Thoroughly Modern Millie Chatswood Musical Society

Review: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Zenith Theatre, Chatswood. Performance: Wednesday 19th November. Thoroughly Modern Millie won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2002, and the show itself makes me scratch my head as to why. Why is it that a show that is about as deep as a kiddy pool, profound as whipped cream, and savvy as a finger-painting such a success? The answer: it's one hell of an entertaining night. Kudos to Direcor Annie Veitch for putting all the best ingredients together. This is a show that succeeds magically or fails abysmally on the back of its cast. And this was certainly a magical success. Thoroughly Modern Millie is the 2002 Broadway adaptation of the Julie Andrew's 1967 film of the same name. It tells the story of Millie Dilmount who arrives in New York from Kansas in 1922 desperate to become a 'modern', marry her boss, and live happily ever after. However, a scheming Chinglish white slave trader, a naive best friend, a glittering society type, and of course a dashing leading man get in the way. Millie is forced to reassess her priorities as she learns the true value of love. Those expecting a direct film to stage transfer will be disappointed. Only two songs (the title tune and "Jimmy") have survived from the film, and the storyline particularly in the second act takes an unexpected but hilarious turn. Millie, played by Catriona Hamilton is electric as the fresh faced flapper. She has deftly executed a performance that was charming, energetic, and extremely sweet. Her rendition of "Gimme Gimme" in act two was a highlight of the evening. Hamilton avoids the pitfalls of the role, ensuring that Millie maintains her charm and enthusiasm throughout. A true triple threat, Hamilton is one to watch. Lachlan O'Brien as Jimmy achieved an awful lot with a character that leaves little to work with. Instantly likable and with a rich baritone, O'Brien was very well matched with Hamilton's Millie. Elisa Colla as Miss Dorothy, the role played by Mary Tyler-Moore in the film, looks, sings, speaks, and dances as if she has just stepped off a 1920s movie set. Her soprano coupled with Millie's alto belt worked remarkably well together. Colla proves that sopranos with a sense of humour aren't as rare as previously thought. As the scheming Mrs Meers, Allison Griffiths is hilarious. With some of the best one-liners in modern musical theatre, Griffiths lights up the stage with each and every appearance. Her rendition of a chinese-language version of Al Jolson's "Mammy", alongside her laundry boys Chin Ho and Bun Foo was extremely amusing. Mrs. Meers and her two accomplices chart a careful course through a politically incorrect minefield. Compared with the film, these characters are the most different, and reveal perhaps just how "quaint" the racial sensibilities of the late 1960s really were. Chin Ho played by Andrew Redfern and Bun Foo played by Aaron Robuck were responsible for some of the funniest moments in the show. Their parts, performed almost entirely in Chinese with english subtitles, reveal a side of Manhattan in the 20's not seen generally outside a contemporary adaptation. The glamorous celebrity Muzzy Van Hossmere, played by Samantha Nolan was far more reserved and less ostentatious than her screen counterpart, the Miss Carol Channing. Acting as the Jimminy Cricket of the piece, Nolan provided some much needed glitz and glamour in an otherwise austere New York story set in an old hotel, an office building, and a seedy bar. Heather Brandon as the autocratic secretary with the heart of gold was also excellent. The chorus must be commended for their strong singing and dancing ability. The dance numbers were slick and not overly complex, and choreographer Laurie Tancred must be commended for this. Many of the chorus members played excellent cameo parts. However, the show was well and truly stolen by Blake Erickson playing the object of Millie's affection, her boss - Trevor Graydon. His star-turn as the dim but hansom Graydon was a complete tour de force. His performance of "The Speed Test", an adaptation of "My Eyes are Fully Open" was astonishing in its speed and clarity. His characterisation was perfection, boiling to fever pitch in an incredibly funny scene with Miss Dorothy "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life". With an uncanny ability to make what was essentially a cartoon character ooze sex appeal, Erickson alone was worth the price of admission. The orchestra, performing from a room backstage sounded polished and crisp. Rebecca Lowe as musical director has pulled together some very talented musicians. I could not fault the orchestra, which is typically all to easy in a non-professional show. The staging was simple, and scene changes were quick and smooth. Making excellent use of lighting, costumes, and darkness - Anne Veitch was stripped back the entire show. This is extremely effective, and allows the performances of this exceptional cast to shine through unimpeded. I left the Zenith Theatre trying to find faults with the production. The show itself is hardly Shakespeare, and the characters are essentially two dimensional cut-outs - but I found I simply didn't care. This production of a flawed show is exceptional in every respect. The spontaneity of the applause at the conclusion of the show assured me I was not alone in this opinion. Go and see Thoroughly Modern Millie - you'll be thoroughly entertained.