Entertainment

<< Previous   of   Next >> Jay Koh photo for Village Theatre  (click to enlarge) Sarah Francis (Little Topsy, left), Trent Saunders (Uncle Thomas) and Shannon Colcher (Little Eva) in "The King and I."   ADVERTISEMENT   "The King and I" Opens at 8 tonight, Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett. Shows at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 27. $15 to $49, 425-257-8600, 888-257-3722, www.villagetheatre.org.   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, January 11, 2008 Lush staging characterizes 'The King and I' Rodgers and Hammerstein favorite opens the season for Village Theatre in Everett. By Theresa Goffredo Herald writer When the King says it, somehow it doesn't really sound like a cliché. "It's just a feast for the senses." The King is actor Michael K. Lee, speaking about Village Theatre's production of "The King and I," in which Lee stars as the King of Siam. Lee was talking about what people can expect as they watch this timeless love story. "It's a real feast for the eyes and ears and hearts," Lee said in a phone interview. "I really think the work being done onstage is top-notch." "The King and I" is Village Theatre's lush and lovely kickoff to its new season and opens tonight at Everett Performing Arts Center. One key remark that's being repeated is the show's stunning look, said Village promotions manager Michelle Sanders. "What people are finding incredible about this show is definitely its look," Sanders said. "The costumes. The set. Everything is really beautiful. And the kids are adorable." As for the King? "Michael is a huge addition to the show," Sanders said. Michael Lee is coming off the heels of a dynamic performance as Tommy in Village Theatre's production of "The Who's Tommy." A New York native who entered Stanford University as a pre-med student, Lee has also performed in "Miss Saigon," "RENT," Broadway's revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar," and one of his favorite musicals and a Village Theatre original, "Making Tracks," which chronicled six generations of Asians in America. Though Lee is quickly becoming a Village Theatre darling, he's modest enough to give props to one of the best scenes in "King and I," one he isn't even in. That scene is the colorful number "Small House of Uncle Thomas." "The most magnificent work is in the show within a show, the ballet sequence," said Lee, 34. "It's a moment where I was watching it off stage and my jaw just dropped." Lee recognizes that though the set and costumes in "The King and I" are getting rave reviews, those elements don't outshine what the cast is doing on stage, including the 11 "precious" children who play the King's kids. "There are really terrific actors and singers on stage and the set supports the work on stage to its fullest extent," Lee said. "It's a very symbiotic relationship." The setting for "The King and I" is Bangkok, where Anna Leonowens arrives with her son to teach English to the children of the royal household. The King is very enamored of Western ways, but there are inherent conflicts between the two cultures. While that struggle ensues, the King's slave, Tuptim, is rebelling against her captivity. She tries to escape with her lover but they are caught. She's spared a beating due to Anna's influence on the King. Anna readies to leave the country but learns the King has fallen ill. She stays to help his son rule the people of Siam. For the Village Theatre production, local performer Beth DeVries plays Anna. Her previous Village Theatre work includes "Fairystories," "The Music Man" and "The Secret Garden." Playing the role of Tuptim is returning favorite Jennifer Paz, who played the title role in Village Theatre's "Evita." Of the two actresses, Lee said: "They are very specific and passionate about what they are doing and it's always an honor to be with a cast of people who elevate your own standard." Lee said he doesn't read reviews of a show while it's running. That might be a good thing because some reviewers are calling the storyline, written in 1951, outdated. Lee certainly doesn't agree. "It's not a show whose themes are irrelevant today," Lee said. "The ideas of trying to adapt to another person's culture, a free exchange of ideas … I don't think, nor will, those ideas ever be outdated." Reporter Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424 or goffredo@heraldnet.com

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