Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...The ensemble is almost entirely composed of actors of color and, when you add fine actors like Joseph Anthony Foronda, who here plays the Kralahome, the result is a cast well stocked with talent. No musical parades kids around the stage (and I include "The Sound of Music" in that) with quite the efficacy and style of "The King and I," and this crew of charmers are a constant delight. This is a strikingly connected show, with real chemistry between both the lead characters and those whose lives are inexorably altered by what transpires between them. It is always a comfort when, at "The King and I," the question of "Shall We Dance?" is answered by a pair who, we feel in that moment, want nothing more in the whole wide world, the one they only think they understand."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein are such an intrinsic part of our DNA that it is all too easy to take them for granted. So it is especially thrilling to be shaken to the core by a production of “The King and I” like the one that opened Wednesday at the Marriott Theatre — a production that remains absolutely faithful to the original, but somehow, magically, feels so fresh and so modern that it might have been created yesterday."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Under Nick Bowling's direction, the show is simultaneously a repudiation and a vindication of Rodgers and Hammerstein's vision: it draws our attention to the limitations of their Eisenhower-era politics (which come close, at times, to evoking the White Man's Burden) while demonstrating that the American theater has in certain ways absorbed their generous premise and taken it a few steps further. Of course, that's only if you get to thinking about it. With Heidi Kettenring's Anna and some bravura moments onstage, there's no reason you can't ignore the meta-implications and have what R & H tried so hard to give us: an edifying good time. The second-act "Small House of Uncle Thomas Ballet"-a Siamese version of Uncle Tom's Cabin, devised by rebellious Tuptim and performed by the king's household-is handled here with enormous wit and grace."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Heidi Kettenring's Anna is a delight—witty, willful, prim but progressive and utterly winning. Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte's King is a bit stiff in the early going (a feature of the role, perhaps), but I warmed to him as Anna does. He even sells his character's sort of ridiculous, drama-king end (dying of a broken heart, really). Terrifically yearning work by Devin Ilaw and Megan Masako Haley as secret lovers Lun Tha and Tuptim, attractive choreography by Tommy Rapley and a passel of adorable child actors, led by Matthew Uzarraga's precocious Crown Prince Chulalongkorn, help make Marriott's production a Siamese dream."
ShowBizChicago - Recommended
"...Seeing Andrew Ramcharan Guilate’s King is worth the drive out to Lincolnshire and will be the one performance I will remember for a long time. When he is on stage you tend to forget many of the flaws and focus on his outstanding performance and the magnificent score and story penned by the two greatest Broadway writers in American history."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Making a terrific debut at Marriott Theatre, Bowling wisely lets these strongly drawn characters create themselves from universal conflicts. The beguiling ensemble, especially the sweet children, turns history into romance every chance they get. The songs get all the love that every note rewards. (One reservation: Ramsey should not be the only British visitor present to certify the King’s “civilized” credits.) Completing the grand illusions are Nancy Missimi’s storybook costumes, processional and ritualistic choreography by Tommy Rapley, and Ryan T. Nelson’s impeccable musical direction. The title is not enough: The King and I needs you."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...This intimate, colorful, wonderfully sung production is most stage worthy. The children were disciplined, well rehearsed, and cute. The choreography was exquisite. You’ll be entertained and you’ll leave humming the fabulous R & H tunes long after witnessing this terrific production. “Getting to Know You” is still stuck in my head – it makes me smile. The King and I is a fine show to introduce young folks to the magic of musical theatre."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...When Marriott Theatre announced its plans to do the classical “The King and I”, a play that has been a crowd pleaser for generations, many of their subscribers were as delighted as ever. Marriott thrives on their subscribers seeing shows they are familiar with. While they do bring in some newer shoes, it is the old standbys that keep their subscribers coming back. This production of “The King and I is probable the best ever and newcomer (new to the Marriott, but a familiar name in Chicago) Nick Bowling’s direction and use of the small arena stage in wonderful, keeping the movement in Siam as real as if we ourselves had made the trip. It is hard to believe that anyone is unfamiliar with this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on the novel ,”Anna and the King of Siam” (written by Margaret Landon) that tells the story of an English widow who has been hired by the ruthless King of Siam to teach his children and his wives to be more civilized."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Everything about this sublime production deserves a standing ovation. Ryan T. Nelson’s detailed musical direction, as evidenced both by the voices of his 29-member cast and in Michael Duff’s 12-piece orchestra, does this Rodgers & Hammerstein classic proud. Whether it’s a return visit to this lovely, timeless tale of culture shock and romance or a first-time encounter with Anna and her King, the Marriott’s melodic, visually stunning, handsomely executed production of an American classic is both affectionate and visceral. A sweeping bow of gratitude to one of Chicago’s most consistently excellent theatre companies for this celebration of love."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...Much credit goes to the Marriott artistic brain trust for going outside the box to bring in Nick Bowling and Tommy Rapley to burnish the show with their insights. “The King and I” will always be a terrific show, even with a comical king. But Marriott has achieved something special with its revival, and even viewers thoroughly familiar with the show will come away gratified by how much more this production has mined in bonus entertainment values."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...Director Nick Bowling draws fresh nuances from his cast; I was constantly hearing line readings coated in new layers of meaning. Kristen Choi’s operatic mezzo-soprano makes easy work of the gorgeous vocal chore of “Something Wonderful.” Young Michael Semanic as Anna’s son Louis is a pro, never descending into the simpering that is often prevalent in the performances of child-actors; his excellent singing voice is going to mature into a thing of great beauty. Devin Ilaw’s Lun Tha thrills with bubbling passion, and I have never heard this character’s deceptively difficult music delivered with such control and musicality. All of the children are heartbreakingly beautiful, each so different, and yet a well-oiled machine together."
