Hayley Mills' singing voice hurts otherwise-good 'King'

07/09/97

By Lawson Taitte / The Dallas Morning News

Hayley Mills has all the tools to create a model Anna in The King and I . . . except one.

The Dallas Summer Musicals brought in the production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, which won the 1996 Tony Award for best revival, for a two-week run Tuesday. Ms. Mills hasn't appeared in it on Broadway, but this version was actually conceived for her when it toured Australia in 1991-92.

The former child star has the warmth and charm to bring to life this story of a Victorian schoolmistress who taught a 19th-century king of Thailand as much as she taught his children. (Donna Murphy, who won a Tony in the role in New York, created no such empathy.) A member of one of the leading British acting dynasties, Ms. Mills also carries herself like an old-fashioned leading lady and can fill an auditorium as big as the Music Hall with her presence.

But then there's her voice. By her own admission, Ms. Mills is no singer. Any junior high could field a dozen or two stronger vocalists.

Her biggest problem is a lack of confidence rhythmically. She keeps one eye on the conductor and often beats time with her arm - a habit her director, Christopher Renshaw, surely should have helped her break.

She talks several of her songs, the way Rex Harrison did in My Fair Lady. In "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" this enables her to seem ever so much more at ease.

The production that surrounds Ms. Mills is lush, and her presence makes it sparkle more than it does in New York. Brian Thomson's sets combine authentic Asian motifs with show biz glitter, and Roger Kirk's costumes weave marvels from satin and gold.

Opposite Ms. Mills, Vee Talmadge emphasizes the king's intelligence and humanity. He has the command for the part but lacks some of the underlying violence that creates the sparks in this battle between the sexes and between East and West.

Just as in the Broadway cast, the performer playing Lady Thiang, the king's No. 1 wife, walks away with the honors for singing as well as acting. This time it's Helen Yu, whose rich contralto caresses "Something Wonderful" and whose face mirrors a thousand variations on love and self-sacrifice.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

The King and I, presented by the Dallas Summer Musicals at the Music Hall at Fair Park Tuesdays through Sundays through July 20. Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Directed by Christopher Renshaw. Musical staging by Lar Lubovitch. Choreography by Jerome Robbins. Sets by Brian Thomson. Costumes by Roger Kirk. Lighting by Nigel Levings and Mike Baldassari. Tickets $7 to $50. Call Ticketmaster at (214) 373-8000 or metro (214) 647-5700.

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