Carousel’s Thoroughly Modern Millie a hit
By David Ritchey
West Side Leader
Published Friday, March 9, 2007

SOUTH AKRON — Millie wants to be a modern woman, which is how the movie Thoroughly Modern Millie earned its name.

The film starred Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Channing (who received an Academy Award nomination), Beatrice Lillie and John Gavin. A few years ago, someone suggested taking the story of Millie from the screen to the stage. (Note: This usually works in reverse — stage to screen.) The result was a great parody of those wacky, madcap musical comedies from the 1920s and 1930s.

That new version of Thoroughly Modern Millie is on stage at Carousel Dinner Theatre.

The plot isn’t complicated. Millie (Hollie Howard) leaves Kansas and moves to New York City. She read an article in a women’s magazine about how to be a modern woman. Following the magazine writer’s advice, Millie gets her hair bobbed, shortens her skirts and interviews for jobs until she finds a marriage-eligible boss. Millie wants to marry her boss, who must be rich; love isn’t necessary.

However, on her first day in New York City, she meets the penniless Jimmy Smith (Brian Ogilvie). By now, you know how the story will end.

Millie moves into the Priscilla Hotel, a home for single women. However, the Priscilla Hotel is really a center for white-slave trade. Young women, with no families, are kidnapped and taken to Hong Kong to be prostitutes.

When Millie’s best friend, Miss Dorothy Brown (Ellie Mooney), disappears, the slave-trade plot takes center stage.

When the Millie plot and the slave-trade plot become enmeshed, the audience has a smashing time watching the nonsense and listening to great music.

Thoroughly Modern Millie is a pastiche of music by several song-writing pairs. For example, the song “Thoroughly Modern Millie” was written by James Van Heusen (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics). The funniest number of the show uses “I’m Falling in Love With Someone,” by Victor Herbert (music) and Rida Johnson Young (lyrics). “The Nutty Cracker Suite” is based on music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

For this updated version of the Millie story, several writers contributed: rewrites on the book by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan, new music by Jeanine Tesori and new lyrics by Scanlan.

The plot is merely an outline to support good music and production numbers that have everyone in the cast singing and dancing.

Howard makes Millie as charming and cute as any boss could want. Howard does physical comedy with glee and tosses her big, brassy voice to the back of the Carousel Theatre.

Brian Ogilvie is the perfect match for Howard’s Millie. He has a glorious voice, dances well and is charming enough to win Millie and the audience.

However, Jim Sorensen, who plays the good-looking boss Mr. Trevor Graydon, who Millie originally wants to marry, steals scene after scene. Sorensen looks like a distinguished businessman, yet this man is a clown is a pin-striped suit. When he and Mooney get together to sing and dance to “I’m Falling in Love With Someone,” it’s theatrical madness, and the audience screamed with laughter.

This young cast brings energy and excitement to the stage and makes this a delightful production. In the production numbers, the cast members dance as if they could keep it up all night.

One of the reasons for the success of this production is director and choreographer Marc Robin. He keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, and his original choreography is appropriate for this 1920s-style show. He helps his actors create distinctive, memorable characters.

Scenic designer Robert Kovach designed another great set for the Carousel stage. He also did the set for the previous show, “Beehive.” For “Millie,” Kovach created a contemporary art deco set with a multilayered city skyline with pieces that slide in and out to create hallways, restaurants and offices. He gave Robin and the cast plenty of room for dancing. He also designed the latest “Oprah” set.

Once again Dale DiBernardo (resident costume designer) created costumes that complement the set and are perfect for the storyline. For the office scenes, DiBernardo has almost everyone in dark suits with a broad pin stripe.

Millie dashes about in red costumes that project to the back row of the theater. For Cristin Mortenson (Muzzy Van Hossmere), DiBernardo created glamorous gowns that are appropriate for a club singer in the 1920s. Again, DiBernardo has done a nice job with wigs.

The show is supported by three musicians: Angela Estes (musical director/ keyboards I), Steve Parsons (keyboards II) and Kris Naragon (percussion).

Carousel has a hit — a big hit. Don’t miss Thoroughly Modern Millie.