'The King and I' at the Cherokee Community Theatre

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Photos by Mike Leckband

The Cherokee Community Theatre presented its summer musical over the weekends of June 21-23 and June 28-30 at the Cherokee Community Center. This year's production was the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein play "The King and I", directed by Joe Vanatta and Heidi Church and featuring a large cast, including several area youngsters.

The Cherokee Communiuty Theatre production of the musical "The King and I" opened Friday June 21, 2013 at the Cherokee Community Center. Becky Elemond is surrounded by several of the king's children here during a recent rehearsal of the play. Elemond plays Anna, an English governess to the King of Siam...
... English governess Anna Leonowens, played by Becky Elemond, experiences some culture shock when she meets some of the King's wives during the Cherokee Community Theatre's production of the musical "The King and I."...
... Magrey de Vega gives a show - stopping performance as the King of Siam in the Cherokee Community Theatre's production of the musical "The King and I." ...
... Mariah Clyde, who plays one of the many wives of the King of Siam, is pictured doing a dance during one of the classic musical numbers in "The King and I." ...

... The King of Siam hires an English governess to teach his many children and help bring Western culture to his country. Pictured here are Magrey de Vega and Becky Elemond, who play the title roles...
... Lun Tha, played by Blake Halverson, and Tuptim, played by Kristin Gerhardt, meet secretly in the darkness of the palace garden to exchange love vows during the CCT's production of "The King of I."...
... an agent in Singapore has discovered letters to the British describing the King of Siam as a barbarian and suggesting that Siam be made a protectorate. This information upsets Anna to no end. Anna, played by Becky Elemond, discusses this problem with Lady Thiang, played by Amy Sarchet(right).
June 21st was the opening night of the Cherokee Community Theatre production of the musical "The King and I." The musical features a large cast, along with members of the Cherokee Symophony who bring this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic to life. Playing the title role of the King of Siam is Magrey de Vega, left, who is pictured giving his son Prince Chulalongkorn, played by Mason Timmerman, some advice about being a king.
Pictured here are Magrey de Vega as the King of Siam and Becky Elemond as Anna in a musical number from the CCT production of 'The King and I'.
Members of the Royal Court of Siam are pictured here during the introduction of the King to his new English governess. Pictured,left to right, are Kristin Gerhardt, Amy Sarchet, Samantha Hirschman, Mariah Clyde and David LaFleur.
Culture clash - When the King of Siam, played by Magrey de Vaga, hires Anna, the English governess, played by Becky Elemond, to teach his many children, the pair disagree on many topics.
Maria Clyde and Becky Elemond are pictured here during one of the fabulous musical numbers in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King and I." Members of the Cherokee Symphony provided the music for the production.
Anna, played by Becky Elemond, brings her young son Louis, played by Caleb Claycamp, to Siam, when she assumes her new job as governess to the children of the King.
Blake Halverson, who plays Lun Tha in the Cherokee Community Theater's production of the musical "The King and I," is in love with Tuptim, who was a gift to the King of Siam. This story line is one of the many points of drama during the musical.
Louis Leonowens (Caleb Claycamp) and Prince Chulalongkorn (Mason Timmerman) form a uneasy truce when their parents (Anna and the King) have a disagreement.