January 16, 2007
By Tammy O'Reilly
BEING robbed, arrested and caught up in a slavery ring during your first week in a new city would be enough to drive most people back home – but not Ms Millie Dillmount.
For starters, she doesn't have the money for a return ticket; more importantly, however, she is so fixated on marrying her boss – whoever he may be – that returning to the sleepy town from which she hails is not an option.
That's the story of Thoroughly Modern Millie the award-winning stage adaptation of the film set in 1920s New York City on at the Nelson Mandela Theatre until 25 February. It's a simple, flop-proof tale of a county girl coming to the big city and experiencing the roadblock of harsh city life. Nothing goes her way, especially in love, but she persists.
While it does not explode with twists, the predictability of the story gives audiences something to identify with, as almost everybody knows somebody who has left his or her hometown for greener pastures.
Millie realises her boss only has eyes for Miss Dorothy
Samantha Peo puts in a sterling performance as the unstoppable Millie, who leaves Salina, Kansas – where the tallest building is just three storeys high – for the city that never sleeps. Bustling Manhattan is filled with skyscrapers, neon lights and jazz.
Peo is best remembered for her award-winning role as Roxie Hart in Chicago, and her performance as Millie is bound to cement her reputation as one of the country's leading female theatre performers.
Barely a day in Manhattan and Millie is robbed of her bag; and cocky stranger Jimmy Smith, played by Brennan Holder, directs her to Hotel Priscilla, where young ladies get put up for a weekly rate. What she doesn't know is that the hotel is a front for a slavery ring, headed by the menacing Mrs Meers, brilliantly played by Fiona Ramsay.
In no time Millie lands a job as a highly efficient stenographer at the Sincere Trust Insurance Company. Her boss is handsome, well-bred Trevor Graydon, and she is now one step closer to fulfilling her dream of a happy marriage – or so she thinks.
Still eager to explore the city, she bumps into Smith again and he shows her the ropes, sneaking her into high society gatherings and elite restaurants where they have to wash the dishes for their meal. And so she meets the glamorous heiress, New Yorker Muzzy Van Hossmere, played by jazz diva Abigail Kubeka.
The 65-year-old Kubeka reminds audiences why she was the talk of the 1970s and 80s as she belted out songs in her signature raspy jazzy voice.
Millie and Smith share a quirky love-hate relationship but a series of misunderstandings sends their friendship into a downward spiral. Of course, the play has a happy ending. Millie finds both love and wealth – and has a hand in bringing down Mrs Meers.
The show is a comedy, and much of that is provided by Ching Ho and Bun Foo, Mrs Meers' sidekicks. The two cannot speak a word of English, but a screen with subtitles of the dialogue is projected on stage during their scenes.
Almost every scene has a different set and lighting, making the audience feel as if they really are in the big city with Millie, or peeping through the window of the hotel lobby watching the scheming Mrs Meers.
There are 15 songs in the musical, including two from the original 1967 film, all played by a live orchestra. On the odd occasion, unfortunately, the orchestra drowns out the voices, but for the rest the songs are well done.
Thoroughly Modern Millie is thoroughly enjoyable if you looking for a light-hearted story with the themes that make most stories successful – love and friendship.
Tickets are available at Computicket and prices range from R250 to R315 a person.
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