Becoming culturally aware as an adult is extremely satisfying!
Case in point--a few days ago I saw The King and I for the very first time. I spend a lot of time around theater people and the reaction I get from them when I say that I've never seen either the play or the film, is that they're quite surprised.
I also get a reaction from some of the same people that The King and I is not one of their favorite plays. So, I wasn't sure if I would like the show, but after seeing it for the first time at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, I can honestly say, I like the show! And that fact that my daughter is in the show helps form my opinion, but it is not the deciding factor.
This particular production had its challenges. First off, we live in a pretty homogeneous community. There's not a lot of performers of Asian persuasion in the area. But, once the curtain rose, the lights came on and the music began flowing, I didn't think about that issue at all. One of the reasons for this was the amazing costuming. It was simply beautiful! I turned to my wife during the show and whispered, "They could have called the show The Dress and I which garnered a chuckle. Just letting you know, Anna's ballroom dress is stunning!
A show consists of many things, but the big ones are costumes, the quality of the singing and the choreography. Costumes--fantastic! The singing--very very good! I noticed that in this show the solos are very unforgiving, meaning, that if their voice falters even a little bit, there's no where for the singer to go. I thought they did a wonderful job.
Choreography--great job! There is a rather long dance number in the second act where a depiction of Uncle Tom's Cabin is performed for the king and other special guests. It was mesmerizing. Again, the fact that I had not seen the musical before and that my daughter was one of the dancers only made me like the number even more. But be warned, it's a little long.
Great show! I think I picked a good version for my first time.
No comments:
Post a Comment