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 Arts
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Performing Arts Hayley Mills shines as spirited Anna in lavish musical
By JUDITH EGERTON © The Courier-Journal
The touring production of the musical, which opened last night at the Kentucky Center for the Arts, is as resplendently luxurious as the Broadway version. Set in Bangkok, Thailand in the 19th century, the musical is the story of Anna, an adventurous, widowed Englishwoman who accepts a position teaching the many children of the stubborn and domineering King of Siam. She's been hired to teach them English, manners and Western ideas. As it turns out, her main job is that of civilizing the king. This musical revival of the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, originated in Australia under the guidance of British director Christopher Renshaw, who cast Hayley Mills in the role of Anna. Mills, now 51, the former star of "Pollyanna" and "Parent Trap," follows in the footsteps of some legendary actresses, such as Gertrude Lawrence who first played the role on Broadway and Deborah Kerr who starred in the 1956 movie version. For this musical, with its ingrained image of Kerr and Yul Brynner as Anna and the king, the questions are obvious: Can Hayley Mills sing? And is Vee Talmadge, the actor who plays the King of Siam, strong enough to make the audience temporarily forget Brynner, the charismatic bald actor who originated the Broadway role and won an Oscar for his part in the movie. Mills can sing. Not sensationally, but well enough. Her undeniable charm and spunkiness are well-suited to the part of Anna, a woman unwilling to be bullied by the king. As for Talmadge, he's neither overly commanding or weak. He's substantial enough to convey the impression of a spoiled king. The two seem well-matched and are sweetly exuberant in the "Shall We Dance?" scene near the end of the show, which exposes the underlying sexual attraction between Anna and the king. Director Renshaw's experience as an opera director is evident. The singers frequently turn fully toward the audience. And the beautiful voices of supporting cast members -- Helen Yu, Luzviminda Lor and Timothy Ford Murphy -- have the power of opera singers. Highlights of the show included the presentation of the king's many children, Mills and her students singing, "Getting to Know You," and her humorous, but numangrily retort to the king, "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You." However, the lovely song, "Hello, Young Lovers," was disappointing and "Whistle A Happy Tune" could have been jauntier. The three-hour show may be difficult for youngsters to sit through. But for most adults, the songs, along with Mills' spirited performance, the richly exotic costumes by Roger Kirk and the gilded Asian sets should be enough to make the ticket seem worthwhile.
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