Theatre Review: Wohlfahrt's 'Millie' is Thoroughly Fun

By: ROBERT McKINNEY | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER | TriCities.com
Published: September 06, 2009

Pretty girls, fantastic costumes, great singing and dancing, and a despicably nasty villain who ends up getting what’s coming to her all combine in Wohlfahrt Haus’ current production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Even if you saw the movie, even if you saw the play elsewhere, you will be positively delighted by the professionalism and enthusiasm generated by Wytheville, Va., dinner theater’s troupe of young actors, many of them already seasoned pros of the dinner theater and cruise ship circuits.
Melissa Powell stars as Millie Dillmount, a country girl of the Roaring Twenties, who arrives in New York City with dreams of “bobbing” her hair, finding a job, marrying her boss and Charlestoning off into the sunset to live happily ever after.
But wouldn’t you just know it, she happens to bump into Jimmy Smith instead, and the fireworks begin. Jimmy, played by the just-plain-out-wonderful D. Justin Jewell, describes himself as a ne’er-do-well and slap-happy paperclip salesman, but is that all he is? (Hint: of course not!)
Mixed into all this is the evil Mrs. Meers (boo, boo, hiss, hiss!) who runs a boarding house for young actresses from which many disappear into Chinese laundry hampers to become white slaves in the Far-far East.
Mrs. Meers is played by Jill Godfrey, who quite obviously enjoys the part immensely. She is assisted in her devilish business by Bun Foo and Chin Ho (Sonny Kong and Fang Du respectively) who are absolutely delightful – possibly the best in the show.
One of my especially favorite actors, Chandra Albritton, plays Muzzy Van Hossmere, the rich socialite who may or may not (hint, hint: “may”) be related to Jimmy Smith, Miss Dorothy Brown (Katie Mitchell) and the whole delightful mess of goings-on.
And, yes, the entire shebang borders upon pure mustache-twirling melodrama, and what’s wrong with that? It’s a good time to be had by all, the actors as much or more so than the audience and that, in my opinion, makes for the best dinner theater entertainment one can get. Nobody passed out popcorn to throw at the villain, but it’d be a great idea.
There’s a large cast, the costuming is magnificent, the food is pretty good, the service is excellent and there is a nice bar menu should one be so inclined. Grease up your funny bone, check your seriousness at the door and go prepared to eat, drink and laugh.
‘Millie” runs through Oct. 25. For reservations, call (888) 950-3382.

Theatre Review: Wohlfahrt's 'Millie' is Thoroughly Fun

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