'Something
wonderful' at Richter
'The King and I' a solid finale for theater's outdoor summer
season
By Chesley Plemmons
© The News-Times
The
King of Siam (Damian Long of Newtown) faces the dilemmas
of a changing culture in “The King and I.”If
"The King and I" ranks high on your list
of favorite shows, you'll be whistling a happy tune
on exiting Musicals at Richter in Danbury.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's
popular east-meets-west concoction proves a handsome,
well-sung season finale for the popular outdoor theater.
It's an evening of the duo's most sophisticated
collaboration, with solid singers in every role
and top billing to the chorus. With a stage swirling
with color, this is a hard-to-resist entertainment.
The score's dozen memorable tunes include "Hello,
Young Lovers,""Getting to Know You,""I
Have Dreamed,' and "Shall We Dance."
As evergreen as the music
is, it's the enduring appeal of its two central
characters, English governess Anna Leonowens and
Mongkut, the King of Siam, that keeps this 1951
musical entertaining a half-century after its Broadway
premiere. |
© The News-Times
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Director E. Kyle Minor and producer Joyce Northrup have
enlisted the talents of some of the troupe's most talented
artisans in designing the sets and costumes, and the musical
direction is under the able supervision of Sarah Fay.
Fay leads the smooth band from the keyboard, with Tom Morris
on second keyboard, Charles Casimiro on bass and Matt Lupoli
on percussion. If you haven't been to Richter in a while,
you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much better the acoustics
have become.
Siam, for those who lose track of Asian boundaries, is
now Thailand, and in 1862, the king imported Mrs. Leonowens,
a widow, to teach his many children. (The final count of
his offspring was in the 80s, but the musical settles for
60-plus).
© The News-Times
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Rodgers
and Hammerstein based their musical on "Anna
and the King of Siam," a novel by Margaret Landon,
which was in turn based on Leonowens' own recollections
of her adventures in the Siam court.
Though Thai historians
question the accuracy of the Welsh teacher's version
of her relationship with the king and the influence
it exerted on later politics in the country, it is
apparently close enough to the truth to accept on
faith "" or be persuaded by melody.
Priscilla Squiers plays
Anna, and Damian Long has the role of the king. A
familiar performer in area musicals, Squiers possesses
a clear, steady, warm soprano, and since she carries
half the musical numbers that's good news.
She also imbues Anna
with the stubbornness and compassion that makes her
initial verbal duels with the king -- and their later
mutual admiration -- amusing and provocative. |
Long, who is making his Richter debut, cuts an imposing
figure as the headstrong, questioning monarch. He sings
well enough (as well, I suspect, as Yul Brenner did in the
original) and relies on a strong stage presence to create
the macho elements of his character.
In major supporting roles and all in excellent voice are
Erin Volpintesta as Lady Thiang, and Robert Sniffin and
Betsy Simpson as the secret lovers, Lun Tha and Tuptim.
Simpson hits some astounding high notes with ease.
Kieran Minor does good work as Anna's young son, Louis,
and Sammy Panzarino matches him in youthful sincerity as
the king's heir, Prince Chululonghorn.
Ted Schwartz doubles cleverly as the captain of the ship
that brings Anna to Siam and Sir Edward Ramsay, an old friend
from London.
It's a large cast filled with a dozen or more poised kids
as the king's children. Even this curmudgeon had to smile
on their entrance to the well-known "March of the Siamese
Children."
© The News-Times |
The handsome sets, devised by Brad Blake and painted by
scenic artist Rick Doyle, suggest Shangri-La as seen through
a rainbow. Aurora Greaves' costumes burst with color ""
more than enough for me "" in keeping with the
Asian passion for bright displays.
Choreographer Jerome Robbins' ballet "The Small House
of Uncle Thomas" doesn't seem as inventive as it once
did, but it's danced well here, particularly by Kaitlyn
Fay as Eliza, Charity M. Ferris as Uncle Thomas, Courtney
LePere as Simon, Allison Dziuba as Little Eva, and Allie
Bukowski as Topsy. Parents with kids in tow should familiarize
them with Harriet Beecher Stowe's story so they can appreciate
this celebrated sequence.
Minor's direction was efficient and unforced throughout,
though the final moments could use sharper definition. The
king's fate was upstaged by the Prince's proclamation.
I can take the second-act ballet or leave it, but I never
leave "The King and I" without humming one tune
or another, usually "Something Wonderful" or "We
Kiss in a Shadow."ä"The King and I"
plays through Aug. 19 at Musicals at Richter, Richter Arts
Center, next to the Richter Golf Course, 100 Aunt Hack Road,
Danbury. Performances are Fridays through Sundays at 8:30
p.m. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors, $12 for students
and children; call the box office at (203) 748-6873 or reserve
online at www.musicalsatrichter.org.
The Richter grounds open at 7:15 for picnicking. Snacks
and beverages are available on site, and lawn chairs may
be rented if reserved in advance.
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