A Pirate Productions production
Directed by Dominique Vitali.
Musical direction by Philip Dutton.
Lyrics by Dick Scanlan
Book by Richard Morris & Dick Scanlan
Based on Thoroughly Modern Millie by Richard Morris
and Chrysanthemum by Robin Chancellor, Neville Phillips & Robb Stewart
Performed 13th to 18th October 2009 at the Maison Syndicale, Dudelange.
Millie Dillmount escapes to New York City from Salina, Kansas determined to become a Planes walker. Bobbing her hair and assuming the modern look of a “flapper,” she takes a room at the Hotel Priscilla for Women and gets a job as a stenographer at the Sincere Trust Insurance Company. In short time, she finds herself involved with Jimmy Smith, a poor but fun-loving paper-clip salesman; Miss Dorothy Brown, a gentle aspiring actress who never seems to have spare change; several other stage-struck young women staying at the hotel; and Muzzy van Hossmere, a madcap Manhattan cabaret singer and heiress with a zest for the high life and a glamorous penthouse.
Millie’s pompous but wealthy boss, whom she intends to marry, is Trevor Graydon III. But trouble comes in several respects. First, Millie is falling for Jimmy, but she fears that Jimmy is having a fling with Millie’s new friend, Miss Dorothy. In addition, the hotel proprietress, the mysterious and sinister Mrs. Meers, employs two Chinese henchmen, Ching Ho and Bun Foo (who don’t speak English). They must help Mrs. Meers to kidnap any orphaned women checking into her hotel as part of her dealings in white slavery, so that they can bring their elderly mother to America. One of the potential kidnap victims is Miss Dorothy. Millie tries to seduce Mr. Graydon, until she finds out that Dorothy and Mr. Graydon are in love. Ching Ho also falls in love with Miss Dorothy.
Jimmy finally declares his feelings for Millie. Millie, Jimmy, and Mr. Graydon realize what Mrs. Meers is up to. They persuade Muzzy to pose as a new orphan in town to trick Mrs. Meers. Mrs. Meers takes the bait and is exposed as the mastermind of the slavery ring. But Ching Ho has already rescued Miss Dorothy and won her heart. Jimmy proposes to Millie, and, poor as he is, she accepts, “because if it’s marriage I’ve got in mind, love has everything to do with it.” Jimmy turns out to be Herbert J. Van Hossmere III, Muzzy’s stepson, and one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. Miss Dorothy turns out to be his sister, an heiress, and she ends up not with Trevor Graydon, but with Ching Ho. In a final pairing, Bun Foo becomes Graydon’s new stenographer.
Thoroughly Modern Millie: A Review by Geoff Thomson.
From directing previous productions of La Cage aux Folles and Showtime, Dominique Vitali has again upped the ante with the latest Pirates’ production, Thoroughly Modern Millie. The Maison Syndicale in Dudelange (look for the OGBL signs outside) is a new venue for Pirates and the 350-seat auditorium lends itself very well to musical theatre in Luxembourg. The setting is Manhattan in 1922 and Ciara Barker must take the plaudits for a series of wonderful period costumes, as well as Karl Pierce and Tina Gibson for the clever set design, including even revolving doors used in the second scene…
For regular attendees of such productions it was refreshing to see so many new faces (and hear so many new voices) on stage that the future of Pirates is well and truly secured. The blend of old and new was uplifting, as was the range and blend of characters on stage. Julie Fraser simply stole the show as Mrs Meers, the scheming and sinister but hilarious hotel manageress. Her take on Chinese idiosyncrasies and OTT exclamations and expressions was a wonder to behold and yet tied the entire production together. She was ably abetted by Neil Johnson and Steve Wilkie whose grasp of both Mandarin and Cantonese, together their mannerisms, were both a revelation (expertly coached by Rose Flammant) and equally side-splitting. But let this take nothing away from Phoebe Smith in the lead role a Millie who showed she can act, sing and dance, all at the same time and without missing a beat. From her entrance on stage in the first scene where her stage presence was electric, to her tap-dancing while seated in a stenographer’s chair (Allison Kingsbury’s choreography to the fore here), her confidence and professionalism helped ensure the performance will be remembered for all the right reasons. Phoebe was ably abetted by another newcomer to the Luxembourg stage, Timothy Winters, whose charisma and exuberance combined to enable him to portray with panache young Jimmy Smith (Long Islander) who becomes entangled in Millie’s (Kansas’) discovery of the Big Apple. Rota Ramanatsialonina’s sultry performance as cabaret artist Muzzy was like being at a West End production and while her lines could have been delivered with more confidence, this will undoubtedly improve with experience. Likewise, Elizabeth Venner’s operatic voice was a joy to behold while her voice could have been projected more towards the audience for he spoken lines. Alex Teligadas’s performance as overbearing office boss and eligible bachelor Trevor Graydon was solid, with the scene involving a Dictaphone test for nervous Millie standing out, reminding some of us of studied Ronnie Barker delivering his unforgettable quick-fire lines back in the 70s.
The entire cast and backstage crew combined to make this yet another success from the Pirates team, with the live 26-piece Orchestra ably directed by Philip Dutton.