The King and I

The King and I
Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein 11. Directed by Christopher Renshaw. From 12th June, Princess Theatre, Melbourne.

“Some shows date quickly, and revivals serve to point out their shortcomings. Others simply grow better with age, their magic beguiling generation after generation. The King and I is the epitome of the latter. This exquisitely mounted show may well be the best musical you ever see, and I really do mean EVER.”

That’s what I wrote just a month ago on opening night. What is fascinating about RE-reviewing the show is the realisation that a production can have the exact same cast, same director, same EVERYTHING…but change one actor in a major role and the entire dynamic changes, it literally becomes a different show.

Jason Scott Lee was superb and endearing as the King, but an injury forced his withdrawal after only three weeks in the role. It’s hard not to feel a little pleased as a reviewer, to learn that he would be replaced by the equally magnificent Lou Diamond Phillips. I’m not going to use the “Hollywood Actor” tag (though I’ve been a big fan since La Bamba). Mr Phillips doesn’t need that description. He is an artist, and the only thing that matters is that he was nominated for a Tony Award in this role and in this production on Broadway and has performed the show 550 times. Does he make the show better? He makes the show DIFFERENT; so different that comparatives are pointless. Phillips’ King is more secure, more confident, less willing to bend, far slower to succumb to Mrs Anna. He knows he is King, and that can never be forgotten. He lives and breathes Majesty and does, right up until the first act curtain, seem intimidating. The result is a beautifully measured performance that builds slowly, step by step. It’s a trade off in some ways…there is less vulnerability; more command; less childlike humour; more adult sophistication in the comedy. This King is darker, more weighted by responsibility, and more mature, so that when we see the lightness in him it has twice the impact. The over-riding difference however is the sexual frisson between The King and Anna. This is no un-consummated warm would-be romance; this is a smouldering passion and many of us held our breath at the end of  “Shall We Dance” as the King moved in for the kiss. Lisa McCune, a superb actress who has mastered the art of RE-acting, seemed staggeringly fragile and swept up in the moment. That passion pushes the death scene to another level with slightly different blocking, so that she throws herself across his body, as though she needed to melt into him, just once.

As for the rest of the show… it seemed flatter in the first twenty minutes and the sound levels were a little low, but Lisa McCune is still superb in the role that might have been written for her. Shu-Cheen Yu is even better as Lady Thiang now that the show is bedded in. Adrian Li Donni exceeds his opening night performance and Jenny Liu has overcome the pitch problems in her top register. Marty Rhone added his charismatic presence to a role not worthy of him, and John Adams was excellent as both the captain and Sir Edward. The Siamese children are adorable, and the ensemble was full of the vocal and dancing strength we expect in Australian productions.

Astonishingly, Lisa McCune has played Anna to four different Kings, with understudy Chris Fung doing a wonderful job filling in between the two overseas stars.

This recreation of John Frost’s Tony Award winning 90s production boasts re-creations of Brian Thomson’s fabulous set and Roger Kirk’s jaw-dropping costumes. Susan Kikuchi reworks Jerome Robbins original choreography and actually seems to improve upon it; no mean feat (The Small House of Uncle Tom Ballet was a triumph). Nigel Levings’ lighting design is perfect; Michael Waters’ sound is excellent throughout and the wonderful Peter Casey wrings sustained excellence from the superb orchestra. Pulled together once more by the great director Christopher Renshaw, it’s impossible to fault. Lou Diamond Phillips is just the perfectly blended frosting on a wonderfully cooked cake.

Coral Drouyn

Photographer: Oliver Toth.

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