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August 1, 2003
King offers grand show
Great singing, dancing and costumes in Malkin Bowl.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
It was hard not to be impressed by the opening night performance
of the Theatre Under the Stars' (TUTS) production of The King
and I.
Right from the opening scene, where Julia Bonnet (as Anna Leonowens)
and Patrick Fiore-Beauschesne (as Louis Leonowens) showed off their
impressive voices for "I Whistle a Happy Tune," the show
featured a cast full of excellent voices and quality dancers. A
little bit of fun was also thrown into the mix with Raugi Yu's performance
as the stubborn Siamese leader who wanted to do what was best, but
didn't know how.
The only thing that might have outdone the show's individual performances
were the colorful and detailed costumes and props – highlighted
by a traditional Siamese white elephant parade through the audience
in the second act, which drew its own round of applause.
Set in Bangkok in the early 1860s, The King and I is based
on the novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon.
It tells the story of Anna Leonowens, an English women who was hired
by King Mongkut to tutor his many children about the western world.
Anna struggles to get along with the king, but eventually convinces
him that democracy is better than ruling through fear and slavery.
Though the performance was definitely worth its ticket price, there
are a few things to consider before planning an evening with the
king in Malkin Bowl:
• Be prepared for a long show. Though opening night kicked
off a little late due to a welcoming address from TUTS president
Doug Louth, the show ended just a few minutes before 11 p.m. –
well past bedtime fo many of the younger ticket holders.
• If you do find that you need to take an unscheduled break
during the lengthy show, the best bet would be during the scene
where the king introduces his children to Anna. You'd have plenty
of time to freshen up and be back before the 13th child is introduced.
As for authenticity, due to the high number of talented Asian actors,
singers and dancers in the Vancouver area, the TUTS showing of The
King and I was able to fill all of the Siamese characters with
Asian performers – uncommon for most versions of this show.
While the cast is predominantly Asian, the orchestra had a strong
Jewish connection. Musical director Wendy Bross Stuart, who also
conducted the orchestra, opened the show with a powerful overture
and led a strong musical performance all the way through. Stuart
has been the musical director for previous TUTS productions including
Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma and South Pacific.
She has also worked with a variety of Jewish community musical programs,
including Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!, the Three Cantors and Tum Balalaika.
Sarah Franks plays the oboe and the flute for The King and I
and also for TUTS' other production, Anne of Green Gables.
Andrea Minden plays the flute in King, and Samara Devlin
and Lulu Krause form part of the cast.
Directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner David Connolly,
The King and I will show every second night at the Malkin
Bowl until Aug. 23. Tickets are $19-$29 or $75 for a family of four.
Visit www.tuts.bc.ca
or call 604-257-0366 for more information.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and a graphic designer
living in
Richmond.
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