Thoroughly Modern Millie

By Keith Boykin, in theater
Friday, October 18 2002, 6:00AM

I also say Thoroughly Modern Millie last week, and although I enjoyed the show, I doubt I would have seen it were it not for Sheryl Lee Ralph. Ralph returned to Broadway for the first time since her performance as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls.

In Millie, Ralph plays Muzzy Van Hossmere, a wealthy widowed performer at the center of a plot in which she barely appears in the first act. Her absence is more than compensated for in the second act, where she becomes integral to the story.

The first act dragged on a little too long, although it really didn't require such an elaborate set up to explain the story . How many times have we seen the story of a young girl from Kansas who arrives in New York to become a star? So why does it take an hour to say this? Anyway, the pace and the excitement picked up considerably in the second act.

The show includes some big, jazzy dance numbers, great singing, and creative use of stage design. The multi-ethnic cast includes two black ensemble performers, T. Oliver Reid and Amy Higgins, and at least two Asian-American performers, Ken Leung and Francis Jue. It's a good performance, especially if you can make it past the first act.

© Copyright 2003 by Keith Boykin.