COVINGTON, KY- “Getting To Know You,” “I Have Dreamed” and “Something Wonderful” are among the timeless melodies in store as part of an innovative presentation of a cherished classic, and in the words of The King of Siam, “etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.”
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center (The Carnegie) proudly presents Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I, In Concert, playing weekends January 20 – 29 in the historic Otto M. Budig Theatre. Broadway veterans Ronn K. Smith (The King)* and Teresa De Zarn (Lady Thiang) are accompanied by musicians from the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (CCO), under the baton of Mischa Santora. Directed by Joe Deer, THE KING AND I, In Concert is the third production of The Carnegie’s 2011-12 Theatre Series and the third installment in its Carnegie in Concert series. Tickets are $19 – $28 and are available at The Carnegie Box Office, 859.957.1940, or www.thecarnegie.com.
THE KING AND I is presented in concert, with limited staging, costumes and scenic design.
THE KING AND I, In Concert is sponsored by Mark and Rosemary Schlachter. The Carnegie’s 2011-12 Theatre Series is presented in honor of Otto M. Budig, Jr., whose leadership instilled the beauty, elegance and life that The Carnegie’s Theatre now enjoys during its fifth anniversary year.
“Something Wonderful”- The KING AND I Story, In Concert
It is 1862 in Siam when an English widow, Anna Leonowens, and her young son arrive at the Royal Palance in Bangkok, having been summoned by the bombastic King to serve as tutor to his many children and wives. The King is largely considered to be a barbarian by those in the West, and he seeks Anna’s assistance in changing his image, if not his ways. Eastern and Western cultures collide as Anna and the King hold fiercely to their respective traditions while wrestling with a love that neither is able to express.
Produced in concert, in the vein of the New York City Center’s Encores! series, The Carnegie’s presentation of THE KING AND I will serve to accentuate the glorious Rodgers & Hammerstein score and lyrics free from the cumbersome production values generally associated with the show. Greatly truncated will be most of the scenic elements, costume pieces and other technical hurdles which would otherwise make THE KING AND I an untenable production for The Carnegie’s stage. Rarely undertaken in the Greater Cincinnati area, the “in concert” medium provides a viable vehicle for the local presentation of masterpieces like THE KING AND I, which would otherwise be impossible.
“Getting To Know You” – The Performers of THE KING AND I
In the titular role of THE KING AND I is Atlanta-based actor Ronn K. Smith*, a veteran of Broadway, off-Broadway and national and international tours. With a glittering résumé including touring engagements of MISS SAIGON and MAN OF LA MANCHA, the Broadway revival of INHERIT THE WIND, and myriad regional opera and musical theatre credits, Smith is no stranger to the King of Siam, having previously played the role at Maine State Music Theatre and Pennsylvania’s Fulton Theatre. The show holds a special place in Smith’s heart, and it’s with no shortage of anticipation that he enters into this unique concert staging.
“It’s the journey that this King takes over the course of the show that makes him so exciting to play,” explains Smith. “While maintaining the appearance of total, masculine control, The King really does consider and is changed by the ideas of a woman. That is an exciting evolution to play nightly.”
Smith is joined in the cast by fellow Broadway veteran Teresa De Zarn, who sings the role of The King’s eldest wife, Lady Thiang. De Zarn, whose Broadway credits include CATS and THE SECRET GARDEN, is a Cincinnati native and alumnus of Northern Kentucky University. Both De Zarn and Smith share a stage for the first time with Dayton-based actress and vocalist Lee Merrill, who makes her Carnegie debut in the role of Anna. At home in both the operatic and musical theatre milieus, Merrill possesses a sterling, extensive list of principal credits at venues across the country, including the Muni in St. Louis, Paper Mill Playhouse, Houston Grand Opera and Glimmerglass. She has also performed with dozens of national-caliber symphonies, including as the leading ladies in concert stagings of CAMELOT and MY FAIR LADY, and is a voice faculty member at Wright State University.
Lauded professional operatic performer Emily Lorini returns to The Carnegie in the role of Tuptim, on the heels of an enthusiastically received vocal performance as Julie Jordan in The Carnegie’s April 2011 staging of CAROUSEL. She is paired with Carnegie newcomer and CCM graduate alumnus Jonathan Zeng, who plays the role of Tuptim’s clandestine lover, Lun Tha. Ron Burrage (Kralahome, Ensemble), Bree Sprankle (Ensemble), Noah Lentini (Chulalongkorn) and Henry Howland (Ensemble) return to The Carnegie in supporting roles, and are joined by Matt Dentino (Sir Edward Ramsey, Ensemble), Katy Lindhart (Ensemble) and Jonah Sorcher (Louis) making their Carnegie debuts.
*Smith assumes the role of The King in place of the previously announced Ron Bohmer.
“King is pleased with you” – The Directors of THE KING AND I
Helming The Carnegie’s concert production of THE KING AND I is veteran stage director and Broadway performer Joe Deer, who, during a career that has included many Off Broadway and national touring credits, has worked with and performed alongside Kristen Chenoweth, Nicole Scherzinger, Leslie Uggams and Chita Rivera. Deer is also a professor and head of the Musical Theatre program at Wright State University, where his recent production of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, along with other regional productions of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (New Stage Collective) and LEND ME A TENOR (Human Race Theatre Company), earned a “best of” award during 2009 and 2010.
Deer makes his Carnegie debut with THE KING AND I, and also collaborates for the first time with production music director and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra music director Mischa Santora. Excited about a rare foray into the world of musical theatre, Santora brings a wealth of operatic and symphonic experience to the production, having appeared with the Philadelphia, Minnesota and Louisville orchestras and the Los Angeles Philharmoic, among many other ensembles around the world. Known locally and across the country as an innovative concert programmer, Santora has worked with solo artists including Richard Stolzman and James Galway, among many others.
Becky Childs returns to The Carnegie as vocal director of the production, having won an Acclaim Award in the same capacity for her work on The Carnegie’s CAROUSEL. CCM alumnus James Horban serves in a dual capacity as scenic and lighting designer for the concert production’s relatively compact visual design.
A cast and production team list, as well as selected bios, follow this release.
Ticketing
THE KING AND I will feature six performances:
- Friday, January 20, 7:30pm
- Saturday, January 21, 7:30pm
- Sunday, January 22, 3:00pm
- Friday, January 27, 7:30pm
- Saturday, January 28, 7:30pm
- Sunday, January 29, 3:00pm
Pricing:
$28 Adults
$25 Carnegie Members, Enjoy The Arts Members, WVXU Perks Card Members
$21 Groups of 10 or more
$19 Students
Tickets may be purchased through The Carnegie Box Office at 859.957.1940 (open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5:00pm) or online at www.thecarnegie.com.
About The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center
THE CARNEGIE THEATRE SERIES produces professional, innovative stagings of an eclectic range of popular and rarely-performed works. Striving to unite the greater Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati theatre community through partnerships and collaborations, the series engages and nurtures both emerging and established talent, including working professionals, committed part-time theatre artists, university performing arts students, and younger students. Carnegie Theatre Series productions bring together these forces to provide quality theatre for Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area.
CARNEGIE IN CONCERT strives to break the mold of chamber music offerings from yesteryear. The series challenges established programming norms by blending traditional string quartets, wind ensembles, and solo piano performances with gospel, jazz, musical theatre, boogie woogie, and a cadre of other musical styles. The relationship between performer and audience is also re-imagined through an open dialogue revealing the essence of the selections and their meaning to the performers. The comfortable and intimate Otto M. Budig Theatre provides a unique environment for a unique concert experience, complete with a cash bar in the beautiful Carnegie Galleries.
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center is a multidisciplinary arts venue serving the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. Over the course of the past ten years The Carnegie has “morphed” from a grassroots gallery with an education component into an all-inclusive arts organization offering professional theatre, art exhibitions showcasing the best of local and regional artists, and a comprehensive arts education program.
The Carnegie is home to the Carnegie Galleries, comprised of more than 6,000 square feet of gallery space where emerging and established artists exhibit in multiple shows throughout the year; the Eva G. Farris Education Center, which provides arts education to thousands of children, many of whom are at or below the poverty level; and the newly renovated 465-seat Otto M. Budig Theatre, which offers an affordable theatre space for local, up-and coming and established production companies and is home to The Carnegie’s Theatre and Concert Series. The Carnegie is the largest arts venue in Northern Kentucky.
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation.
About the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra
Recipient of the prestigious 2009 Scripps-Corbett Award, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra has grown in size and scope to become one of the cultural cornerstones of the Greater Cincinnati area over the past 36 years.
Founded as a volunteer organization in 1974 by Paul Nadler, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra today has a core membership of 32 paid union musicians. The artistic goal of the Chamber Orchestra is to perform music that is not generally heard when attending concerts presented by a large symphony orchestra, and thereby offer a unique musical experience to the listener. The orchestra’s size allows for flexibility and creativity in programming and represents the ideal size group for orchestral works from the Baroque and Classical eras as well as commissioned works by contemporary composers.
In July 2000, Mischa Santora assumed position as CCO Music Director. In addition to leading the CCO, Maestro Santora guest conducts many of the leading orchestras in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In 2009, the CCO was the recipient of the Scripps Corbett Award for Artistic Excellence.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 