‘King and I’ slated for Proctors run
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. » Ted Chapin is the president and chief creative officer of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. It is reasonable to accept his statement that he regards each one of the team’s musicals his children, and refuses to pick a favorite.
But, he does agree not all children or musicals are created equal. In a recent telephone interview, he says that “The King and I,” which opens a weeklong run at Proctors in Schenectady on Tuesday, is one of the best musicals Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote. “It ranks right up there with ‘Carousel’ and ‘ South Pacific,’” he says.
He points out that “The King and I” was created in the midst of an amazing period of creativity. It followed “Carousel” and “Oklahoma” on Broadway. “The expectations for ‘ The King and I’ were enormous. Happily, it opened to great reviews and played on Broadway for three years.” He says of the work, “It has a great story and memorable music. Its characters are the essence of great drama –strong, but flawed people, who learn how to deal with obstacles. ’ The King and I’ is kind of an anti-love story that takes place in attractive surroundings.” After a pause, he adds, “It is filled with a surprising amount of humor. One thing they understood is that if you can get a laugh before a cry, you get a better cry.”
The original production in 1951, won a Best Actress Tony Award for Carol Lawrence who played Anna, the British schoolteacher who travels to Siam to teach the children of the king. Interestingly, Yul Brynner won the Tony for Best Supporting Actor. When Brynner returned to Broadway to reprise the role in 1976, 25 years after the opening, he was given a Tony for Best Actor and the actress playing Anna was nominated for Best Feature Actress.
Chapin laughs as he recalls Brynner’s impact on the musical. “It became his vehicle. He was so identified with the role it became thought of as ‘ The KING’ and small letter ‘ i’.”
Indeed, the image of Brynner with the show was so dominating there was no thought of a Broadway revival for years after he died. That is until Chapin got a surprising call from Mary Rodgers, the widow of Rich- ard Rodgers. “She said, she just attended the best production of the “King and I’ that she had ever seen. Then she added, ‘And, I saw the original.’ You have to come here and see it.’”
Chapin did travel to Australia and agreed. He felt the production was fresh and revealing with the role of Anna being more assertive and the King more shaded. “It was about 10-12 years after Yul Brynner had passed away and I thought the public might be ready for a new ‘King and I.’ I told them I thought the production worthy of a Broadway production.” It opened on Broadway in 1996 and won a Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Center had a huge success with “South Pacific” in 2008.
Chapin remembers getting a call from Andre Bishop, the head of Lincoln Center telling him he and the director of “South Pacific”, Bartlett Sher, were interested in doing a production of “The King and I.” “My response was “When can we meet?’”
Chapin makes it clear that his responsibility is to manage the copyright of what was created by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and to protect the product. “We are not producers.
We operate more like a leasing company.” However, he quickly adds “I like to be in the room at the earliest stages, when the creative decisions are being made and cast and designers are chosen. “It just makes sense,” he says. It is also efficient. Once the artistic decisions are made, he says the other contractual negotiations always f low easier. “From that point on, it’s mostly paperwork,” he says.
The production seemed blessed from the start. Lincoln Center is one of the most prestigious theater companies in the world. They had recently done honor to “South Pacific” and the director Bartlett Sher is regarded as a theatrical genius, especially in finding a contemporary resonance within classic musical. It seemed a nobrainer. Everyone’s judgment was validated as in 2015; the show won another Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.
It is this production that will be performed at Proctors May 1 to 6.
For tickets and schedule information, call 518-3466204, or go to proctors.org