REVIEW: Thoroughly "Marvelous" Millie at Toby's in Columbia

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 Columbia/>/>, where Thoroughly Modern Millie will be Charleston-ing her way into the hearts of theatergoers until mid-June.

            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 Kansas/>/>, trying to make it big and secure a husband in the Big Apple.  At Toby's that Herculean responsibility has been handed to Lauren Spencer-Harris, a one woman tornado of energy, presence, warmth and unbelievable stamina.  It is a wonder she doesn't collapse at the curtain call.  At first, I feared that we would be seeing a replica of Sutton Foster's performance – Spencer-Harris's voice is a dead ringer for Foster's – but to my relief and sheer delight, that is where the similarity ends.  Somehow, she manages to be both the focus of attention and in the background all at once.  That is, this gracious, gifted performer gives us 100% Millie 100% of the time, and knows that that does not mean that everyone else on the stage should be lost.  No, wisely, and equally due to the fine direction of Toby Orenstein, I'm sure, Ms. Spencer-Harris knows how to give and take so that each character gets an equal chance to impress, add to the story and to effect her Millie.  This is a role that could easily be over done or tempt the most closeted stage hog to just steamroll over the rest of the cast, and that is simply not the case here.  Her Millie is the complete package – she will sing, dance and act her way into your heart.  Hers is a performance that just screams "Award-winner here!"

            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) Ewing/> smartly never takes the bait.  I used to blame the actor in the role of Jimmy Smith, Millie's eventual beau, for being what I thought was a little too formulaic , but I can see that the fault here lies with the script, not the actor.  Jeffrey Shankle does everything right – he charms, cajoles, and smoulders his way in the hearts of Millie and the audience.  Instead of the one-note male tenor role in these old-fashioned musicals that he could have chosen to do, Mr.Shankle gives us a Jimmy that annoys, teases and pleases.  In the Josephine Baker-esque role of Muzzy, Richelle Howsie is glamour, class, sophistication, and moxie personified.  Her rendition of "Only in New York/>/>" mesmerized the room and the ovation following her final, glorious notes was sheer electricity. The real standout in a supporting cast of standouts, though, is Tess Rohan as Miss Dorothy.  Her lovely soprano, winsome smile, and the fact that she is clearly having the time of her life make this potentially cardboard character alive and vibrant. Ms. Rohan has created an equal foil to Millie in the same way the Lucy and Ethel were equals.  You care as much about what happens to her as you do Millie.  She is, simply put, brilliant in the role.

            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 Lithuania/> or Hungary/>/> might take offense at being stereotyped as a criminal gypsy.  A stereotype is a stereotype.  And the change hasn't made the character a bit different, or the translations any less humorous – in fact, at one point the translations stopped being projected and the "Mammy" number (offensive to people of color?) was just as funny as ever.  These people could be speaking pig-Latin and the result would have been the same.  Kudos to Ms. Barber-Eaton and her two sidekicks for milking that number for all its worth.

            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, America/>/> would be off oil completely!  Best of all this is not a carbon copy of past productions.  And after 25 years of staging in this in-the-round space, one might expect that it could become rote and almost cliché, but the entire show comes off as a fresh and innovative staging.  And again, my hat is off to her for allowing the actors to flirt with being way over the top, but never allowing them to get sloppy, lazy or downright silly.

            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 Radio/> City/>/> in size!) doing intricate tap routines, dazzling lifts and dizzying spins.  Never once do you worry that any of the dancers will bump into each other, lose their precision or get pushed off stage.  They work as an ensemble in an exemplary way.  These hoofers make their Broadway and touring counterparts look lackluster in comparison.

            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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