Broadway and film star DARREN LEE is playing The King of Siam opposite Helen George as Anna Leonowens in the UK tour of the Tony Award-winning Lincoln Center Theater production of The King and I embarks on its second UK tour early next month.
Following on from its record-breaking season at the London Palladium in 2018 and its first record-breaking, UK and international tour in 2019, Bartlett Sher’s acclaimed Broadway production is visiting Liverpool, Birmingham, Llandudno, High Wycombe, Bristol, Dartford, Bradford, Southend, Cardiff, Hull, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Stoke-On-Trent, Southampton, Belfast and Dublin. Further UK cities and details of a major international tour will be announced soon.
Darren was most recently seen as Jiang in the world premiere of Jason Ma’s Gold Mountain (Utah Shakespeare Festival) and as The King of Siam in the US national tour of The King and I.
Born in Southern CA, Darren began his career in the entertainment industry at the age of 11 on Jr. Star Search. Shortly thereafter he became a series regular on Kid’s Incorporated, a Disney Channel Favorite. Before relocating to New York to pursue a career in theatre, Darren danced with Paula Abdul and Elton John for Diet Coke and appeared on the Annual Academy Awards.
Broadway performing credits include: Chicago, Guys and Dolls, and in the original companies of Allegiance, Shogun the Musical, Miss Saigon, Victor/Victoria with Julie Andrews, Kiss Me, Kate, On the Town, Seussical the Musical, Pacific Overtures and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Other Broadway work includes: associate choreographer on Pacific Overtures. New York City director/choreographer credits include: 24 Hour Musicals (Orchard Project); History of War (NYMF); Heading East starring B.D. Wong (Asia Society); The Report and Bronx Express (Fringe Festival); Hair (Wagner College); Black Tom Island (Art House Productions); Andy Warhol Was Right (NYMF); Hidden Sky, BRAIN. STORM. (Prospect Theatre); Reemergence (On The Quays); An Ideal Husband (Irish Repertory Theatre) and Stephen Sondheim’s 75th Birthday Celebration (New Amsterdam).
Lee can also boast extensive director/choreographer credits including: the world premiere of B.D. Wong and Wayne Barker’s Mr. Holland’s Opus and Victor/Victoria (Ogunquit Playhouse); Miss Saigon (St. Louis MUNY, Paper Mill Playhouse, Music Theatre of Wichita); Smokey Joe’s Café, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jersey Boys (Music Theatre of Wichita); Chicago (Little Theatre on the Square, Riverside Theatre, Vero Beach, Florida); Pacific Overtures (North Shore, Cincinnati Playhouse, Atlanta Alliance); Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Fantasticks, Little Shop of Horrors and Godspell (MUNY); Tis The Season 2017-2018 (South Dakota Symphony); Tableau, Playback, Ever After, Sound Stage and All For Love (Holland America Cruise Line); and Disney Wishes! (Disney Cruise Line).
Film credits include: Razor in Hackers, opposite Angelina Jolie, Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You, Sisters with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, featured dancer in the Best Picture Academy Award winning Chicago alongside Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Darren is currently in development as the director/choreographer for the world premieres of the new musicals, The Tale of the Gifted Prince by Lezlie Wade and Daniel Green and Tiananmen by Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola.
Here Darren continues Musical Theatre Review’s interview series: Five Questions With…
What is it like taking on such an iconic role as The King of Siam in the classic musical The King and I?
It’s an honour to have the opportunity to play this role; I think Yul Byrnner’s performance is absolutely iconic and he left some very big shoes to fill. Growing up as an Asian-American musical theatre performer, I have certainly been aware of The King and I; it’s one of the top five classic musicals, so I grew up knowing there was this role, The King of Siam, and I of course hoped one day my career would provide me the opportunity to inhabit it.
How did you become involved in the tour and what were rehearsals like? Are you looking forward to performing in all the different venues across the UK?
I was a cast member of the US national tour where I had the opportunity to play The King of Siam. For the UK tour, I was fortunate enough to be offered the role. Rehearsals were fantastic. Rehearsals are always one of the most fulfilling parts of the process. Working with my leading lady, Helen George, has been an absolute dream; not only have I been a fan of her work on Call the Midwife, I also enjoyed her performances on Strictly Come Dancing – so the iconic moment in the show when we perform ‘Shall We Dance’, it’s truly thrilling.
This is my first time touring the United Kingdom, and I can’t think of a more exciting way to experience these cities and performance venues as part of such a revered show; I saw much of the United States the same way, and it truly is a wonderful way to see a country.
Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
What do you think it is about The King and I that makes it so popular with audiences and do you think it offers a message that is just as relevant in 2023?
I think it’s undoubtably one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s best scores; I think the book of the show is quite exceptional. The scenes are quite substantial and allow the development of the characters to be very three dimensional, so it’s thrilling to have the opportunity to perform them. I think at its core, the show is about a king who understands his country is on the verge of being swallowed by more powerful, surrounding forces and he has the foresight to bring a British school teacher to his country, not only to teach his children English, but as an acknowledgement that unless he is able to adapt the traditions of his country to better compete in the modern world then his country and people will become irrelevant. And of course, as time passes and the world grows, we still deal with this today.
You have performed in a number of musicals, what do you think makes the genre so special and could you describe some of your career highlights?
Musicals are the ideal medium for immersive storytelling; with acting and singing and dancing, you’re able to take the audience on a journey that is engaging on multiple levels.
A few of my personal career highlights: Being in the Broadway revival of Pacific Overtures and working with Stephen Sondheim. Sharing the stage with Julie Andrews for her return to Broadway in Victor/Victoria. And my long history with the musical, Chicago, performing in it on Broadway, on the national tour, in the Vegas company with Ben Vereen and Chita Rivera, and in the feature film with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere.
You have also focused on your career as a choreographer and director in recent years. What do you find most satisfying about working creatively in these roles?
I enjoy directing and choreographing because I’m afforded the opportunity to take an idea from my head and collaborate with other theatrical artists, designers, actors and musicians to create that interpretation and share my realised version of it with audiences.
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