By Alisha Hall
If you want to see a tight, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable show, you need to see Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie in Washington Terrace. I’ve only seen Thoroughly Modern Millie one other time, quite some time ago, and I have no recollection of being impressed by the show. It turns out that Millie is actually quite clever, lighthearted, and joyous when placed in the hands of a talented cast and crew who are being led by one of the most respected directors in the region, and I will definitely remember this production fondly.
With music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan, and book by Richard Morris, Thoroughly Modern Millie is about a small-town girl in a big city who’s determined to be the epitome of the modern gal: taking control of her future, marrying for money instead of love, being a part of the workforce, and most importantly, living the flapper lifestyle. Millie Dillmount (Brandi Francis) finds herself struggling to achieve her goals, especially with charming and fun-loving Jimmy Smith (Nicholas Balaich) distracting her at every turn. There’s also a bit of danger lurking with Mrs. Meers (Jacci Florence) as the deceptive and diabolical hotel owner.
Francis commands the stage from minute one, never getting lost in the large group numbers and drawing us in with her incredible vocals, tapping, and comedic timing. From the tongue-twisting hilarity of “Speed Test,” the belting power behind “Gimme, Gimme,” and the delicate strains of “I Turned the Corner,” Francis showcases her vocal range and control that also bring the audience into the depth of her character’s story. She perfectly and completely uses her body language to convey everything about her character throughout the show, and I’m a firm believer that what we portray with our physicality will be 90 percent of what the audience takes away with them.
Balaich is indeed the handsome, charming, and confident Jimmy Smith who finds himself thinking twice about his free-wheeling lifestyle when he encounters Millie and her entourage one late night. “What Do I Need With Love?” is both playful and endearing as Jimmy tells himself that he doesn’t need love while he stares longingly at Millie from across the jailhouse (and at least half the audience swoons at Balaich’s like-butter voice). Francis and Balaich work well together, look great together, and have chemistry that is completely believable. Their individual abilities as actors complement each other perfectly, which kept me from being distracted from the storytelling. In addition, Florence absolutely shines and provides laughs aplenty as the despicable and sharp-witted Mrs. Meers, who lets us in on her shady dealings with the telling and clever “They Don’t Know.”
The supporting leads were nothing to shake a stick at either. Director Dennis Ferrin adroitly casts his show with so much impressive talent that “supporting” was a hard word to remember for me. The rich-girl-slumming-it Miss Dorothy Brown (Lindsay Hickman), the delightfully oblivious target of marriage, Trevor Graydon III (Blaine Hickman), the sultry-voiced and surprisingly maternal Muzzy Van Hossmere (Lindy Page and her impressive biceps) all bring their own talents to the stage, rounding out the circle of amazing voices, extraordinary comedic timing, and adept dancing abilities.
Adding to the action are Ching Ho, Bun Foo, and Miss Flannery (Samuel Madsen, Keaton Winter, and Carla Zarate, respectively). The Mandarin speaking and singing actors, Madsen and Winter, add to the sub-plot of danger and sympathies with aplomb, while Zarate provides yet more comedy as the no-nonsense manager. Millie’s entourage of aspiring flapper starlets are also a joy to watch, and they keep the energy going in their scenes with snappy dialogue and adorable singularities.
The ensemble shares with us an impressive capability to add to the show and give it depth. They fill each scene without distracting from the action, yet still add their own characterizations, making each scene complete for us.
Ferrin does more than provide the audience with a memorable cast; he also assembled a stellar crew to wrangle these talented actors. The set is simple without being sparse, and the cast and crew handle the scene changes smoothly and efficiently, keeping the pacing of the show up. I must say that the costumes and wigs are, in a word, delicious. The costumes all fit well, they have colored themes for each scene, and they are just beautiful. The wigs are so well done and well-worn that even from the third row, I couldn’t tell if they were wigs or real hair. The inventive lighting design fits the show perfectly, the use of the scrim is particularly enjoyable, and the sound is perfectly balanced and adds to each scene.
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Music Director (Jamie Balaich) does a superb job, especially with the group numbers and the multiple harmonies in many of the songs. I do wish I could have heard the ensemble and Millie’s entourage a little more though. This small detraction probably had more to do with the size of the stage and audience area versus the size of the group of actors than the volume of the music. I could hear them well enough to understand the words and hear the harmonies, and I could tell they were spot-on, I just wish the supporting cast members sang louder.
Choreographer (Dede Williams) creates such entertaining dances, and each actor onstage performs them beautifully. To be able to choreograph difficult and difficult-looking dances yet have everyone doing as imagined is no small feat. True, I don’t know what Williams imagined when she came up with the choreography, but the result is a show full of extremely satisfying dance numbers that had me wishing to see even more.
Thoroughly Modern Millie has been seen on various stages along the Wasatch Front, but I’d highly recommend a trip out to Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse to enjoy their take on this hilarious and delightful step back in time. I brought a couple of friends with me who have little experience with live theater, and they enjoyed it so much that they’re looking forward to seeing more shows in the future. It says a lot about a show when it can convert people who weren’t very interested in theater into theater-lovers. One of my friends commented, “I saw a show years and years ago, and I didn’t really understand it or get into it, and I didn’t have a lot of fun. But this — this show is drawing me in. I love it.”
My own experience of enjoyment aside, I listened as fellow audience members laughed, gasped, and oohed and aahed over the talent onstage. And if you’re worried about your children enjoying the show, don’t be: the zany antics that this production provides kept the children (and adults) engaged and thoroughly pleased the entire time.
Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse presents Thoroughly Modern Millie by Richard Morris
Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse, 99 E 4700 S., Washington Terrace, Utah 84405
February 23–April 7 7:30 PM
Tickets: $10-17
Contact: 801-393-0070
Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse Facebook page
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