecca Gibel, Elisabeth Williams, and Hilsabeck. The tap dancing guys in the Ensemble dance as one: Patric Case, Zak Edwards, Adam Estes, Bobby Kean, Jimmi Kilduff, Travis Magee, and Nathan Scherich.

The Arvada Center’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie becomes a Holiday treat of frivolous fun, quickstep tap dancing, inside theatre jokes, particularly between George Gershwin and Dorothy Parker, and comedic proficiency. No matter how you cut this pie on the competitive edge, the show belongs to Flynn. An honest laugh can be a sound Holiday treat in the midst of overwhelming demands and expectations, and Flynn knows exactly how to make that happen.