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#26

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 1:43pm

StickIt, I'm personally fine with him not being of Thai ancestry... we take what we can get, really.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#27

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 1:44pm

"Well, I don't think where he's from regionally matters."

You wouldn't care if he was a white guy from Dublin or Indianapolis? Regions like that?

Or is it that you don't care as long as he's from somewhere between Saudi Arabia and Japan?
#28

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 1:45pm

I'm so glad that LCT is doing this production and not someone like Roundabout where we'd probably get a minimal set and 12 musicians. They've got all the ingredients to make a truly glorious revival. I can't wait!


RE this question: "Just curious: do people have a problem with the fact that he is Japanese and not Southeast Asian?"

I think it's a valid question. And the answer probably varies from person-to-person. I imagine Thai-American actors might have a very specific reaction and I certainly have no intention of speaking for them. I do think that given that this is a big, lavish musical -- a heightened theatrical experience -- Watanabe is perfectly appropriate casting. Beyond his appropriateness for the role's qualities - strength, charisma, sexual magnetism - he's a big name. I can't think of an English speaking Thai male actor with the same name recognition of Watanabe.

Were this a hyper-realistic film about a Thai/Siamese historical figure, I think in that case it would be better to hire an actor of Thai descent. Given that this is a Broadway revival of "The King & I", I don't think LCT could have done a better job of casting.

#29

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 1:46pm

I'm more interested in his casting than hers. But I find this to be a most boring choice for a revival. YAWN. (I mean Bartlett Sher doing YET ANOTHER revival of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical with Kelli O'Hara? Who'd have figured it?! Wonder what's next? Well, she can still play Julie Jordan I suppose, then maybe some other R&H role.)


Updated On: 6/30/14 at 01:46 PM

#30

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 1:46pm

It would be hard to get a Thai actor in this role since many of them still frown upon the show for showing the King of Siam in a negative light.
#34

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 1:54pm

Gattelli is doing the musical staging, not recreating the Robbins' choreography. That task will fall to one of the Robbins acolytes, most often Gemze de Lappe in the past.
#36

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:02pm

Watanabe is a great actor, but I wish the role had been cast younger.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson
#37

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:03pm

I know the King doesn't have a lot to do musically, but I do wonder if anyone has heard Watanabe sing? I looked up his stage credits, and they all seem to be straight plays. I think he's a great choice--just wondering.
#39

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:17pm

The King's parts aren't particularly hard to sing, right? I'm sure he'll be fine vocally.
A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.
#43

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:35pm

No, to white people, all Asians are interchangeable. Korean is Vietnamese is Laotian is Thai is etc., etc., etc.

I'm sure that's true of many white people who live in not-very-diverse areas, but I doubt it's true of most people in Manhattan or LA, if only because we keep track of different cuisines. And I'm sure it isn't true of Broadway casting directors.

But requiring that all Thai parts be cast with Thai-Americans isn't very practical.

I worked with Julie Hughes of Theatre Now when she was casting Yul Brynner's tours of THE KING AND I. She literally trolled elementary schools in Asian neighborhoods, trying to find enough Asians to fill the cast. If she had been restricted to Thai-Americans (or professional actors), she could never have cast the show.

And in the U.S., we don't bar people of German descent from playing French characters, nor Brits from playing Americans. Asian-Americans are understandably sensitive to "yellow-face" performances because of our stage history. But there's no precise equivalent when it comes to East and Southeastern Asians playing characters beyond their own national heritage.
#44

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:45pm

I do remember there being some minor controversy around the film of Memoirs of a Geisha when none of the three female leads were actually Japanese, so it wouldn't surprise me if there is a small minority who get upset over this casting.
#45

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:45pm

This is, of course, how we rationalize and learn to live with the limitations of our racial sensitivity. As long as the actor hired is from the eastern hemisphere, we congratulate ourselves on how far we've evolved.

To say that the difference between someone from Thailand and someone from Japan is as insignificant as that between a German and Frenchman is (at the very least) rather problematic.

And the justification that "there just aren't enough of them to make casting feasible" is, it should be acknowledged, the same one that was once used to justify casting white Westerners in Asian roles.
#46

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:49pm

It's almost similar to the very Irish O'Hara playing off the boat Italian In Bridges. I was able to see past it because her performance was so powerful. And Italians and Irish people are both Caucasian.

I can see why people were upset that Sher didn't cast any Hispanic or Latino actors in the primary Verge roles.

Updated On: 6/30/14 at 02:49 PM

#47

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:54pm

Watanabe is also a recognizable film name and an Oscar nominee. He will bring in an audience outside of traditional Broadway and Kelli fans.

Great casting!
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#48

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:56pm

Do people really think THE KING AND I shows the King in a bad light? I think it shows he is a Man and not just a King. A difficult ,complicated man, but in the end he is rather sympathetic. And he is the Male Romantic Lead (in a most unusual love story).
#49

Ken Watanabe is The King of Siam in THE KING AND I

Posted: 6/30/14 at 2:56pm

Asian-Americans are understandably sensitive to "yellow-face" performances because of our stage history. But there's no precise equivalent when it comes to East and Southeastern Asians playing characters beyond their own national heritage.

Pretty much. Look, like I said, we take what we can get. I'm relieved enough that it's not a white guy in yellowface. IMO it was very glaring in Memoirs of a Geisha when some of those actors looked super-not-Chinese, but there's more wiggle room on stage.

There seems to be a bit more outrage in this thread from those who are not Asian than from those who are, but I am not going to do a head count..

(FWIW I'm of Chinese ancestry, not Thai.)

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

Updated On: 6/30/14 at 02:56 PM

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