The King and I

Lincoln Center Theater's production of "The King and I" took the 2015 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. The touring version, in Chicago for a three-week stay at the Oriental Theater, pairs Jose Llana, who played the King of Siam for two weeks near the end of the New York run, with Laura Michelle Kelly, no stranger to either Broadway or the West End herself, in a solid, straightforward staging of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.

First and foremost, the production does justice to its venerable origins. Robert Russell Bennets Orchestrations are well executed under David Lai's Music Coordination and Gerald Steichen's baton. Christopher Gattelli's choreography honors Jerome Robbins' while still distinguishing itself.

Director Bartlett Sher (probably wisely) takes few risks in trying to approach the play's politics from a contemporary perspective. Those that the production does take, however, come early as Sher provides a slightly extended look at the encounter between Anna and Louis and the denizens of Bangkok.

The scene lasts less than a minute, but the blend of hostility, curiosity, fear and near-revulsion on all sides is surprisingly frank and well backed by the Michael Yeargan's opening set, which is dark, crowded and stark, in striking contrast to the lovely, shimmering (if somewhat generically "exotic") sets that dominate the rest of the show.

As is typical of such touring shows, Yeargan's set is sharply functional, as well as attractive, though the two elements work together more seamlessly than in some. Square pillars fly in at various points from stage right to stage left, as well as upstage to down. In conjunction with Donald Holder's dreamy lighting design, these quickly and efficiently allow actors to "walk and talk" between various spaces in the palace, ranging from stately open court to the more intimate spaces of Anna's schoolroom and the King's personal quarters.

Catherine Zuber's costumes clearly earned their own Tony. Together with Tom Watson's Wig and Hair Design, they unmistakably signal class, culture, rank, ethnicity, and occasion with ease, while marking important secondary characters like Lady Thiang and Princess Tumptim as individuals within their particular social and cultural milieux.

Regarding the cast, Laura Michelle Kelly is a more than worthy Anna. Unsurprisingly, given her resume, she's up to the demands of the role vocally, and her take on the character is quite watchable. She's sharp and angry, rather than plucky, but also more deliberately physical in playing the character's humor. She's believable as a mother, a woman who's at peace with her choices and a woman who has goals and ambitions.

Jose Llana is similarly unafraid of the comedic elements of his role or of playing the character as older and wearier than is often the case. He pulls no punches with the King's arrogance or sense of entitlement, yet his moments of earnestness and uncertainty are genuine. Near then end, when Anna tells Louis that probably no man is ever as good a king as he ought to be, but "This man tried," it feels far truer than in many renditions.

Joan Almedilla is excellent as Lady Thiang, playing with grace and a stoic, slightly worn-down kind of wisdom a role that can easily feel apologetic. Her voice, too, hearkens back in a lovely way to the heyday of Rogers and Hammerstein, complementing the more contemporary quality of Kelly's voice.

Dramatically, Manna Nichols is very good as Tumtim, though she struggled vocally at times. Moreover, although her voice blended well with Kavin Panmeechao's (Lun Tha) rich tenor, the two never manifested much chemistry. To be fair, though, this subplot is not exactly a strong dramatic point in the show.

Marcus Shane stepped in for Anthony Chan, usually credited as Prince Chulalongkorn, at this performance and did an admirable job. In his spoken material, Graham Montgomery (Louis) seemed hyper-focused on nailing the British accent and delivering his dialogue as quickly as possible, making for a rather distracting performance.

However, the reprise of "A Puzzlement" by these two actors brought unexpected depth and poignancy not only to these two characters but also to the overarching themes of the play, as an only-just-mature and a still-maturing voice contemplate their parents and their own power in the world.

"The King and I" plays through July 2 at the Oriental Theatre, 24 West Randolph, in Chicago. For tickets or information, call 800-775-2000 or visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com

Christine Malcom is a Lecturer in Anthropology at Roosevelt University and Adjunct Faculty in Liberal Arts and Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is a physical anthropologist, theater geek, and all-around pop culture enthusiast.

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