Augustus extraordinary among BRLT cast

• By PAM BORDELON
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jul 15, 2009 - Page: 1D

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Leonard Augustus Jr. grabbed the spotlight last Friday night and was crowned king of the Baton Rouge Little Theater stage in its opening night performance of  Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The King & I.” Set in early 1860s Siam (now Thailand), “The King & I” is the moving true story of King Mongkut, a highly educated monarch who hired English governess Anna Leonowens to teach his many wives and children. One of those students was Prince Chulalongkorn, who when he assumed the throne issued a series of proclamations that did away with the people of Siam prostrating themselves before the king, slavery and the king’s ownership of all the land in the country.

A veteran BRLT performer, Augustus is most well known for his dancing (He led “the wedge” in the 2005 performance of  “A Chorus Line.”). But in this summer musical, his dancing is a minor part of the role (“Shall We Dance”), and Augustus showed he has true acting talent and a “good set of pipes,” as one theater goer commented. The late Yul Brynner is the actor who comes to mind when you think of “The King & I.” For those lucky enough to catch Augustus in what is surely the role of his career, his portrayal of the King of Siam will be the one you remember. Several of us confessed to getting a lump in our throat when the king died.

Augustus shines in no small part because of the strong cast that occupies the stage with him. “Awesome,” “wonderful” and “I didn’t know Baton Rouge had such talent” were typical audience comments. Casting was definitely not a puzzlement for directors Keith Dixon and Chris Adams, who also led the team responsible for the production’s beautiful sets.

Jennifer Ellis as Anna embraced her role and engaged the audience, especially in “Shall I Tell You What I Think of You.” She and Augustus played off each other perfectly as she tried to help him come to terms with the modern world — etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And the affection between Ellis and the children seemed genuine — the result of spending hours together in rehearsal, no doubt, as well as several of the kids being members of the Greater Baton Rouge Children’s Chorus, which Ellis directs. 

Ellis has a lovely voice, but the vocal crowns belong to Talia M. Aull and Michael Dunavant as the star-crossed lovers Tuptim and Lun Tha. Their duets, especially their last — “I Have Dreamed,” caused goose bumps as you felt their pain at being separated. Tuptim’s production of “The Small House of Uncle Thomas” with the royal wives and children, a veiled slap in the face to the king for keeping her enslaved, was very well done. Kudos to choreographer Lollie Aulet and dancers Mary Elizabeth Drake, Rachel Lazar, Eryn Short, Ashton Viola and Hayley Westphal.

Another vocal standout was Rosalind Rankins Reynard as the No. 1 wife, Lady Thiang. Ten-year-old Nicky Abraham as Anna’s son, Louis, and 11-year-old Matt Miyagi as the prince showed much promise of greater things to come as they mature.

However, their duet and Ellis’ “I Whistle a Happy Tune” were somewhat drowned out by the orchestra, the weak link in this production. This is a common problem with BRLT musicals even when the actors have strong voices. 

Ed Barnes Jr. as the king’s right-hand man, The Kralahome, brought a well-timed sense of humor to the palace and a true sense of loss when his king died. Several of the youngest cast members (Sophie Edwards, Samuel Ellis, Madeleine Garrity, Eli Jones, Joshua Alen White and Emily Zartman) managed to steal the heart of the audience with few if any words.

As wonderful as the sets were, so were the costumes. Costume designer Kate Ellis and her “stitchers” did an exquisite job. And, for opening night, there were no discernible glitches with wardrobe, lighting or sound.

The opening-night audience is typically packed with family and friends of the cast and  this one was no exception. But some of the most complimentary remarks came from audience members with no vested interest. Two gentlemen visiting from Chicago, Jim Barry and Jack Lampert, who is a director, were very impressed with the overall caliber of the production. As Barry told me at intermission, “I expected good community theater but this is way better than anything I imagined.”