Written by Gordon Bolar for cultured.GR.

Millie, played by Carly Uthoff.

Every so often a reviewer has the happy assignment of explaining what made a musical succeed on the stage. This is one of those times. In the case of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," playing at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, I have time and space for a list of 10 items that went very right on opening night. I could easily have had a list of 100.

1.

The overture/opening number

: As the overture leads into "Not the Life for Me," we see Millie (Carly Uthoff) in a curtain raiser 1920's period photo montage that tells us all we need to know about the Kansas farm girl who comes to New York seeking a wealthy husband. Emerging from the shadows of the dirty streets, suitcase in hand, Uthoff woos and wins her audience with a song full of pluck and determination. After an energetic ensemble joins her in a rousing finish to this number, it's clear to everyone in the house that this show will be something special.

2.

Scenic depiction of the story

: Numerous rapid scene changes are called for in a production that moves from street, to boarding house, to office building, to Chinese laundry, to speak-easy, to jail cell, to--well you get the picture. Designer David Len employs projections, a large turntable, and numerous drops to provide elegant deco-influenced skyscraper verticality. His scenic background fills the Civic stage with outlined structural space but never clutters it. Costumer Designer Robert A. Fowle in both color and texture suggests the elegance of the plush penthouse set and as well as the aspirations of those who work for a living, yet yearn for more.

3.

Choreography

: Yes, there are many variations on the Charleston, but there is so much more to Erin Kacos' choreography of the dance numbers, including tango, waltz, ballet, and faux ballet. An audience favorite is the tap dance number "Forget About the Boy," flawlessly rendered by the secretarial pool and Uthoff, with strong support from the office martinet, Kristen Pearson as Miss Flannery. Another standout is the body language that sets up the soft shoe on a 20th floor ledge. Uthoff and boyfriend Jimmy, (Casey Huls) cling to the skyscraper for dear life and then relax as they cling to each other in the love they discover while singing "I Turned a Corner."

4.

The music

: Credit Charles Hutchins with a masterful job in conducting and for keeping each number and all of the actors who sing them on track. Give credit also to the splendid 13 piece orchestra who perform all the 21 songs in this engaging and challenging score.

5.

The singing

: Comic songs, love songs, torch songs, vaudeville, and show stoppers are all presented by a Civic cast with extraordinary vocal talent. Strong duets include "How the Other Half Lives" by Bianca Calisi as Miss Dorothy and a comic duet in Cantonese with English subtitles, designed to look like ones found in a silent film, by Dylan Pham and Lindsey Furness.

6.

The direction

: Director Allyson Paris has an eye and an ear for comic timing. Every scene is carefully blocked, and performers' movements and gestures are clean, purposeful, and choreographed to generate laughs. A prime example is the show's "aha" moment when Uthoff, on Huls and TJ Clark as Trevor Graydon figure out the whereabouts of Graydon's love interest, Miss Dorothy. As the realization sinks in, Uthoff and Huls look knowingly at one another and maintain eye contact as they simultaneously sink in ultra-slow motion into chairs at a cafe table. Paris has filled this production with pantomimic business that sets up laughs, tells the story, and delineates comic aspects of character and relationships.

7.

Supporting characters

: The two plum supporting roles in this show are the nefarious Mrs. Meers, performed by Deana Mitchell, and Muzzy, the nightclub chanteuse, played by Julianne Howe-Bouwens. Mitchell has great fun with her villain and it shows. She's an audience favorite as she confides her plans to sell young flappers into a human trafficking ring with songs like "They Don't Know." She appropriately milks exit lines, steals a wink or two to the house, and makes us feel that she would twirl her mustache--if only she had one. Howe-Bouwens delivers a full throttle vocal with "Only in New York." She can also play the comedienne and does so as her character dons a ridiculous disguise and rides a laundry basket to catch the kidnapping Meers in the act.

8 and 9.

The Leading Lady and Leading Man

: Every boy meets girl musical must have a pair of lovers who set off sparks, clicking with both each other and the audience. This production has all of that. You won't take your eyes off Carly Uthoff from the moment of her first entrance until her final bow. She can hold the stage by herself, lead the singing and dancing for a full chorus or she can hold her own in a love scene or a fight scene with her chief love interest.

And speaking of love interests, Casey Huls as Jimmy is up to the challenge of holding his own with Uthoff or any song assigned to his character. One standout is "What Do I Need With Love" performed from behind bars on the night he and Millie land in jail. Through his vocals and his movement, Huls shows us the inner love life of his character, as he contemplates turning his back on what might be a new found romantic interest.

10.

Jeanine Tesori, Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan

: The team that created the new music, book, and new lyrics for this show have adapted a 1967 movie by the same name and gave it new life on the stage in a Tony Award winning musical. In story, song, dance, and spectacle, their creation is a crowd pleaser and entertainment vehicle to be reckoned with. The current production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre more than does it justice.





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