The artist is always beginning.
Even given material as dated as “The King and I,” each performer must somehow make it new. And “The King and I,” first performed on Broadway in 1951, presents challenges to actors and audience alike.
The story is a tale of early feminism, after all, in which widowed Brit Anna Leonowens and her young son ship off for 1860s Siam so that she can tutor the king’s children. The strong-willed, independent woman clashing with a man who expects submissive compliance is less East meets West and more contemporary than audiences might wish.
Nonetheless, the air of British superiority that permeates the play can be off-putting. So can some of the chintzier flashes of the “Asian flavored” score.
In the lead of Performance Now Theatre Company’s production, Brian Trampler is of the dashingly handsome — and bald — sort made famous by Yul Brynner. His King Mongkut is suitably arrogant and dismissive. But it’s a role that can at times veer into playing broken English and a lack of civility for laughs. It’s no wonder the country that now calls itself Thailand refuses to let the musical be performed there. This can create moments of discomfort for the audience.
But the cast is so uniformly excellent that the show instead provides a series of moments for viewers to be won over.
Tracy Warren is Anna, a Julie Andrews-meets-Jodie Foster governess, charming yet practical. Her voice could melt the coldest cynic, making even an old saw like “Getting to Know You” fresh again, revealing the triumph of the Rodgers and Hammerstein touch. The choir of kids in the cast consists of a beautifully clean group of voices.
The production is quite enormous. At times there are 40 people of all ages on stage, including a few tiny ones who steal the show, and the set carries a simple opulence that paints the scene of a southeast Asian palace that doesn’t overwhelm.
Pacing was slow, but not fatally so — the propeller of the show was the well-executed songs. Addison VanDeWalker, as Anna’s 8-year-old son, Louis, remarkably holds his own among the powerful adult talents around him, especially in the opening duet with Warren, “Whistle a Happy Tune,” although neither appears able to whistle very forcefully. VanDeWalker’s tone and attitude were spot-on, the type of talent that could carry a cast in the future. His duet with the Prince (Cace Johnson) was also fun — they appeared to play off each other well in their reprise of the king’s “Puzzlement.”
The songbook shines in the duets between the young lovers Tuptim and Lun Tha (Annie Malin and Zachary Shannon). The melodies here are more complex and haunting, and Malin and Shannon hit “We Kiss in Shadow” and “I Have Dreamed” completely out of the ballpark with chemistry and talent.
Janell Kim as Lady Thiang offers a classic “Something Wonderful” with a voice that fills the room.
Trampler has the hardest role, one that has been permanently defined by Brynner, yet he’s up to the task. His king is charming and robust. If played for fewer laughs and more angst, this “King and I” might find a royal balance.
“The King and I” *** (out of four stars)
Presented by Performance Now at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. Directed by Bernie Cardell. Through Feb. 21. 2 hours, 45 minutes. 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays. $19-$25. 303-987- 7845 or
