Since it’s opening in 1994, the Porchlight Music Theatre has been entertaining thousands of excited theatregoers. They’ve staged forty-nine productions, including five world premieres. And in a now modern day, where most people rarely see or have maybe never seen a musical/play, I was thrilled to see this musical.
Based off of the 1944 novel, Anna and the King of Siam, by Margaret Landon the story portrays the experiences of a British schoolteacher (Anna), who is hired by the King of Siam as part of his drive to modernize the country of Siam. The relationship between the King and Anna is grossly conflicting; as well as by a love that neither of them are able to express. Anna and he king is a wonderful story about cultural differences and of forbidden love. The story of the King and I has been so popular that it was turned into a full motion picture in 1956 starring the great Yul Brynner and again in 1999.
After seeing the show, my first thought was that the show came off to a slow start. However, this musical production was a real treat and I did enjoy myself. It was humorous, fun and once the story picked up; my attention was completely diverted on stage. Actress Brianna Borger, who plays Anna, really stood out in this musical. She was lively, excited, has a beautiful voice and she plays her role incredibly well. Although all the actors and actresses have a wonderful singing voice, I enjoyed when she sang ”Hello, Young Lovers” the most. Actor Wayne Hu, who plays the King of Siam however, was my favorite character of the show. Hu plays The King with plenty of enthusiasm and is also quite funny in parts of the play. His tone of voice and facial expressions throughout the play made his character quite enjoyable. Over all, I think that all of the performers did a magnificent job; notably Kate Garassino who played Lady Thiang, and especially the young actors/actresses throughout the production.
It takes more than a few good actors/actresses to put on a great show and I think Porchlight threatre hit the nail on the head with this musical. I would very much recommend seeing this wonder musical playing how through June 4th at Stage 773 in Chicago, Il. Visit www.stage773.com or www.porchlighttheatre.com for show and ticket information.
