Only one of the kids was singled out, but he certainly earned it!
I must also give kudos to Giacomo Favazza, who plays Anna's son, a child actor who has incredible energy and focus.
In the 1860s, Anna, a widowed English schoolteacher, moves to Thailand. Her job is to tutor the king's son... but the king gets quite a lesson as well. It's the Tony award-winning musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein, an original production now playing at the North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT).
Although the movie Anna and the King is a romance between Anna and the King, the original musical is more a romance between two cultures: British and Thai. Anna has to get used to keeping her head lower than the king's. The Thai present a play within the play of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in a perhaps overlong sequence that is rich with comic misinterpretations of American life.
Throughout, the musical is filled with memorable music. You've surely heard the tune for "Getting to Know You" and "I Whistle a Happy Tune", and I found myself humming the songs to myself all week -- surely the sign of a good musical. The turning point of the story is when a British ambassador visits to hear if the rumors are true that the King of Siam is a barbarian. Surrounded by unfriendly countries, the King is eager to make a good impression... making the musical a bit of My Fair Lady with the genders reversed.
And the story suffers from the same drawbacks of Pymgalion, the play that My Fair Lady comes from. Both stories are dated with misogyny which the male characters don't overcome. I don't think I'll spoil the story by saying that the King never gives up his throne and founds a true democracy, and the Anna never gives up that British sense of cultural superiority.
Still, it's a story with a strong female lead that is played well. Lorenzo Lamas as The King projects masculinity and strength, but Anna, played by Kate Fisher, generally steals each scene. Since this production was self-funded by the North Shore Music Theatre, there was not much time to rehearse, and yet her nuances add levels to the performance and draw you in to what her character is thinking. I must also give kudos to Giacomo Favazza, who plays Anna's son, a child actor who has incredible energy and focus. My favorite among the supporting cast was Joshua Dela Cruz, who as Lun Tha (the male component of a Romeo & Juliet subplot in the play) instantly captured the stage in his initial scene. At first I thought I must be imagining this strength of singing and pure love projected through body language, but the friends I was with also named Dela Cruz as their favorite supporting cast member without any prompting.
Of course, the NSMT's own production doesn't come with the enormous sets and production value of a touring Broadway show. The staging was simple, but the lighting and costuming made up for it -- you'll never get tired of the many changes of costume, with the Uncle Thomas scene being the highlight. The choreography of the limited dance numbers also draws you in. It is easy to get immersed into the fascination that Asia held for Americans and Europeans in the 1860s. That fascination is ultimately the real star of the show. Of course, production value comes from the NSMT's own venue. As an official fat person who measure 6 foot 4 inches, I can say with gratitude that the chairs are comfortable, and the circular stage ringed with seating means that there is no bad seat in the house and the cast doesn't have to awkwardly face front all the time, since there is no 'front'.
So, a slightly dated story, yet with wonderful cultural highlights, and a production that is new but I could easily imagine adding more depth if they performed for many weeks. I am glad to give "The King & I" 4 stars out of 5 and recommend you check out the upcoming A Christmas Carol playing at the NSMT in December.
Although the movie Anna and the King is a romance between Anna and the King, the original musical is more a romance between two cultures: British and Thai. Anna has to get used to keeping her head lower than the king's. The Thai present a play within the play of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in a perhaps overlong sequence that is rich with comic misinterpretations of American life.
Throughout, the musical is filled with memorable music. You've surely heard the tune for "Getting to Know You" and "I Whistle a Happy Tune", and I found myself humming the songs to myself all week -- surely the sign of a good musical. The turning point of the story is when a British ambassador visits to hear if the rumors are true that the King of Siam is a barbarian. Surrounded by unfriendly countries, the King is eager to make a good impression... making the musical a bit of My Fair Lady with the genders reversed.
And the story suffers from the same drawbacks of Pymgalion, the play that My Fair Lady comes from. Both stories are dated with misogyny which the male characters don't overcome. I don't think I'll spoil the story by saying that the King never gives up his throne and founds a true democracy, and the Anna never gives up that British sense of cultural superiority.
Still, it's a story with a strong female lead that is played well. Lorenzo Lamas as The King projects masculinity and strength, but Anna, played by Kate Fisher, generally steals each scene. Since this production was self-funded by the North Shore Music Theatre, there was not much time to rehearse, and yet her nuances add levels to the performance and draw you in to what her character is thinking. I must also give kudos to Giacomo Favazza, who plays Anna's son, a child actor who has incredible energy and focus. My favorite among the supporting cast was Joshua Dela Cruz, who as Lun Tha (the male component of a Romeo & Juliet subplot in the play) instantly captured the stage in his initial scene. At first I thought I must be imagining this strength of singing and pure love projected through body language, but the friends I was with also named Dela Cruz as their favorite supporting cast member without any prompting.
Of course, the NSMT's own production doesn't come with the enormous sets and production value of a touring Broadway show. The staging was simple, but the lighting and costuming made up for it -- you'll never get tired of the many changes of costume, with the Uncle Thomas scene being the highlight. The choreography of the limited dance numbers also draws you in. It is easy to get immersed into the fascination that Asia held for Americans and Europeans in the 1860s. That fascination is ultimately the real star of the show. Of course, production value comes from the NSMT's own venue. As an official fat person who measure 6 foot 4 inches, I can say with gratitude that the chairs are comfortable, and the circular stage ringed with seating means that there is no bad seat in the house and the cast doesn't have to awkwardly face front all the time, since there is no 'front'.
So, a slightly dated story, yet with wonderful cultural highlights, and a production that is new but I could easily imagine adding more depth if they performed for many weeks. I am glad to give "The King & I" 4 stars out of 5 and recommend you check out the upcoming A Christmas Carol playing at the NSMT in December.
No comments:
Post a Comment