The King and I

How apposite and timely this production by the Boston Musical Theatre Group was, especially as immigration has become such a major concern in the town. This musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II highlights the difficulties and misunderstandings that can occur when people from disparate parts of the globe come to live together and how their cultural backgrounds can lead to disagreements and disputes that are often aggravated by the absence of a common language. None the less it has been described as a celebration of love in all its guises. Sensitively directed, this show contains a wonderful selection of superbly crafted songs which were competently delivered with excellent musical accompaniments. The colourful costumes were carefully chosen and the innovative choreography that had a strong oriental influence was expertly performed, specially the ballet sequence. The large cast applied themselves enthusiastically to their respective parts with Trevor Fenton (as the King) and Deborah Atkinson (as Anna) providing strong leads. The star crossed  lovers, Lucy Crunkhorn (as Tuptim) and Jack Hallgate (as Lun Tha), showed intense feeling in their performances. The young Princes and Princesses well deserved the recognition they received from the approving audience for their contribution. I thought Sheila Millington’s rendition of “Something Wonderful” was exceptionally moving. This show has a powerful message to convey – ignorance breeds fear but knowledge can bring you love. Congratulations on delivering such a fine team effort!

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