Last night was such a beautiful early summer’s evening and the opportunity to dress up and go out and experience what turned out to be a truly magical night at the theatre was just too good to miss. When a musical classic such as The King and I comes to town, it really is a theatrical experience not to be ignored.

On national tour, The Lincoln Centre Theatre Production of The King and I, directed by Bartlett Sher, complete with a stellar cast, a simply stunning stage set throughout and a full orchestra of the highest calibre ensures that the musical is a feast for all the senses. The famous Rogers & Hammerstein’s score has not been performed for some years here in the Potteries and the audience last night sat entranced and delighted by the wonderful musical offering, the emotive narrative and vibrancy of a distant cultural and historical heritage so beautifully portrayed on the Regent stage.

Made famous by the film starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, The King and I really has to seen on a theatre stage to fully appreciate the emotional charge of the characters and the storyline.  Set in Victorian times, it is a tale of a widowed English schoolteacher called Anna, who ventures to distant Siam with her young son Louis in order to tutor the children of the King. From the opening scene where Anna and Louis are sailing into Bangkok harbour, the evocative and exotic context paves the way for an adventure of epic proportions in a land so distant then and so alien in culture and yet so familiar on the human experience of love, laughter and heartache.

Annalene Beechey is simply exquisite as Anna in both her acting and singing capacity.  With songs such as I Whistle a Happy Tune, the beautiful Hello Young Lovers and Getting To Know You, the audience at the Regent were enthralled by the quality of her delivery throughout the performance. Tuptim played by Marienella Phillips was also sublime in her portrayal of the tragic figure destined for a doomed love with Lun Tha, played by Dean John-Wilson so evocatively, and Phillip’s rendition of My Lord and Master was poignantly heart wrenching.

It is a very big feat to portray the King in The King and I, to say the least, but the American actor Darren Lee is charismatically outstanding in the current production.  From the start, Lee’s presence on stage is both exciting and tangible in the authoritarian, compassionate, even comical mix of emotion and statue that only a monarch could portray. It is wonderful casting for Lee and the Shall We Dance scene with Anna encapsulated the pure unbridled affection which the two main actors obviously have for their respective roles and their sheer joy of performance. 

Of course, one of the most beautiful elements of The King and I is the plethora of adorable children in the musical and what talented actors they are at such a young age. Anna’s boy Louis has a wonderful part as does Prince Chulalongkorn played by Caleb Lagayan so vibrantly.  Another outstanding performance was given by Cezarah Bonner as Lady Thiang.

It is also essential to mention that the choreography in The King and I is wonderful to view and Christopher Gattelli is responsible for coordinating the incredible ballet scene of The Small House Of Uncle Tom. The set designer Michael Yeargan, the costume designer Catherine Zuber and the musical director Christopher Mundy have all pulled the stops out too and as cited earlier, The King and I is truly a joy for all the senses. 

Do not miss this production if you value outstanding live performance and the beauty of musical theatre.

5 Stars

Reviewed by Carol Lovatt at Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tuesday 30 May, where the production runs until Saturday 3 June.

Unquestionably one of the greatest shows from a bygone but golden age of musicals, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King And I is making a welcome return to Birmingham this week. 

Adapted from Margaret Landon’s bestselling novel, which in turn was based on Anna Leonowen’s memoirs chronicling her experiences in 1860s Siam (now Thailand) teaching the children of the Siamese King, the stage musical premiered in 1951. So popular did it prove that a mere five years later it received the Hollywood treatment, with Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner memorably performing the lead roles in the still-adored film. 

Boasting a soundtrack bursting with heartwarming and heart-rending songs, exquisitely brought to life with fun and beautiful dance routines, this latest touring version further benefits from simple yet effective sets and detailed and stunning costumes - especially Anna’s voluminous hooped skirts!

Maria Coyne expertly stepped in for Helen George as Anna Leonowens in last night’s show, with Broadway performer Darren Lee playing the part of King Mongkut. Together they were outstanding and generated a compelling on-stage chemistry.

Coyne played Anna brilliantly; as a strong, self-assured woman who is willing to stand up for what she believes in. She is frustrated by the King’s arrogance and the subservience he expects from his subjects, including herself! 

Lee was equally impressive as the stubborn, impetuous but ultimately warm-hearted King, whose culture clashes so profoundly with Anna’s that at times it causes great friction between the two of them. 

The pair shared the stage for most of the show and worked well together. A favourite scene for me - presented alongside the well-known song, Shall We Dance - saw Anna teaching the King the polka, which he then led with great exuberance!

Another highlight was The March Of The Siamese Children, when the King introduces Anna to some of his many offspring... 

The show’s ‘play within a play’, meanwhile - a reenactment of Uncle Tom’s Cabin produced to impress English dignitaries visiting Siam - was witty, exotic, evocative and splendidly choreographed. 

Special mention should also go to three other cast members. Two of them - Amelia Kinu Muus, who played Tuptim (instead of Marienella Phillips), and Dean John-Wilson, who played her forbidden lover, Lun Tha - created some real vocal magic between them, especially in their stunning rendition of I Have Dreamed... 

And then there was Cezarah Bonner, who played the King’s head-wife, Lady Thiang. Not only was her voice simply spectacular, but her moving performance of Something Wonderful - when she appeals to Anna to help the deeply troubled King - was truly an experience to behold. The song’s haunting lyrics explain the simple yet complex relationship which the two women have with the King, and the reason why both are ultimately willing to support him in his heartfelt efforts to be a great monarch.

A story about love, respect and equality that surely resonates as powerfully today as ever it did, The King And I is one of musical theatre’s greatest triumphs. If this latest touring version is anything to go by, the show remains in the rudest of health more than 70 years after its premiere.

5 stars

Review
5 Stars on Tue, 30 May 2023