<p>S2 has his first paying job - playing 2nd trumpet in a “pit band” for a musical - The King and I. He has been very excited about this since he was hired about 6 weeks ago. Saturday was his first rehearsal. He told me that he hated the musical (although he loved playing the music with the rest of the band, most of them are professionals). He thought it was very racist. I’ve never seen it - any thoughts on this?</p>
<p>I was in it in high school. I can see how he would think it was racist; there are some very unflattering Asian stereotypes and a kind of “white savior” role in the female lead. I think it’s a good story but like I said, I can see how he would think that.</p>
<p>It’s a musical, for heavens sake. Most have plots that are odd. If he didn’t like this, I wonder what he would think of Little Shop of Horrors…where a plant eats the cast one by one.</p>
<p>It is racial. I can see how some may view it as “so racist”, but I do not view it as such.</p>
<p>I love the King and I along with the spin offs.</p>
<p>He might find it helpful to read the book that the musical is based on. </p>
<p>It is one play cited by many scholars and critics for not only for unflattering Asian stereotypes, but also for European-dominated colonialist themes/tropes. </p>
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<p>That wouldn’t have been an issue as the plant only cares about eating human flesh…not what kind of human. </p>
<p>Plus, some of the humans the plant eats is done heroically in one notable case. </p>
<p>The real crime would have been if that had gotten Rex Harrison to play the king instead of Yul Brynner.</p>
<p>He should read up on King Mongkut and the Crown Prince Chulalongkorn. I saw the musical years ago when I was in high school which led me to reading the book about Anna Leonowens and then that led to me learning more about the royal family and Siam (now Thailand). The memoirs were written in the 1860’s, the book was written in the forties, and the film came out in the 50’s, so yes, our attitudes have changed over those years. I still enjoy the musical and hope he can find some redeeming value in it.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son. I would suggest that he not overthink this. The musical opened 63 years ago, when the world was decades away from any notion of political correctness. It’s a musical and in no way strives for historical accuracy.If he wants to learn more, he should read Anna Leonowen’s memoirs, and/or Anna and the King of Siam.</p>
<p>Thanks, all, for the information. Great idea about reading up on the background, bookreader, Onward and skieurope. He loves history. When he made the comment, I told him that plays/musicals/books written a long time ago reflected the attitudes of the (less enlightened times), but not having seen the musical or movie I wasn’t sure what exactly the problems were (although I could imagine).</p>
<p>skieurope, this job is having a big impact on him. He is very excited about earning money doing something other than dog-walking. I am finding it very amusing, as he will only be paid about $100 for 4 performances and about 4 very, very long rehearsals. In addition, the theater is a 45-minute drive for us, so I am spending an equivalent amount of time (although I use some of the time to work in Starbucks), and I don’t even want to do the calculation of gas costs. Most of the pit band are professionals, but they save some money by hiring kids for the easier parts. The 2nd trumpet part is very, very easy. My son is thrilled at the chance to play next to professionals and the fact that someone is actually willing to pay him for his skills has boosted his confidence.</p>
<p>I think it’s possible to produce this musical with an awareness of the attitudes of both the time in which it’s set and the time in which it was written. That can bring a depth and richness to the production to offset the cultural biases of the past. (And our own time has its own cultural biases that future generations will struggle to deal with.)</p>
<p>The King and I has a gorgeous score, a fascinating story, some great moments (Shall We Dance!), and two very human central characters. Although I understand your son’s feelings, NYMomof2, I hope he’ll see beyond the limitations of the piece. Every work of art has its limitations.</p>
<p>Could be worse - could be “Showboat” (whose music I love, by the way…)</p>
<p>Thanks, frazzled1. He hasn’t quite grown out of the black-and-white thinking stage. </p>
<p>scout59, I couldn’t agree more about the Showboat music. I guess this is a good time to come to terms with these issues, before he gets a job playing for that show!</p>
<p>The Thai kids I’ve known think it’s racist. But there are degrees of racism. This is a form of paternalism or imperialism in which the white people are somehow more in control. A worse form is “kill x” or “x is evil”. </p>
<p>As an opera lover, I have to put up with racism in nearly every work just to hear the music. Arab society is portrayed as lascivious. Japanese as absurd - just think about The Mikado. And don’t get me started on Wagner: the hideous racial theories he elaborates in his writings come out all over his operas, from portraying the “outsider” as the evil manipulator (even in Die Meistersinger) to worse. </p>
<p>Not many had the moral sense of Beethoven - see Fidelio - or Mozart / Da Ponte.</p>
<p>I don’t think Rodgers and Hammerstein were racist in the least. Remember the song from “South Pacific” about racism? “You’ve got to be carefully taught”. Nelly Forbush overcomes her bigotry against the fact that Emile had a mixed race marriage. And I also disagree about “Showboat”. That musical was one of the first to directly address racism, against a mixed race couple. “Old Man River” is a testament to the hard lives of the blacks along the river and is incredibly, indelibly moving. </p>
<p>In “The King and I”, is about a clash of cultures, the bad and good of Siamese court life at the time. The women at the Siamese court see themselves much like the slaves in the Uncle Tom’s Cabin play they perform in the musical, and they were. The young girl, Tuptim, from Burma (?) is kept against her will, kept away from her lover. Anna refuses to be treated as a second class person like the king’s concubines. </p>
<p>Have your son look at this musical with fresh eyes. </p>
<p>Thank you so much for the insights, Lergnom and TatinG. I don’t know much about musical theater so this is very helpful and interesting. I’ll be able to have some interesting talks with my son.</p>
<p>I played Anna in our high school musical. I played her as a feminist ahead of her time, standing up to a male chauvenist king.</p>
<p>And I played Tuptim! The renegade!</p>
<p>There are plenty of musicals with plots that aren’t comfortable. Miss Saigon, for example. How about Porgy and Bess? West Side Story. </p>
<p>Lots of controversial “stuff” in lots of these shows.</p>
<p>Carousel either glorifies or downplays or accepts domestic violence. I was horrified watching this a few years ago. </p>