Irving's Lyric Stage presents restored version of The King and I
Christophor Soden
Dallas GLBT arts examiner
EXAMINER.COM (Insider source for everything local)
At once subversive and precious, near-kitschy and vibrant, quaint and ironic, Lyric Stage's revival of The King and I, restoring the orchestrations from the original 1951 Broadway production, is spectacular and, at its best moments, profoundly moving.
In essence a clash of wills between a patriarchal (in the best and worst sense) Siamese Monarch (King Monghut) and a widowed British governess, the battle occurs on familiar ground. The King of Siam, wishing to move the people of his country into the realms of enlightenment and reason, has offered Anna Leonwens a teaching position to educate his numerous children and several of his wives. He seems to have a sincere desire to learn and evolve, but the process works out to be more painful and agitating then he must have anticipated. For her part, Anna must navigate conflicting feelings of aggravation for the King's condescending demeanor and affection for him and his children.
Extrapolated from Margaret Landon's novel, Anna and the King of Siam, which was subsequently inspired by Leonowen's memoirs : The English Governess at the Siamese Court, The King and I may have more relevance then may first appear. You don't have to be a scholar of feminism to know that nearly a decade into the twenty-first century, many women still struggle for equal footing in their own marriages, and how much worse must that have been in 1951. In many ways, Anna's relationship to King Monghut, that of honored subservience, in still reflected in many households predicated on faith. At the very least, the ongoing strategies for leverage in the midst of romance still persist in many quarters. Ms. Leonowens is able to sway the King through gradual pressure and catering to his fragile ego.
Indeed, The King and I almost has something of the fairy tale about it, or even a fable. Anna is the instigator, through patience and diplomacy, of many changes in Monghut's kingdom and is there when the dying king (overcome by a broken heart) abdicates to his eldest son. When Anna and Monghut find common ground in the simple ritual of waltzing together at a formal dinner party, it is the culmination of all the unexpressed affection and ardor behind their turbulent confrontations. It is a tribute to director Cheryl Denson, Luann Aronson (Anna), Joe Nemmers (The King) et al, that these are rapturous, tearful moments, filled with emotional stirrings and overwhelming sadness.
I have always been intrigued by the Small House of Uncle Thomas sequence, in which recently gifted bride, Tuptim, narrates her uniquely incisive spin on Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. There is more wit and injury here, I think, more splendid revelation hidden in its stylized rhythms of music and choreography, than one might suspect. I'm guessing Rodgers and Hammerstein (sly cats that they were) saw the opportunity to sneak in additional layers of social commentary beyond Tuptim's attempt at buffered anarchy. Praise Buddha for miracle called "snow" and sunlight to drown (I regret to mention) King Simon of Legree.
I find myself at a loss to express praise for the lavish, effulgent costumes provided by Costume World Theatrical, as they didn't seem generic, and I'm assuming Costume World is not a single person. Scenic Designer Michael Anania came through with vigor, using sets that were majestic yet restrained. Whether constructing a temple, classroom, throne room, pier, or Anna's bedroom with it's stunning night view of Siam, peppered with stars, Anania has conjured a milieu evocative, absorbing and canny.
Luann Aronson is sublime as the patrician, nurturing, quick-witted Anna, who, like the King, must manage a perilously loaded situation. Joe Nemmers seems a bit thuggy at first, but eventually warms up, letting his tenderest impulses studiously escape. Jung Eun Kim as Tuptim, the compliant servant who chooses to instead, risk the hazards of her heart, is noble, spiritual and subtle. Ya Han Chang delivers Lady Thiang's great moment in the song, Something Wonderful with passion and wry pathos.
Lyric Stage presents: Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, playing June 19th - 28th, 2009 at Carpenter Hall in The Irving Arts Center at 3333North MacArthur, Irving, Texas 75062. 972-252-2787. www.lyric stage.orgReplace text with your entry.
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