By Mike Sherfy, KnoxPages.com theater critic
MOUNT VERNON – Two words came to mind when I was asked to attend a rehearsal of Mount Vernon High School’s production of “The King and I”: “Yul Brynner”.
The deceased actor obviously is not a member of the local cast, but nearly eighty elementary, middle, and high-school students are—not counting the sizable and talented orchestra directed by Sadie Vaughan Worrell.
The plot is a familiar one about a British schoolteacher hired by the King of Siam to educate his children (or at least the children of his favorite wives and concubines) in the ways of the modern world. When she and her son who travel from England to the Far East, though, cultural clashes follow—with results both comic and tragic.
Anna, portrayed by Rachel Rinehart, is surrounded by the King’s wives.
KnoxPages.com photo by Mike Sherfy
“The King and I” has often been criticized for some of its portrayals and the musical is clearly a product of a less politically-correct era. But such criticism needs to be at least somewhat tempered by the fact that the “barbarous” practices of the East are, in ways both large and small, shown to be not so very different than the supposedly-civilized West of the same period. Further, the love story (or stories) and the questions, doubts, and “puzzlements” expressed by the key characters demonstrate that human nature is not so fundamentally different even across cultural divides. Beneath the yellow-face makeup and Rogers & Hammerstein’s brilliant music, there is a story that raises some thought provoking ideas even as it entertains.
Some performers stand out in this production. Anna (Rachel Rinehart) has a stage presence and a voice that fits her character perfectly. The King (Jakob Daniels) has large shoes to fill, but he manages to convey self-assuredness and self-doubt well…and deliver some of the productions funniest lines. Tuptim (Lauren Cagle), a royal slave in love with another man, has an impressive singing voice and makes a character that could have easily become a mere caricature into one with whom the audience comes to fully relate. And—although the role is one easily overlooked because of the more dramatic characters that surround her—Lady Thiang (Michaela Hauke), the King’s Head Wife, emerges here as a vital part of the story and a sympathetic character as well.
At Tuesday’s rehearsal, the production went about as well as a complicated musical involving nearly a hundred students as actors, musicians, and crew members—plus various adults, electronics, and other equipment—usually does two days before a premiere. Some cues were missed. Some lines were flubbed. Some props went missing. Mount Vernon’s supply of black hair-coloring was exhausted. Zealous children got a little too grabby when “getting to know” their teacher. And, of course, a giant Buddha fell from the sky and had to be carried offstage.
Such things happen early in the week so that they do NOT happen later in the week. On a bittersweet note, the man most responsible for insuring that they do not happen later in the week, Director Cory Ward, is retiring at the end of the school year. After more than twenty-six years of directing shows at Mount Vernon High School, this will be his last. It seems like a high note upon which to leave.
Overall, this has the makings of an excellent production. The sets are not lavish but the music more than makes up for that. “Getting to Know You” and “Shall We Dance” rank as pitch-perfect earworms and the less well-known songs are no less well-done here. The principal cast members are able actors and singers. The orchestra—and pianist, Troy Vosler—augment the story perfectly. This production also includes one of the best Asian-influenced balletic retellings of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” ever shown in Knox County. Even if you are not the parent or grandparent of someone in the cast, it is not to be missed.
And, while I admit to being unduly disappointed that Yul Brynner was not reprising his most famous role (due, in part, to a previous commitment as a deceased person), Jakob Daniels has committed to shaving his head for the performance. The king is dead, long live the king, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
Performances are at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Mount Vernon High School Auditorium. Tickets will be available at the door or may be purchased online at MTVarts.com.
