Drivas 1

Nick Drivas
Dr. Chicurel- Stein
April 21, 2016
Song Review: A Puzzlement
The King and I opened on Broadway in 1951. This is the second musical the Richard
Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote based on a novel, following South Pacific. The King
and I follows the story a teacher, Anna, who moves from England to teach in Siam in the palace
of the king. Throughout her butting heads with the king, they eventually fall in love. Through
this, the king is opposed by her several times; and having never been opposed before, he is left
extremely puzzled. He expresses his sense of confusion and frustration though the song, A
Puzzlement.
Legendary for his incredible run as the King of Siam, Yul Brennar originated the role on
Broadway and continued to play it throughout the remainder of his career. In this song, he sings
of his confusion in his now shifting life as the king. His voice is bright and has quite a nasal
quality to it. This is likely a choice in creating the correct accent to suite Siam. A patter song in
parts, he maintains a speech quality through a majority of the piece. He has a high velum that is
quite discernible in the opening portions of the song when he sustains certain words. Though, as
the song progresses, it seems Brennar makes the choice that King is about to sing because he
drastically lowers his larynx that gives quite a contrast to the portion of the song that preceded
this portion. Likely unable to do anything but, Brennar straight tones the entire song, using
emphasis, volume change, and shifts in brightness to create contrast and color in the piece; rather
than vibrato and other methods. Regardless, his performance and grasp on the role has made him
a legend in musical theatre.