The Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic “The King and I” claimed the Pantages Theater as a temporary kingdom on Tuesday evening and truly, it is ‘Something Wonderful.’!! The musical, which I believe hasn’t been staged in Los Angeles on this grand a scale in over a decade (Pantages Theater, April 2005), brings the story of an English schoolteacher in a faraway land to life in a sweeping production that is passionately endearing, thoroughly enjoyable and definitively entertaining. Moreover, the distinct effort to make this show both relevant and enduring despite its ‘political incorrectness’ (by today’s standards) is absolutely amazing to watch as it unfolds on stage. Therein in lies my sincere appreciation for Bartlett Sher, the director of this revival. The Tony winner for Best Director (South Pacific, 2008) delicately and deftly balances themes like polygamy, colonial-mentality, chauvinism, anti-feminism, against hooped skirts, leather shoes, a whip, a bible, a sailing vessel and a magnificent Buddha set piece; he juxtaposes the grandness of a banquet hall against the lone soliloquies of a puzzled monarch; he intertwines forbidden love amongst themes of patriotism, feminism, honor and even slavery. It’s a lot to take in but thankfully, it comes with some of the most engaging and memorable music written for the stage AS WELL AS some of the most terrific performances from a stellar company …a rather large company at that.
Let’s start with the music, a wonderful pastiche of melodies including “Getting to Know You”, “Something Wonderful”, “I Have Dreamed” and “Shall We Dance?”, all moving the plot (and subplots) along. At one point, I thought I saw the words themselves dancing from the schoolteacher’s lips, tripping steadily on the beat, the half beat, or punctuating a counterpoint here and there. Some songs stick with you even after a show, and some of these songs have stuck with me until now, as I pen this. But, let’s face it….it’s the characters who sing these songs that are wonderful, and in this production, there happens to be some superb musicality on display from some very capable artists.
Anna Leonowens is played by the dazzling Laura Michelle Kelly. Don’t let that small frame fool you….she is astoundingly magnificent, able to effortlessly transition from dialogue to song in a snap and with such a pristine voice, I didn’t want her to stop! From her opening “I Whistle A Happy Tune” through “Hello Young Lovers” and the glorious “Shall We Dance?”, Ms. Kelly delivers a convincing portrait of an eager schoolteacher waiting to drag a stuffy king into “modern times” and the challenges that come with that.
The underscored love story, between the Burmese Lun Tha and Tuptim, is brought to life by Kavin Panmeechao and Manna Nichols, respectively. Both actors give heartfelt and believable performances, but Wow!, where in the world did Manna Nichols come from!? The musical theater veteran shines as Tuptim with a voice as spectacular as her spellbinding look. In Tuptim’s story, you find a piece of the heart of this musical – determination, compassion, overcoming adversity and friendship.
Then there is Lady Thiang (the first wife), dynamically and poignantly portrayed by Joan Almedilla (is there NOTHING this woman can’t do!?). To her role belongs perhaps THE singular song of the entire musical, “Something Wonderful”, an homage to the king himself – an open request for Anna to accept the king on his own terms, with his dreams, his faults, his aspirations, etc.:
“This is a man who thinks with his heart,
His heart is not always wise.
This is a man who stumbles and falls,
But this is a man who tries.
This is a man you'll forgive and forgive
And help and protect, as long as you live.”
And when sung by Joan, it’s absolutely breathtaking! So convincing is her portrayal of Lady Thiang, I almost bowed to her when I met her backstage. Thiang is the embodiment of courage and strength, wise in her own wisdom, un-wavering in her devotion to her land, her kingdom and her king. And Joan splendidly brings her to life!
In 1976, I saw “The King and I” at the Dorothy Chandler with Yul Brynner in the title role. It was only because I auditioned to be one of the children that the only song I knew (had to learn) was “Getting to Know You”; I hadn’t heard the other tunes nor could my folks find the recording of the soundtrack but I do remember that I had fun watching this show, primarily because of Yul’s performance as the king. So, the musical really does belong to the actor playing this role….and Jose Llana fills the king’s shoes tremendously. I think Sher gifted Jose with this “sandbox” of music and dialogue and it was just so entertaining to watch Jose play. Both in singing and dancing, but moreso in some hysterically funny dialogue (generally accompanied by equally hysterical rolling eyes, upturned grin and nodding head), Jose IS the King…an innocent, determined, brave, “puzzled” king who is trying to hold on to the customs and traditions of what he was taught while trying to accept the new world knowledge he is asking of Anna. That clash is the engine of the show and Jose is absolutely brilliant at conveying frustration, anger, humor, and indeed, hope. It’s such a robust, heartwarming and compassionate role and Jose spiritedly succeeds as Yul’s triumphant successor.
