|
||||
|
||||
|
Saturday, Aug 30, 2008
|
||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
The King and I |
||
.jpg) |
||
| The King and I | ||
| by Miryam Gordon -
SGN A&E Writer a THE KING AND I BY RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN DIRECTED BY STEVE TOMKINS CHOREOGRAPHED BY KATHRYN VAN METER VILLAGE THEATRE THROUGH JANUARY 6 IN ISSAQUAH JANUARY 11-27 IN EVERETT This is a gaudy and gorgeous production of The King and I. The visuals are wonderful, from the set by Robert Dahlstrom to the costumes of Melanie Burgess, who created some intricate masks and evoked Bangkokian atmosphere with her elaborate and meticulous costuming for the play-within-a-play, Small House of Uncle Thomas. The music, under the direction of Bruce Monroe, is flawless. The choreography is absolutely amazing, again particularly in the beautiful and engrossing play-within. Lovely little moments of interlude choreography hold the show together with their charm. Michael Lee, fresh from his role as Tommy in the rock opera, gets to show much more range and depth as the King than as the pinball wizard. He is commanding, thoughtful, confused, and amused, in turns. Lee is partnered with Beth deVries, who is competent as Mrs. Anna, if just a little stiff. It's a small quibble with a strong performance, though. Lots of adorable children crowd the stage, singing and bowing to the floor. Mike Klinge does a nice job with the boy, Louis, but a stronger performance comes from Bryan Djunaedi as the Crown Prince. Two small roles that pack a big impact are the incredible Jennifer Paz as Tuptim, partnered with Christian Ray Marbella's Lun Tha. They seem perfectly matched for each other and their singing is beautiful. Another standout performance is Kim Varhola's as Lady Thiang. This production does the venerable old musical proud and since it deals with slavery, multicultural interaction and focuses on the value of understanding each other, it's timely family entertainment, guaranteeing lots to talk about in the car on the way home. For more information, go to www.villagetheatre.org or call (425) 392-2202. Comments on reviews go to sgncritic@gmail.com. |
||
 |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 post your own information on the Seattle Gay Blog |
copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2007