The King and I

I had never seen a production of The King and I before last night, nor have I seen the movie. The production at the Smith Center, directed by Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher, is smashing, dare I say perfect. Being the last night of the run, a few of the understudies got to shine, including Darren Lee as the King.

What I'd like to delve into is the musical itself, first produced on Broadway in 1951. It is the story of an Anglo-Indian woman, Anna, who comes to Siam (now known as Thailand) during the 1860s to teach the King's children (he has more than 60--polygamy was practiced). She and the King butt heads, as she is not used to being treated like a servant, and he's not used to being defied by a woman.

But what strikes me about the show, with music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, is its treatment of culture and race. Like South Pacific, it is anti-racist, but cautiously so. The King wants to Westernize, and when he is called a barbarian by someone he is eager to show an English guest that he is civilized. This entails putting the girls in hoop skirts and the King wearing shoes. The entertainment is a ballet based on Uncle Tom's Cabin, with Simon La Gree chasing Eliza across the Ohio River.

That Hammerstein chose Uncle Tom's Cabin for a number that lasts perhaps twenty minutes of the second act is instructive. Of course that novel for some was the first indication that slavery was terrible. The King does not have slaves as such, but everyone must bow before him. There is some comedy involving Anna keeping her head below his, with him laying flat on the floor. But the musical is set during the Civil War, and the King often asks Anna what Lincoln would do (even though she is not American).

There are a few hits from the show that most will recognize: "Whistle a Happy Tune," "Getting to Know You," and "Shall We Dance." I'm afraid the other songs, other than the instrumental "March of the Siamese Children," are forgettable.

I was struck by the similarities to The Sound of Music which the same pair would write a decade or so later. Both involve teachers brought in to teach a brood of children, and with stern fathers. "Whistle a Happy Tune" has the same message as "My Favorite Things," while "Getting to Know You" fits into the "Do Re Mi" slot. The only difference is that there are no Nazis in The King and I and the couple do not wed.