The King and I previews thread - Page 19

[HBP]

Posted: 4/3/15 at 12:39am

Just got home from sitting front row. Loved basking in the glow of Kelli O'Hara from so close. She sounded perfect. The entire cast was wonderful, with the exception of Mr. Watanabe. I couldn't understand him, his acting was a little too silly, and his singing was subpar. It was quite embarrassing when Jon Viktor Corpuz sang the reprise "A Puzzlement" and blew Ken out of the water. Is there time for a big replacement before opening? Come Tony time, I'd rather see a nomination for Corpuz than Watanabe. 

Updated On: 4/3/15 at 12:39 AM

[thebeautyis3]

Posted: 4/3/15 at 6:56am

O'Hara has developed quite the rabid teenage fanbase since Bridges of Madison County.  Stories about intense stagedoor experiences for her are sad, but not surprising to me.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/3/15 at 12:01pm

"O'Hara has developed quite the rabid teenage fanbase since Bridges of Madison County."

Can we just take a step back for a moment and think about how crazy that sentence would sound when Bridges was still best known as a Meryl Streep/Clint Eastwood movie?

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 12:30am

Just home, loved the production overall, but echo the issues with not understanding the King, and the 2nd act dragging. I've a question that's a spoiler but it's driving me crazy so I must ask... Is the Whistle a Happy Tune reprise in the final scene part of the original book or did someone think that helped the ending? Cannot imagine a more inappropriate moment for that song, but will just accept it if it was a R&H decision. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 12:47am

I found that final reprise a little jarring too. I don't hear it on any Broadway cast recording, and don't remember it when we did the show in high school. But it is listed as part of the 1996 production as well. Also, I see it listed on the complete studio recording. So it's certainly not new for this revival. Maybe it's been optional?  Would also appreciate if someone could shed some light on this small reprise. 

Updated On: 4/4/15 at 12:47 AM

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 12:55am

I saw tonight's performance and I really don't have much to add.  It's a well done production worthy iof the praise it's getting.

 

--Kelli O'Hara sounds glorious.  The tone and quality of her sound is perfection. I may catch some flack for this, but I don't think this is her best acting performance. To me, it felt like she was holding back a bit. Anna isn't an in your face, boisterous role, but it just felt reserved. However, I think her voice just totally makes up for it.

 

--In his speaking scenes, I had no problems understanding Ken Watanabe. Frankly, in most of his singing I didn't think there were major diction problems.  So 3/4 of his songs seemed fine.  Things changed any time a major tempo increase occurred. Things seemed sloppy then.  He seems to be focusing a lot of his energy on properly enunciating words. That being said, I enjoyed his performance and the evolution he showed in the character.

 

--The costumes are to die for. The set is not.

 

--Ruthie Ann Miles is killing it out there. She's one of the highest points in a show with many. Her Lady Thiang is complex and constructed so well.  If she's ignored at nomination time, I will be greatly annoyed.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 3:21am

I saw this incredible, miraculous production Friday night and am still recovering from the aftershock. I, too, have difficulty understanding someone: anyone who complains about Ken Watanabe's intelligibility or anything else he or ANYONE in this production does! I feel like I just saw a show I have never seen before...even though I saw a Yul Brunner production and the last West End production with Elaine Paige. Sher is a genius. He makes everything he directs look and refresh and original...even when it's something that's been around for 75 years. 

 

Anyway, it is devastatingly lovely from beginning to end. Every performance is layered and poignant. The music is hauntingly beautiful and I just want to live in that theatre for the entire run.  

 

Do not pass on this one. Watanabe and O'Hara have a chemistry that is palpable. The complexity and inner struggles of the king are so masterfully created by Watanabe in a way I had not seen before--not even in Brynner's King. If you have any rreservations of going for ANY reason, please put them aside and see this extraordinary production. 

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 10:17am

Saw the show last night.  It was a wonderful production, from start to finish, and it never seemed "old."  Loved the use of the full (enormous) stage.  The ship was amazing.  Loved Kelli (though she seemed very understated) and Ken was a force to be reckoned with.  That said, when he had to do his big solo number, he looked uncomfortable, and his acting went down a notch IMO.  He's not a singer, but I've seen Yul (3x), Rudolf Nuryev (sp) and Lou Diamon Phillips, and none of them were, either.  Ruthie Ann Miles was awesome, and "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" was spectacularly performed.  Still...

 

A nice night at the theater, but I didn't leave thrilled and dying to see it again.

 

(Sat in the back row of the loge... BEST seats!  And the cheapest.  I felt kinda bad for the premium seat folks who missed most of the performance for the first 10 minutes or so.  Plus you can't see the orchestra or the beautiful moving thrust from down there, either.)

[followspot]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 10:52am

(Sat in the back row of the loge... BEST seats!  And the cheapest.  I felt kinda bad for the premium seat folks who missed most of the performance for the first 10 minutes or so.  Plus you can't see the orchestra or the beautiful moving thrust from down there, either.)

I don't disagree that the center Loge is no doubt a fantastic view of this particular show, but I was in row K center orchestra last night and could see the orchestra, moving thrust, and first 10 minutes perfectly.  I wouldn't have wanted to be much closer, however, as the visual scope of this production is huge.

That said, I would strongly recommend against the far side sections (the 100s and the 500s).  Stage pictures are STUNNING, but very deeply staged behind the proscenium [in addition to on the thrust], and musical numbers make very few concessions to the sides.  Always an issue at the Beaumont, Broadway's most difficult space.

Absolutely loved the production.  Barlett Sher scores again, as does everyone in his company.

 

Updated On: 4/5/15 at 10:52 AM

[Thparkaly]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 3:50pm

The reprise is a part of the original libretto.

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 4:56pm

Thanks for the answer Thparkaly. IMO that was not graceful, but R&H know much more than me!

[indytallguy]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 5:52pm

It's not even one of my favorite shows, but wow, what a production. The orchestra, the opening scene, and the ravishing singing of Kelli O'Hara made today's afternoon matinee fly by. I was seated in c401 ... the new first row ... and to be that close was magnificent.

I found her plenty animated and appropriate for Anna.  Watanabe's diction lost me most during Puzzlement as others have mentioned, but his acting was superb.

I know others commented on wanting grander sets and while I would never argue against more in that department, I didn't really find myself missing anything during the show itself.

I noticed in Sher's Playbill blurb he mentioned he is at work on Adam Guettel's new musical, Millions. I hope that is coming sooner rather than later since it has been in the works for awhile. Anyone know?

Updated On: 4/5/15 at 05:52 PM

[Streganona]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 12:22pm

That said, I would strongly recommend against the far side sections (the 100s and the 500s).  Stage pictures are STUNNING, but very deeply staged behind the proscenium, and musical numbers make very few concessions to the sides.  Always an issue at the Beaumont, Broadway's most difficult space.
Absolutely loved the production.  Barlett Sher scores again, as does everyone in his company.
 "

 

[Streganona]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 1:31pm

That said, I would strongly recommend against the far side sections (the 100s and the 500s).  Stage pictures are STUNNING, but very deeply staged behind the proscenium, and musical numbers make very few concessions to the sides.  Always an issue at the Beaumont, Broadway's most difficult space.
Absolutely loved the production.  Barlett Sher scores again, as does everyone in his company.
 "

My mother is flying to NY from Toronto for a family wedding and is so eager to see this production that she's risking her relatives' wrath by skipping the rehearsal dinner.  Only orchestra G112 left was available, the most far left of all.  Readers, I beg your advice.  I love my mother very much and I know that losing the "ship effect" of the first scene will not upset her but she will be bitterly disappointed if she is not able to have a direct view of the confrontation between the King and Tuptim.  And if she is unable to see the King's face when he is dying, she will feel genuinely betrayed by the director's staging.  She is a fan of Ken Watanabe (particularly in Letters from Iwo Jima and The Last Samurai). She is expecting that his facial expressions and physical gestures will be clearly visible to the far left/right audience during the last scenes, and that she will not have an obstructed view or hear only a disembodied voice.  What is best for me to tell her in advance, since no other seats are available for that performance and she won't be able to return?  I could just keep silent but I'm afraid that her experience might be even worse if she isn't prepared.  She can close her eyes and still enjoy Kelli O'Hara's glorious singing.....but she is causing a kerfuffle in the family so that she can see the king!  Thanks for any advice (or reassurance) that readers can offer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[followspot]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 2:13pm

She is expecting that his facial expressions and physical gestures will be clearly visible to the far left/right audience during the last scenes, and that she will not have an obstructed view or hear only a disembodied voice.

Being realistic here, not snarky — an actor can only face one direction at a time, and major dramatic moments will not be facing the far sides.  (The boat can be seen by all — but set pieces and action behind the proscenium [not out on the thrust section of the stage] will be obstructed.)  Prepare her.

Many of the center section seats are Lincoln Center subscribers, so you might want to check often to see if any last-minute subscriber date changes have freed up a better seat.

 

Updated On: 4/5/15 at 02:13 PM

[Streganona]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 3:13pm

Thank you for the tip.   I'm hoping that PBS will eventually broadcast on Live From Lincoln Center, although it would probably be after Watanabe leaves in July.  Your reply was l00% snark free and very  helpful.

 

 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 6:15pm

"Only orchestra G112 left was available, the most far left of all.  Readers, I beg your advice.  I love my mother very much and I know that losing the "ship effect" of the first scene will not upset her but she will be bitterly disappointed if she is not able to have a direct view of the confrontation between the King and Tuptim.  And if she is unable to see the King's face when he is dying, she will feel genuinely betrayed by the director's staging."

I actually happen to be in a good position to answer this. I was seated in row C seat 105. I do think you miss a little as a good amount of the production plays to the center of the audience (which is why I would really love to go again if I can find some way of affording it). However, the boat is the biggest issue. The dances/Tuptim's adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin also play to the center but you can still enjoy them from the left side of the audience. I think you'll actually have a good sense of the acting from the left though. The actors are playing to each other (except in solo songs) so you shouldn't have a problem seeing their expressions. Also, as for the death scene, luckily, the bed is actually facing the left side of the audience so you shouldn't miss anything. I didn't have the best view of the kids being presented to Anna but that might not be an issue in row G. Anyway, I hope you both enjoy the show.

[broadway_show_fan]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 7:43pm

I saw the show Thursday, April 2 from D 101 in the orchestra (2nd row, far side section but on the inside aisle).

I was in a production of King and I when I was seven in community theater and have loved it since. This was my first time seeing the show in a professional theater and I've glad to have the opportunity to catch this show with Kelli O'Hara at the Beaumont directed by Bart Sher.

Kelli O'Hara sings beautifully, as expected. Her acting is wonderful. I just felt like she was holding back a little, but Anna isn't exactly a loose cannon or anything - she's a proper British lady, and so perhaps her restraint makes some sense. I just wonder if she was directed to keep things so in control for so much of the time. Her emotions seemed so controlled and calculated: just crescendo so much here, gesture just enough there, be so sad here, etc. I just expected it to be a bit more open and less restrained.

One thing that I felt was odd was that I thought "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" seemed comedic more than angry. It reminded me a bit of Kelli's work in Nice Work If You Can Get It in the bedroom scene. It didn't seem very angry, and Anna's supposed to be furious and really letting out her frustrations that have been bottling up. Again, I felt like it was "just enough" but the overwhelming mood I got was 'comedic' and 'irritated,' not 'furious.' Anyone else feel that?

Ken Watanabe was pretty easy for me to understand in his speaking parts but his singing was difficult to understand. I think he might do okay with dialog because he can take his time to enunciate as clearly as he can, whereas in singing he must stick to the prescribed tempo. He got tangled in a couple of songs and missed lyrics. Once was in "A Puzzlement"  and he missed several bars. Ted Sperling was loudly feeding him lyrics and helped him get back on. The second time was in the King's Song (honeybee/flowers) - I think he missed his entrance, Ted Sperling gave lyrics, Ken Watanabe started the lyrics where he should've come in, and the orchestra must have followed Ted/Ken. His acting is great, though. He is very good at the comedic lines and can also break your heart, and I think his acting makes up for his so-so singing for the most part. He's not the star of this, anyway - it's always been a production built around Kelli.

I was surprised that the children's ensemble was kind of small. Am I just used to community productions that have so many kids? Have the Broadway productions always had only about a dozen kids?

As for my view, it was very obstructed for the first scene with the boat. I caught some glimpses of Kelli's face (and up the hoop skirt) but not much else. I was also blocked a few times by staging several people downstage right on the thrust, blocking things further upstage left on the thrust. The king on his throne all the way upstage center was hard to see past people and large poles. In general, I felt like the show played best to the center (well, duh) or people sitting in house right more, and that mid-way back was better. I'm glad to be going from LincTix A501 Loge in June, where I will get a completely different view than D101 Orchestra this time.

[bfreak]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 7:58pm

How will Orchestra Row M Seat 503 be? I really hope these aren't obstructed as I shelled out $150 and these were bought on the FIRST DAY of sales (that was all they had). I had heard for other productions this was a good seat but I am concerned for this production. First time at this theatre for me. 

[broadway_show_fan]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 8:10pm

bfreak - I think your seat will be fantastic. 503 is kind of the mirror opposite from my seat in 101, but I think it played more/better to house right than house left. Row M seems to be a great distance from the stage to get the big picture. Honestly, in the Beaumont, even last row of the loge is a great distance.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 8:16pm

I'm in left orchestra seats 105 and 106. I know I only paid $30 for tickets but I have a really bad feeling about the seating... Hoping it isn't too bad.

[bfreak]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 8:43pm

"bfreak - I think your seat will be fantastic. 503 is kind of the mirror opposite from my seat in 101, but I think it played more/better to house right than house left. Row M seems to be a great distance from the stage to get the big picture. Honestly, in the Beaumont, even last row of the loge is a great distance."

 

Thank you so much. I feel reassured. How do you think I'll make out with the effect of the boat and all that though?

[Streganona]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 9:04pm

Thank you for taking time to reply in such detail.  My maternal grandmother was extremely pregnant with my mother but  refused to  give up her "hot ticket" to the original Gertrude Lawrence production and (according to family legend) went into labor immediately after the last curtain call.  It's my mother's favorite R&H musical and while she loved Donna Murphy as Anna in the last revival, she felt that Lou Diamond Phillips lacked gravitas.  This is my first time posting, after long time lurking, and I look forward to being more active in the future.

 

 

 

 

[indytallguy]

Posted: 4/5/15 at 9:06pm

I feel pretty much everyone in the orchestra gets the effect of the boat, some obviously more than others.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/6/15 at 12:04am

"I'm in left orchestra seats 105 and 106. I know I only paid $30 for tickets but I have a really bad feeling about the seating... Hoping it isn't too bad. "

One thing I'll contribute about the LincTix seats is that a friend told me we might not have gotten the full effect of the microphones, being in front of them. I felt like the actors were sometimes holding back or marking.