Ewoldt's soaring soprano and Simahk's heroic tenor perfectly suit the young lovers, whose secret romance is a casualty of social class and cultural traditions. The canny Blakeley suggests the latter by having Anna command her servants by clapping her hands like the King, behavior that suggests she still enjoys the perks that accompany her privileged class.Īlso impressive are Ali Ewoldt and Sam Simahk as the Burmese princess Tuptim and her beloved Lun Tha. Not only does Baldwin sing superbly, her performance suggests a complex Anna Leonowens, who embodies the moral certitude of a nascent human rights activist and the residual imperialism of a colonialist. A Broadway veteran with a crystalline voice, Baldwin's wistful "Hello, Young Lovers" reveals a woman who not only recalls youthful desire but welcomes its return. Hearing Rodgers' score played by a large ensemble with a full complement of strings, brass and woodwinds is a real pleasure.
Part of the credit belongs to conductor David Chase's stellar, 37-piece orchestra, an anomaly for musical theater where pit orchestras are typically half that size or smaller. The fourth in Lyric's ongoing American Musical Initiative, this sumptuous production - initially staged by British director Lee Blakeley at Paris' Theatre du Chalet in 2014 - sounds as lovely as it looks.
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