'The King and I,' an innovative show

ET CETERA- Anna, portrayed by Lori Lee Gordon, and the king of Siam, played by Greg Quilop, get acquainted in "The King and I," playing through Feb. 16 at the Conejo Players Theatre in Thousand Oaks. When Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "The King and I" premiered on Broadway in 1951, critics were equally ecstatic about the songs, the opulent costumes, the acting and the sheer beauty of the show.

I t has since become a daunting musical to put on, especially by small companies with limited budgets. The Conejo Players has been tackling productions like this for 50 years, and in the current run of the show, which closes on Feb. 16, they proved that with ingenuity, talent and a lot of volunteers, they continue to work wonders in bringing legendary Broadway shows to Thousand Oaks.

"The King and I" is based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, which told of her experiences as a teacher in Siam during the 1860s. Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted the story from a novel written by Margaret Landon in 1939 called "Anna and the King of Siam" but were no doubt influenced by the earlier work as well.

Like most of Rodgers and Hammerstein's works, "The King and I" deals with social issues- in this case, the subject of slavery, in addition to male dominance, free will and the coming together of disparate cultures.

Some theatergoers may find the story somewhat slow, especially when compared to rip-roaring, energetic musicals such as "Hairspray," "Les Miserables" and "The Lion King." However, "The King and I" remains an innovative show in several ways.

First, it established a platonic relationship between the two leads. The only love songs to be heard in the show are performed by the secondary characters. It also broke ground by having one of the lead protagonists die on stage, something that had never been done before. Finally, it set a precedent for glamorous, eyecatching scenery and costumes. The original production required six carloads of sets and costumes and cost a reported $360,000, a huge amount in 1951.

The Conejo Players managed to overcome this last obstacle with set designer Dick Johnson's ingeniously designed modular sets, which were wheeled about so that the curtain never had to drop until an act was over. Designed by Beth Glasner, the actors' long, colorful hoop skirts and traditional Siamese costumes were beautifully representative of the period.

In the lead roles, one couldn't have wished for better performances from Lori Lee Gordon as Anna and Greg Quilop as the King. In her portrayal, Gordon enters a culture where women are completely subservient to men and to the king, but she manages to gain his respect, albeit grudgingly, through logic and grace and by taking advantage of his natural inquisitiveness of the Western world.

Quilop's King, based on Siam's King Mongut, was appropriately headstrong and fierce while showing elements of tenderness, charm and the curiosity of a child. In the scenes in which the two matched wits, each trying to force their personal code upon the other, the chemistry between them was magical. This was especially true in the show's most famous scene, when Anna teaches the King to dance a polka.

As with most Rodgers and Hammerstein shows, there's a subplot, and here it is the tragic relationship between Tuptim and her suitor Lun Tha, vividly played and sung by Jacqueline Rosenthal and Francis Cabison respectively. Also outstanding were young Michael Kennedy, a sixth-grader at Colina Middle School, as the king-in-waiting, Prince Chulalongkorn; and Lalanya Gunn, playing the King's "head wife," Lady Thiang. (Gunn has been seen around town regularly of late in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.)

All the cast members did justice to the lush and memorable songs in the score, including such well-known favorites as "Getting to Know You," "I Have Dreamed," "I Whistle a Happy Tune" and "Shall We Dance?"

Deidre Parmenter directed with a sure hand, and the constant set moving, lighting changes and entrances and exits went off without a hitch. After more than 50 years, the still potent allure of "The King and I" is evidenced by the fact that on the day I saw it, the Super Bowl was being broadcast, and the theater was standing room only. That's no puzzlement.

"The King and I" closes Sat., Feb. 16. For information, visit the Conejo Players Theatre online at www.conejoplayers.org.