The brilliant and charming Louise Radecker as Anna and Michael Escober, equally brilliant, as the King of Siam
The "Master" - John Penny in his favourite role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables
Louise Radecker enjoyed playing the ‘very lady-like’ Anna in the Toowoomba Choral Society’s 2008 musical production The King and I. She sang brilliantly.
The King and I is based on Margaret Landou’s book “Anna and the King of Siam”, the true story of a young widow who has been brought to Siam as a teacher around 1860 by the King’s efforts to impart Western culture to the his court. She manages not only to educate the King’s wives and children, but also to help unscramble the confusion of the Western ideas that his wide-ranging reading and curiosity had given him.
“It’s a character I’ve not played before. It’s an English ‘lady’ character, a nice change and challenge from playing a wench,” Louise said. “It’s a really interesting relationship between Anna and the King. They are very close and he needs her but Anna doesn’t realize that until the end.
The just-ended Choral Society performance at the Empire has been a stunning triumph for Toowoomba. This city is a treasure chest of theatrical and musical talent and the scenes involving those very young in the cast, led by the very experienced, were both emotionally touching and without flaw.
The show goes from happy scenes to major drama very quickly. Louise’s favourite song and scene is “Getting to Know You”. “The children are all so beautifully innocent and it is so sweet the wording about getting to know the kids,” she said.
Louise Radecker’s last performance for Toowoomba Choral Society was as Nancy - in the 2006 production of Oliver! She has a Bachelor of Music majoring in Voice, has performed lead roles in the Opera Studio’s productions of The Beggar’s Opera, Carousel and the Children’s Opera Production of The Land of Shush. She has also performed in three Empire Theatre productions – Chicago, Grease and Sweet Charity.
The role of the King was played by Michael Escober and it is his second production with the Toowoomba Choral Society, having played Fyedka in “Fiddler on the Roof” in 2003. He last appeared on stage at the Empire Theatre for its production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”, playing the part of Lefue.
The King and I also featured the talents of award-winning classically trained soprano Cherie McAuley as the Burmese princess Tuptim, and 2008 Toowoomba Eisteddfod champion vocalist Phillip Prendergast as Lun Tha. Well known songs from the musical include Getting to Know You, Whistle a Happy Tune, Shall We Dance, Hello Young, Lovers, I have Dreamed and We Kiss in the Shadow.
The King and I has been sponsored by Heritage Building Society.
The King and I is based on Margaret Landou’s book “Anna and the King of Siam”, the true story of a young widow who has been brought to Siam as a teacher around 1860 by the King’s efforts to impart Western culture to the his court. She manages not only to educate the King’s wives and children, but also to help unscramble the confusion of the Western ideas that his wide-ranging reading and curiosity had given him.
“It’s a character I’ve not played before. It’s an English ‘lady’ character, a nice change and challenge from playing a wench,” Louise said. “It’s a really interesting relationship between Anna and the King. They are very close and he needs her but Anna doesn’t realize that until the end.
The just-ended Choral Society performance at the Empire has been a stunning triumph for Toowoomba. This city is a treasure chest of theatrical and musical talent and the scenes involving those very young in the cast, led by the very experienced, were both emotionally touching and without flaw.
The show goes from happy scenes to major drama very quickly. Louise’s favourite song and scene is “Getting to Know You”. “The children are all so beautifully innocent and it is so sweet the wording about getting to know the kids,” she said.
Louise Radecker’s last performance for Toowoomba Choral Society was as Nancy - in the 2006 production of Oliver! She has a Bachelor of Music majoring in Voice, has performed lead roles in the Opera Studio’s productions of The Beggar’s Opera, Carousel and the Children’s Opera Production of The Land of Shush. She has also performed in three Empire Theatre productions – Chicago, Grease and Sweet Charity.
The role of the King was played by Michael Escober and it is his second production with the Toowoomba Choral Society, having played Fyedka in “Fiddler on the Roof” in 2003. He last appeared on stage at the Empire Theatre for its production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”, playing the part of Lefue.
The King and I also featured the talents of award-winning classically trained soprano Cherie McAuley as the Burmese princess Tuptim, and 2008 Toowoomba Eisteddfod champion vocalist Phillip Prendergast as Lun Tha. Well known songs from the musical include Getting to Know You, Whistle a Happy Tune, Shall We Dance, Hello Young, Lovers, I have Dreamed and We Kiss in the Shadow.
The King and I has been sponsored by Heritage Building Society.
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