Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I continues to captivate audiences decades after premiering back in 1951. The classic musical tells the story of Anna, a British schoolteacher, and her relationship with the king of Siam. This current touring version won four Tonys in 2015 including Best Revival of a Musical.
Kavin Panmeechao plays the role of Lun Tha on the tour. His past credits include a national tour of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Romeo and Juliet in the UK, and Into the Woods at the Lucas Theater.
Windy City Times: Where in the world are you calling from?
Kavin Panmeechao: I am in Hartford, Connecticut. It is cold here at 60 degrees. I just came back from Thailand where it was hot as balls and I was sweating up a storm! I am all puffy because the heat and humidity made me look like a balloon.
WCT: Where are you originally from?
KP: I grew up in Los Angeles, but my parents are Thai. We had two weeks off before Hartford, so went to Thailand with my mom. It was for research [laughs] and wonderful to go.
WCT: Did you study theater in school?
KP: I sure did. I went to UCLA. I studied theater with an emphasis in musical theater.
WCT: What is your favorite musical?
KP: Sunday in the Park with George. I have loved it since I was a teenager. I didn't know why I liked it, maybe because I was a melancholy theater kid. As I got older it just always spoke to me. It speaks to me on a new level no matter where I am in life at that specific time.
Of course, my favorite painting is A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. It is at the Art Institute of Chicago, so I have to stop in there.
WCT: How did you get on The King and I tour?
KP: I went to an open call initially. I went in and wasn't too keen on my audition. I later got an agent audition where I sang and they called me back in a couple of days.
There was Bartlett Sher sitting at that audition. I had one more callback months later and got a call that I had the job three hours later.
WCT: Talk about your character.
KP: I play Lun Tha. He is the Burmese emissary. He brings the Princess Tuptim to the King of Siam as a gift. It is a way to politically seal their relationship between the two countries. They have been at war for a long time, so they are in a new, uneasy peace.
Unfortunately, Lun and Tuptim have fallen in love. That wreaks havoc on the king.
Lun is in love with her, but can't be with her because it would be political suicide. It is a dangerous situation to be in.
WCT: So you are playing the straight guy?
KP: Yes, which is hysterical because my understudies are straight.
WCT: Are there any other LGBT cast members?
KP: About three-quarters of the cast are LGBT. It is fun. We have a group message stream called The King and I Gayz. We have a little Pride flag emoji next to the title. It is so cute.
We will check out the gay bars in the town we are at.
WCT: Try Sidetrack on your day off. How does this classic musical translate today?
KP: That is a great question, because I think our director, Bart Sher, has really tried to play up the political stakes of the show. A lot of it is there in the writing, although it is just never really been explored. I think that is the big difference. He has really stripped away the glitz of it. It is still a really opulent show. There are beautiful sets and costumes, but he has explored the political ramifications for this king. It is fascinating.
There were some lines cut in the '50s that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote about the political situation where the encroaching Western powers were slowly overtaking Southeast Asia. Siam is right in the heart of Asia and he is being attacked on all sides, the Cambodians have just fallen to the French, the British are moving into Burma and coming up from Singapore.
He is desperate to maintain the sovereignty of his country. He invites this English woman to teach his children at his court ways of the Western world. You really get that it is incredibly dire for him.
I think that political relevancy makes it pertinent to today, the idea that two cultures are trying to work together to keep the nation intact.
WCT: Do you have a favorite song in The King and I?
KP: I love "Something Wonderful." I love what Joan Almedilla, who plays our Lady Thiang, does with it. It is really the anthem to the show when you think about it.
WCT: How does the King tour compare to when you toured with Spelling Bee?
KP: It is very different. This show is bigger and grand.
Lun Tha is very different than me. I am a goofy kind of a person and a big dork. Lun is stalwart, strong, and passionate. I can be all of those things, but tend to be a goofball. Spelling Bee was a lot more like who I am. I was just playing myself.
In The King and I I stretch a bit, which I really like. I love how it pushes me. They are different shows. I love them both for such different reasons.
WCT: Have you been to Chicago before?
KP: I have never been. It is the only major city on the tour that I have not been to. When I booked the show I saw the itinerary was so excited. I was over the moon to do the show, but mostly to go to Chicago.
WCT: Well, you are coming for Pride Month.
KP: That's right. I am so excited. I cannot wait. I usually miss Prides everywhere and not in town. I live in New York City, but will miss Pride there this year and always miss it in Los Angeles where I am from. I will get to see the festivities in Chicago this year!
Look for the King at Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., through July 2; visit BroadwayInChicago.com .
