Polishing the King’s speech

FOR weeks, my spies in Siam were telling me that nobody at “The King and I” could understand a word Ken Watanabe was saying. And when I say nobody, I mean nobody— from the actors to the audience to the ushers.

The Japanese actor, whose performance in “The Last Samurai” netted him an Oscar nomination, has only a passing familiarity with English. His portrayal of the King in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, opening April 16, was said to be intense and moving. But his version of “Shall We Dance?” reportedly came across like a scene from Woody Allen’s “What’s Up, Tiger Lily?”

Cast members were panicky because they could hear those blue- haired ladies in the Lincoln Center audience saying things like “What’s he saying?,” “What kind of an accent is that?” and “Speak English — like Yul Brynner!”

Apparently, Watanabe was nervous about the language problem as well. And so he decreed about threeweeks ago— after all, he is the King — that everybody on the show address him in English at all times.

“He has spent every day since previews speaking in English and in English only,” a source says. “Even at home, I think.”

Well, the Rosetta Stone crash course paid off. Watanabe can now be understood, for the most part, by everybody inthe theater. The little old ladies have settled down. They are no longer puzzled by “A Puzzlement.”

Watanabe’s accent wasn’t the only problem. Director Bart Sher’s production moved, to put it diplomatically, like a slowboat to China. Early performances were running more than three hours. But Sher has a reputation for speeding things up. I sawan early preview of his 2008 “South Pacific” revival that lasted longer than World War II. But by opening night, the show coasted along— right to a Tony for Best Revival.

Now insiders are saying that “The King and I,” starring

Kelli O’Hara, is much improved, and that Watanabe may be a contender for the Tony.

‘ HONEYMOON in Vegas” left the building Sunday, despite Tony Danza’s best attempts to keep it going. He made lots of media appearances, sold tickets at the TKTS booth, and even funded some of theweekly losses. Hewanted to hang in there until the Tony nominations. But the losses were mounting, and in the end he was outvoted by the other producers, who, rich as they are — twoof them are, in fact,

Bob and Mindy Rich— didn’t like the feel of red ink lapping at their heels.

Itwas a valiant effort, and it could pay off in one respect: Danza may well get a Tony nomination next month.