The King and I
at Anaheim

Reviewed on January 28, 2016

Sabrina Von Bogenberg
Newport Harbor
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Anaheim gives a performance fit for a king

With poise, captivating musical numbers, and a contagious energy, Anaheim High School's production of "The King and I" tells the timeless story of a British schoolteacher who is hired by the king of Siam to teach his children the modernized ways of Western society. Between the seemingly professional relationship between the king and the schoolteacher, something deeper blooms between them, though neither will admit it. Anaheim effortlessly lives up to the expectations for this monumental musical with their fearless cast.

Alexia Rosa shines on stage as the poised yet sweet Anna Leonowens, the British schoolteacher. Rosa exudes the confidence of her character by clasping her hands together and keeping her head held high. Rosa's classy composure and posture never faltered, but we see a different side of Anna through songs such as "Getting to Know You" and "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" Rosa shows us there is more to Anna than the composed, mother-like character we see in the beginning as she lets loose in the confines of her bedroom. Rosa uses expressive hand motions and she scrunches up her clothing to throw on the floor to show her dismal view of the king. Rosa's sweet yet strong voice complements her character beautifully.

Daniel Chavez (The King) uses his voice effectively to show the power he holds as King. By raising his voice and standing his ground, we see a more dictatorial side to the King. Chavez presents a great contrast to his character as he starts to soften towards Anna by adding a more playful tone to his voice as he grabs her hand to lead her in a dance. With his heavy footing and harsh voice, Chavez builds up the strong character, physically and mentally, needed to play the King.

An aspect of the production that contributed greatly to the shows value was the makeup (Anna Pedroza, Jaqueline Rivas and Alejandra Tafoya). Staying true to the facial features of the people of Thailand, eyeliner was used to extend the appearance of the eye to create a monolid eye. The makeup stayed true to the origin, giving the actors a more authentic look.

Anaheim High School's impactful production of "The King and I" makes everyone fall in love again not only with the classic story, but with theatre altogether.

Sabrina Von Bogenberg
Newport Harbor
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Anaheim gives a performance fit for a king

With poise, captivating musical numbers, and a contagious energy, Anaheim High School's production of "The King and I" tells the timeless story of a British schoolteacher who is hired by the king of Siam to teach his children the modernized ways of Western society. Between the seemingly professional relationship between the king and the schoolteacher, something deeper blooms between them, though neither will admit it. Anaheim effortlessly lives up to the expectations for this monumental musical with their fearless cast.

Alexia Rosa shines on stage as the poised yet sweet Anna Leonowens, the British schoolteacher. Rosa exudes the confidence of her character by clasping her hands together and keeping her head held high. Rosa's classy composure and posture never faltered, but we see a different side of Anna through songs such as "Getting to Know You" and "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" Rosa shows us there is more to Anna than the composed, mother-like character we see in the beginning as she lets loose in the confines of her bedroom. Rosa uses expressive hand motions and she scrunches up her clothing to throw on the floor to show her dismal view of the king. Rosa's sweet yet strong voice complements her character beautifully.

Daniel Chavez (The King) uses his voice effectively to show the power he holds as King. By raising his voice and standing his ground, we see a more dictatorial side to the King. Chavez presents a great contrast to his character as he starts to soften towards Anna by adding a more playful tone to his voice as he grabs her hand to lead her in a dance. With his heavy footing and harsh voice, Chavez builds up the strong character, physically and mentally, needed to play the King.

An aspect of the production that contributed greatly to the shows value was the makeup (Anna Pedroza, Jaqueline Rivas and Alejandra Tafoya). Staying true to the facial features of the people of Thailand, eyeliner was used to extend the appearance of the eye to create a monolid eye. The makeup stayed true to the origin, giving the actors a more authentic look.

Anaheim High School's impactful production of "The King and I" makes everyone fall in love again not only with the classic story, but with theatre altogether.

Baylee Shlichtman
Pacifica
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Getting to know Anaheim High is a delight

Anaheim High School enthralls audiences with the whimsical production of "The King and I". An English school teacher accepts employment from the King of Siam, agreeing to instruct his children and wives on Western values. When the English announce that they are coming to see if the King is a barbarian, she must put aside her misgivings to help the people she has grown to love.

The determined Anna Leonowens, portrayed by Alexia Rosa, creates a strong presence through her poise and firm stance. She affectionately rears the palace children, filling her expressions with motherly tenderness. She crumples her clothes and abruptly tosses them about her room when frustrated in "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?", abandoning her refined nature to showcase her comical side. When confronted with the King, played by Daniel Chavez, she straightens her posture and projects her voice with reproach, proving herself a worthy adversary. Even so, the pair shares some lighter moments, playing off of each other during "Shall We Dance?" as they clumsily gallop about the room, clinging to each other for support.

Stephanie Chavez pulls heart strings as Tuptim, with her agonizing struggle between expectation and her innermost desires. She belts on "My Lord and Master" with the precision of a lark; with each heartfelt note, her eyes widen with sorrow, before teasing her secret love with the faint lines of a desperate smile. She bites her lip and hunches during "I Have Dreamed", gaining strength through the sureness of her voice. She opens her gestures and flings her delicate form about the stage, empowered by the certainty of her forbidden affection.

Makeup by Anna Pedroza, Jaqueline Rivas, and Alejandra Tafoya creates an authentic atmosphere steeped in historical accuracy that is backed by meticulous research. The white paint donned by the participant's during "The Small House of Uncle Thomas Ballet" cleverly gives the illusion of wearing masks to create a theatrical mood, contrasting with the natural, earthy tones in other scenes.

As stage manager, Vanessa Galvan masterfully whisks through scene changes, as if guiding the audience through other worlds. The lift of a screen reveals every set piece in place, emboldening the magic of each scene without detracting from the ensuing action.

Anaheim's larger than life production dazzles viewers, reminding them of the common humanity that transcends every social barrier.

Baylee Shlichtman
Pacifica
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Getting to know Anaheim High is a delight

Anaheim High School enthralls audiences with the whimsical production of "The King and I". An English school teacher accepts employment from the King of Siam, agreeing to instruct his children and wives on Western values. When the English announce that they are coming to see if the King is a barbarian, she must put aside her misgivings to help the people she has grown to love.

The determined Anna Leonowens, portrayed by Alexia Rosa, creates a strong presence through her poise and firm stance. She affectionately rears the palace children, filling her expressions with motherly tenderness. She crumples her clothes and abruptly tosses them about her room when frustrated in "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?", abandoning her refined nature to showcase her comical side. When confronted with the King, played by Daniel Chavez, she straightens her posture and projects her voice with reproach, proving herself a worthy adversary. Even so, the pair shares some lighter moments, playing off of each other during "Shall We Dance?" as they clumsily gallop about the room, clinging to each other for support.

Stephanie Chavez pulls heart strings as Tuptim, with her agonizing struggle between expectation and her innermost desires. She belts on "My Lord and Master" with the precision of a lark; with each heartfelt note, her eyes widen with sorrow, before teasing her secret love with the faint lines of a desperate smile. She bites her lip and hunches during "I Have Dreamed", gaining strength through the sureness of her voice. She opens her gestures and flings her delicate form about the stage, empowered by the certainty of her forbidden affection.

Makeup by Anna Pedroza, Jaqueline Rivas, and Alejandra Tafoya creates an authentic atmosphere steeped in historical accuracy that is backed by meticulous research. The white paint donned by the participant's during "The Small House of Uncle Thomas Ballet" cleverly gives the illusion of wearing masks to create a theatrical mood, contrasting with the natural, earthy tones in other scenes.

As stage manager, Vanessa Galvan masterfully whisks through scene changes, as if guiding the audience through other worlds. The lift of a screen reveals every set piece in place, emboldening the magic of each scene without detracting from the ensuing action.

Anaheim's larger than life production dazzles viewers, reminding them of the common humanity that transcends every social barrier.

Megan Kovats
Orange Lutheran
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

The King and Anaheim

Based on the true story of a teacher hired by the king of Siam to teach his children and wives English, Anaheim High School brings the production of The King and I to life.

With such a large show, Stage Manager (Vanessa Galvan) does a phenomenal job with the technical work behind the scenes. Not taking away from the show, props are moved efficiently creating seamless transitions from one scene to the next.

Adding a pleasant touch, the hair and makeup team (Anna Pedroza, Jaqueline Rivas, Alejandra Tafoya, and Marlene Sanchez) accurately transform the actors, creating the allusion of being in Siam. While Anna (Alexia Rosa) and Louise (Berlin Ballard) Leonowens are not from Siam, their makeup was very natural creating a nice contrast to the many from Siam.

Bridging the gap between the very opposite characters, Prince Chulalongkorn (Emiliano Torres) creates a nice constant between Anna and the King (Daniel Chavez). With Anna's poised and caring spirit, the King's commanding heir is positively changed but not lost. Together they transform showing the King's character development in the song "Shall We Dance." A different side of Anna is seen in the song "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You." In the confines of her bedroom, a comedic side to the tender teacher is expressed as Leonowens roughly takes out her anger against the king on one of her own skirts showing the diversity of her character.

Forbidden to see each other, the moments Tuptim (Stephanie A. Chavez) and Lun Tha (Oliver Rodriguez) are together are simply moving. In the song "I Have Dreamed" the passion expressed by both characters is so real. The two melt together as their love is displayed through Lun Tha's protective care. Tuptim's strong emotion expressed the longing in her heart for Lun Tha as they melt together in a passionate embrace.

Throughout the show, although some diction was lacking making it difficult to understand sometimes, Tuptim constantly annunciated her words making each word said clearly understood.

Not only could the actors sing and act, they could also dance. The "Small House of Uncle Thomas" Ballet was beautifully done. With long lines and emotion, Eliza (Sheridan Pacheco) stood out and constantly draws the eye.

Each member of the cast contributed a special element to the show making this production of the King and I come to life.

Megan Kovats
Orange Lutheran
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

The King and Anaheim

Based on the true story of a teacher hired by the king of Siam to teach his children and wives English, Anaheim High School brings the production of The King and I to life.

With such a large show, Stage Manager (Vanessa Galvan) does a phenomenal job with the technical work behind the scenes. Not taking away from the show, props are moved efficiently creating seamless transitions from one scene to the next.

Adding a pleasant touch, the hair and makeup team (Anna Pedroza, Jaqueline Rivas, Alejandra Tafoya, and Marlene Sanchez) accurately transform the actors, creating the allusion of being in Siam. While Anna (Alexia Rosa) and Louise (Berlin Ballard) Leonowens are not from Siam, their makeup was very natural creating a nice contrast to the many from Siam.

Bridging the gap between the very opposite characters, Prince Chulalongkorn (Emiliano Torres) creates a nice constant between Anna and the King (Daniel Chavez). With Anna's poised and caring spirit, the King's commanding heir is positively changed but not lost. Together they transform showing the King's character development in the song "Shall We Dance." A different side of Anna is seen in the song "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You." In the confines of her bedroom, a comedic side to the tender teacher is expressed as Leonowens roughly takes out her anger against the king on one of her own skirts showing the diversity of her character.

Forbidden to see each other, the moments Tuptim (Stephanie A. Chavez) and Lun Tha (Oliver Rodriguez) are together are simply moving. In the song "I Have Dreamed" the passion expressed by both characters is so real. The two melt together as their love is displayed through Lun Tha's protective care. Tuptim's strong emotion expressed the longing in her heart for Lun Tha as they melt together in a passionate embrace.

Throughout the show, although some diction was lacking making it difficult to understand sometimes, Tuptim constantly annunciated her words making each word said clearly understood.

Not only could the actors sing and act, they could also dance. The "Small House of Uncle Thomas" Ballet was beautifully done. With long lines and emotion, Eliza (Sheridan Pacheco) stood out and constantly draws the eye.

Each member of the cast contributed a special element to the show making this production of the King and I come to life.