‘King and I’ gets the royal treatment

‘King and I’ gets the royal treatment

I saw “The King and I” at the Pantages Theatre last night and then read F. Kathleen Foley’s review the next morning [“‘King and I’ retains stirring power,” Dec. 21]. Her review was spot on and captured the essence of the production very well. I encourage anyone who appreciates Rodgers and Hammerstein as well as those not familiar with them to see this production while it’s here for a few more weeks. A lifelong fan of Rodgers’ music and Hammerstein’s lyrics, I am moved to tears whenever I see and hear their work performed. This cast is uniformly outstanding and successfully conveys the profound truths in the songs. For reasons I don’t completely understand, I am moved by Rodgers and Hammerstein (and others of their generation) in ways that go far beyond anything that has come to the Broadway stage since their time (I have not seen “Hamilton,” and I understand that might change my opinion).

Richard Seligman

Encino

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As a longtime theater fan, I was thrilled to attend “The King and I” recently. Our group — three generations of family — thoroughly enjoyed it. However, when I read the review I was astounded. How can one review a musical without even a mention of the music? Yes, the acting, staging, choreography and lighting were brilliant… but the orchestra brought it all to life and deserves to be recognized. Bravo to this top-notch group of musicians!

Liz Kinnon

Culver City

Netflix’s brand is diversity

Yes, Netflix has become an eclectic sprawl, and I say thumbs up [“Netflix Is Evolving Into ... What, Exactly?,” Dec. 22] The only people who obsess about a network’s “brand” are those who write about television. Meredith Blake, for instance, appears troubled that Netflix “doesn’t even have a slogan.” In the last two weeks, I’ve sped past less worthy Netflix fare and streamed arresting series from Norway, Belgium and Canada, the last of these (“Sensitive Skin”) a work of supple charm, wit and nuance. In other words, the Netflix brand is diversity, whose benefits Meredith for some reason seems to question.

Howard Rosenberg

Agoura Hills

Shakespeare still resonates today

Technology changes from smoke signals to the telegraph to the telephone to texting and on and on. What remains constant, however, in all its contours and inconsistencies, is the human psyche. Great dramatists — with Shakespeare at the top of that list — provide the emotional through-line connecting the effect of times past with the emotion of the hear and now. As Charles McNulty so beautifully articulates [“A Rich Banquet of Productions Honoring Bard,” Dec. 26], well-performed stagings of Shakespeare’s plays “still have the potential to light our way through the ever-murky present.”

Ben Miles

Huntington Beach

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Charles McNulty notes that 2016 was the year of Donald Trump, “who could no doubt hold his own in one of Shakespeare’s ruthless history plays.”

OK, we finally figured out you don’t like Trump. Give it a rest unless it relates to politics.

David Goodwin

Los Angeles

Viola Davis deserves Oscar

Just wanted to say a big thank you for the wonderful interview with Viola Davis [“Act of Courage,” [Dec. 25]. I loved “Fences,” and let’s just hand Viola the Oscar right now.

Nancy Beverly

Sherman Oaks

First lady gives ‘low’ farewell

Regarding “A political force in or out of office” [Dec. 21]: Whether the Oprah Winfrey interview of Michelle Obama was shown live or taped previously, Obama’s offensive statement, “Now we’re feeling what not having hope feels like,” does not “speak more broadly to the tense geopolitical climate, heightened by fresh terrors Monday in Berlin and Ankara, Turkey” as Meredith Blake suggests in her attempts to soften the insulting statement. Foremost, it most definitely was, as Blake also said, “a critique of Trump.” It is entirely possible that Obama has also forgotten her previous mantra — “When they go low, we go high.” She went “low,” as does this and many major city newspapers who report with such bias.

Jan Wader

Pasadena

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As disingenuously laughable as Meredith Blake’s attempt to spin the comment is, Michelle Obama’s comment about “not having hope” is the Obama family conceit that whether America has “hope” is all about them and tragically vanished when Hillary Clinton did not win a third Obama term.

Kip Dellinger

Santa Monica