I watched the King and I on Broadway HD. I had never seen this musical before, but really fell in love with the traditional, decadent costumes included in the production, as well as the storyline. It is set in Bangkok in 1860, and tells the story of English schoolteacher Anna who starts a new job tutoring the King of Siam’s wives and children. Overall, I really enjoyed this production, and think the costumes were very cleverly done to show the different characters.
As her boat docks in Bangkok, we are introduced to Anna. Her dress is very typical of 1860s British style with the sleeves and full skirt, and is in a muted blue to show her age, calm personality and level-headedness. The blue colour also hints to Anna’s sadness as we discover she is a widower, and the fabric and details also suggest she is a fairly wealthy woman. Her son, Louis, is in tan, which also shows his mellow personality, and shows his close relationship with his mother through her tan hat, and also the matching bows the two of them have at the neckline. The people of Bangkok are dressed very differently, which is further shown through the warm vs cool colour scheme, to show that they are two completely different cultures. The Prime Minister also makes an appearance, in a grand cloak which stands out and shows his importance, and the King’s foreign correspondent also arrives to escort Anna and Louis to the palace, dressed in blue with lots of embroidery to show his link to both royalty and the blue tones in Anna’s dress.
As we enter the palace, we are introduced to the King of Siam, who stands out against the dark set in a shimmery white coat with gold details, which shows his huge wealth and status. The servants in comparison are in dark red, which blends into the background so that they do not draw focus from the King. We are also introduced to Tuptim, a young Burmese girl who has been sold to the King as a slave to marry him. She is dressed in white also to show her betrothal to the King, however it also shows her innocence, as well as her long hair and floral embroidery throughout. Lun Tha, Tuptim’s secret lover who has come to copy a design for a temple, is dressed in red, to show his forbidden love for Tuptim, as well as to show his servant status. The subtle gold details on both Tuptim and Lun Tha’s costumes also show their relationship as a secret couple. Anna arrives, who stands out even more in her large skirt against the slimmer costumes worn by the other characters, to show the difference in culture. The size of the skirt however also commands attention, showing her strong and independent spirit, and also that she is willing to stand her ground and get what she deserves. Her red hair also shows her slightly fiery nature and unwillingness to back down to the King.
We are then introduced to the King’s many wives, who are all richly dressed to show their relationship with the King, however, they are almost identically dressed, showing that the King views them as all the same, with no discernable personality. The only one who stands out is Lady Thiang, who is the King’s chief wife, and her added importance is shown through some small stylistic details and her large headdress. The children are also introduced, dressed in purple with gold details to show their royal blood, however similar to their mothers, they are all dressed the same to show they are all the same in the King’s eyes. The only one who stands out is Chulalongkorn, the King’s oldest son, who is in blue, to show that he is the oldest and the heir to the throne.
The King is then alone, and worries about the future of his country and Anna’s defiance. He is dressed in purple, to show his confusion and muddled mental state. We then enter the school room where Anna is teaching the wives and children. She is in white, which stands out on stage, with some blue details to continue to show her character. The children are also in white shirts, to show their growing relationship and trust in Anna. Louis stands out amongst the other children in a black suit, to show that he is very different to them, and especially stands out from Chulalongkorn, to show their difference in all aspects of their lives including their upbringing, opinions and beliefs. Tuptim also stands out amongst the other wives in a different style of costume with long sleeves, and her hair is down, to show her young and free spirited nature, and her unwillingness to conform to the King, despite her having no choice.
Tuptim meets with her lover Lun Tha, and the two contrast in blue and red respectively, to show their different paths and expected futures. Hiwveer, the gold details in both still suggest their love and relationship is strong, and the red underneath the blue in Tuptim’s costume especially shows she still has love for him, despite being shrouded under her royal duty and sadness that she cannot just be with him.
Anna is in her chambers after her confrontation with the King in the school room. She is in her undergarments, which shows her vulnerability as a woman, however, her fiery hair shows how much this angers her, as she doesn’t feel she should be treated as less than him. Lady Thiang arrives in red and orange, which really shows her contrast to Anna, as she is completely loyal to the King, and her main passion is to protect him and do as he wishes. She manages to persuade Anna to help the King, who is being perceived badly across the world, and the King himself appears in red to show his love and passion for his country, which eventually wins Anna over.
Act 2 begins with the wives, who are preparing for a visit from Europe. Their Western style clothing shows the influence Anna is having over the court, however the red colours and Siamese details continue to show their heritage. In contrast, Lady Thiang remains in very traditional Siamese dress, to show her unwillingness to stray from her culture and King, and less mouldable personality. Anna appears in a very grand dress, which shows her power and heritage, and the light purple colour also continues to show her calm exterior, while her bare shoulders show her defiance to traditional values that women should be below men. The King appears in traditional Siamese clothing to show his strength and love for his country, however the pink colour is friendlier, to show he is willing to accept the European visitors. We are then introduced to Edward, the British envoy, who we also discover is an old friend of Anna’s. The styles in both Anna and Edward’s garments show their previous relationship and heritage, and also show how comfortable they are with one another.
Tuptim meets with Lun Tha, and the two plan to run away together. Anna sees them, and agrees to cover for them, as she wants them to be happy, Tuptim’s play, which she has prepared for the visitors, then begins. Tuptim herself is in gold and white, to continue to show the King’s influence over her and her innocent nature. Many of the ensemble in the play are also in gold and white to link them to Tuptim, and show that this is her story, and traditional Siamese styles and details are used, as the play is intended to invite the visitors into Siamese culture and see it in a different light. The main characters of the play are in different, more colourful costumes, making them stand out against the ensemble. Eliza, the protagonist, in in yellow, and also has long hair, reminding the audience of Tuptim, and further showing that this is her story. Simon also has lots of gold details, to show that he is portraying the King, and his similarly dressed slaves portray the wives. As Eliza escapes, she encounters an angel who is dressed in all white, similar to much of Anna’s attire, showing Tuptim views Anna as her guardian angel for allowing her to be with Lun Tha. The bloodhounds that hunt Eliza in the story also have red details to show they are portraying the King’s servants. The play ends with Eliza reunited with her lover, and the destruction of Simon, which the King is clearly displeased with, as the anti-slavery message of the play is clear.
Anna and the King talk, and she teaches him how to dance. The fabrics on both of their costumes are very similar, showing that although the two have very different cultures and backgrounds, they are friends, and have something in common. Meanwhile, Tuptim manages to escape, however, she is soon found and caught, and returned to the palace. In contrast to her previous looks, she is in a muddy-orange, plain dress, which really shows that she is a slave, and was only important when she was bestowed to the King. Anna is the light in the situation, who pleads with the King to have mercy on her, and stands out in her light coloured dress against the brutal red of the guards. The King’s brutality is also exposed as the bright pink colour no longer shows his friendliness but shows his anger that Tuptim has gone against him. An officer, dressed in black, informs them that Lun Tha is dead, and Tuptim is led away as a slave. Anna is furious, and swears to leave Siam.
A few months later, Anna prepares to leave Siam, however another officer appears to tell her that the King is ill. His black costume however suggests that the King is close to death, as he begs Anna to reconcile with him. As Anna visits the King for the final time, she is in dark purple, to not only show how she now views the King in a much darker light after seeing how brutal he could be, but also her inner sadness that he is dying. Louis is also in a more muted grey, to show his fear and sadness on his mother’s behalf. The wives and children are in all white, which reminds the audience of heaven, and further suggests the King is about to die. He himself is in a long white robe, which makes him appear like an angel himself. Lady Thiang also has elements of white in her costume, which shows her continuing loyalty to the King in his life and death, and her dress appears completely black in some lights to show her mourning and sadness. Chulalongkorn also appears, and the gold braid on his costume matches that of his father, to show the passing on of the crown to him. His light coloured costume also shows a new era and life under his reign, showing he will be a very different King than his father, as he eventually passes on. However, in the finale, the King and Anna match, showing the impact they have had on one another, and their friendship despite all odds.
Overall, I really liked this production, and thought the costumes were very cleverly done to really show the contrast in cultures. I especially loved the play scene, and how the subtle costume details really helped to link the characters in the play to their ‘real life’ counterparts, as I thought this was very well done. I also loved how the costumes really stood out against the primarily dark and simple set to really make the audience focus on the characters throughout.
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