PhotosTwelve Hours With Tuptim! We Explore Backstage at Lincoln Center For the First Time in Exclusive, Hilarious Pics From The King and ISpend a two-show day with Ashley Park, who stars as Tuptim in Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony-winning revival of The King and I.
By
Matthew Blank
July 21, 2015
The cast of The King and I
Pulling pranks on Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe, sharing book club and sweets with onstage lover Conrad Ricamora, staying silly with dressing-roomie Ruthie Ann Miles, stealing Bartlett Sher’s glasses, visiting with the royal children, and delivering “Angels” to all of Siam... here is Park's day at work!
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Twelve Hours With Tuptim! We Explore Backstage at Lincoln Center For the First Time in Exclusive, Hilarious Pics From The King and I
Twelve Hours With Tuptim! We Explore Backstage at Lincoln Center For the First Time in Exclusive, Hilarious Pics From The King and I
Spend a two-show day with Ashley Park, who stars as Tuptim in Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony-winning revival of The King and I. As one of Playbill’s Breakout Performances of the season, Ashley delivers heartbreaking fire and tears as Broadway’s newest soprano ingénue onstage… but she sings a whole different tune backstage. Follow her on Twitter.
98 PHOTOS
First thing's first. The all-too-necessary Neti. Because who doesn't start their morning with a sexy sinus rinse? (I'll spare you the action shot). These allergies got NOTHIN on me.
Ashley Park
Girl... put your records on. Two-show days start with T-Swift. Welcome to New York (for lack of a better pun). *Record gifted from Aymee Garcia, my Cinderella tour sister!
Ashley Park
I start every day with Juice Press. Cold-Pressed baby! I always get their hot tea (Ginger extract, Lemon Juice, and organic honey) to boost my immune and digestive systems first thing. Since it's a two-show day, I'll go for the "Gravity" over my usual "Mother Earth" for that extra E-3 Live energy boost!
Ashley Park
And a stop at "The Sensuous Bean"... mmm Maple Toast coffee?? I mean, COME ON!
Ashley Park
On Saturdays, I get to browse through the Lincoln Center Square farmer's market on my way to...
...gym-time! But more importantly: STEAMroom. Steam is my voice's savior on two-show days!
Ashley Park
and while in Columbus Circle... is this real life?! (pinch me)
Ashley Park
The calm before the storm. I feel so lucky everyday to call this my workplace and home!
Ashley Park
Looks like Ken and I are first again! Can't believe it's already his last Saturday in the show!
Ashley Park
I turn around to find Ken absolutely THRILLED and TICKLED by the prank photos some of us gals took on his phone a few days ago while he was onstage... it's about time he discovered them!
Ashley Park
Speaking of kings... lookee here! It's Jose Llana, our new King starting July 14th!
Ashley Park
His highness is here early, gettin his hair did.
Ashley Park
Hair, hair, hairhairhair
Ashley Park
Welcome to Tuptim & Thiang's Dressing Room! I share with my dressing-roomie Ruthie Ann Miles! We had the most fun decorating and designing our room during previews!
Ashley Park
Freshly pressed fabrics. They transport us into our world of Siam.
Ashley Park
1:15... Fight call! Be gentle boys, it's too early to be whipped.
Ashley Park
Birthday celebration at Half-hour! One of our Royal Children, Lynn, is turning 10! Double digits woohoooo
Ashley Park
Baby photos from our King and I baby photo challenge. Participants submitted a baby pic and we all guessed who was who. Guess who got 100% correct: Mzzzz Kelli O'Hara
Ashley Park
Half-hour also means time for Angel Cards! I make my way through all the dressing rooms and hallways so folks can pick their "Angel for the day" from my baggy. It's a fun way to check in with everyone before the show and kickstart energy! Ali, Q, and Autumn got "Simplicity", "Respect", and "Surrender" :)
Ashley Park
Kelli got "Trust" :) Listen to the angel Kelli, you can trust me, I'd never pull pranks on you... or anyone... ever... ;P
Ashley Park
Sumie (our Topsy) and Tyne (our associate director) checking the mailboxes with Lincoln
Ashley Park
Hello gentlemen! Ready for your angels? Graced by the smiles of Paul (our Kralahome), Andrew (who is our Phra Alack for the week) and Alan (who is learning the Phra track before joining our company next week!)
Ashley Park
Ashley Park
Do your BEST (with a little help from Throat Coat). Time for pin curls!
Ashley Park
As I get my pin curls in, some views of my station : Catherine Zuber renderings, my sweet birthday gift from "my first husband" Ken Watanabe.
Ashley Park
This is the gorgeous crown that was cut from my Act 2 costume early in tech & previews. They still let Princess Tuptim keep it in her dressing room though... And on particularly long two-show days, or at the end of a long week, we like to joke that I'll run on with the crown for curtain call...
Ashley Park
...Or sometimes I catch my dresser Del sporting the royal headwear...
Ashley Park
Off to sing "My Lord and Master"... see you onstage Ruthie!
Ashley Park
Cutie Timothy shows off his slinkie as I head up to my first cue!
Ashley Park
Del is my gracious and amazing support every show. Look at that smile! Right now, she's holding my first costume's long train as we make our way upstairs to the Beaumont Lobby!
Ashley Park
Heading into the House! My favorite is when we run into late patrons on our way to my first entrance.
Ashley Park
First scene... check! Thumbs up for Andrew Cheng who is one of our amazing dancers in the show, but is on for this whole week as the role that he understudies, Phra Alack. So we get a moment of fun right now while he's in this track!
Ashley Park
Costume change... check! Now time for a hairstyle change by Miss. John! (I spy mirror kissies from sweet Betsy Morgan!)
Ashley Park
Passing by Yuki (dance captain) and Marc (Sound Supervisor) watching the show on the Monitor at the sound table in the vamp
Ashley Park
Once in a while, I get here early enough to help out with the vamp puzzle. Right now, it's my favorite painting: Van Gogh's "Starry Night"
Ashley Park
Y'all, I got the best view of Kelli's hoop-skirt-tush and audience feet from my entrance spot in the vamp... tehehehe
Ashley Park
A few minutes to kill before the Schoolroom scene, means some reading of Tuptim's prop "Uncle Tom's Cabin" book in Dressing Room 7... spoiler: snowwwwww
Ashley Park
Just finished kissing in the shadows onstage with my Lun Tha (Conrad Ricamora), and so I've got some time to visit with the other royal princesses!
Ashley Park
The gals love a good selfie! These little ladies are such sweethearts! Right now, they run an origami factory.
Ashley Park
The boys have sort of a different vibe. Cool dude, swag.
Ashley Park
One is not like the other...
Ashley Park
.... and you can always count on Andrew Resnick to grab a handful of gummy bears during intermission when he's conducting a show (he's our associate conductor)
Ashley Park
Sometimes I hide under Kelli's station while she's in the bathroom during intermission and wait there until she notices...
Ashley Park
... cause a little scare surprise never hurt anyone on a two-show day tehehehe... Kelli is the best sport!
Ashley Park
Intermission catch-up sesh with Kelli... check! Have a good Act 2!
Ashley Park
MaryAnn Hu getting into her Royal Singing Wives costume for Act 2... notice the ladies have to get into their hoops in the hall because they don't fit in their rooms with them on! Hello to dressers Paul and Liz!
Ashley Park
Time to go downstairs and visit with the boys! Kelvin Moon Loh ices his back in preparation for the ballet while Aaron Albano (assistant dance captain and stellar swing) knits a trendy hat (Fun fact: he knitted me the bag that I carry my pre-show Angel Cards in)
Ashley Park
Paul Miller... Multi-tasker extraordinaire: yogaball exercises, lounging, snuggling, iphone-ing, and being awesome. (Just last year, we were doing MAMMA MIA! on Broadway together!)
Ashley Park
Bennyroyce Royon and Emilio Ramos (who just joined our company a few weeks ago) start the process of applying their makeup for Act 2's "Small House of Uncle Thomas" Ballet.
Ashley Park
Tuptim is touchy with our Simon of Legree (Chris Vo) and Angel George (Kei Tsuruharatani)! Good thing their Ballet costumes cover up their flabby bellies... ya'll should work out. (Fun fact: Chris is actually a class instructor at Equinox. He kicks butt)
Ashley Park
Who's there?? Intermission is over, but not without a visit from Bart Sher! A perk to our director having his office at the Lincoln Center is that he checks in on Siam...
Ashley Park
Smile for Playbill, Bart! Now go away so I can warm up ;P
Ashley Park
Time to grab my ballet scroll! It lives on the tray that was an opening night gift from Del. And next to my white elephant (good luck in Siam) jewelry holder from my mom, and the Anthropologie "Thai Lily" perfume that I wear as Tuptim given to me at our first preview by Paige Faure.
Ashley Park
The entire ballet written out on my small scroll... it was my favorite project during downtime in tech rehearsals!
Ashley Park
Our king fears the power of the scroll! Let's hope he still doesn't have that mask on when I see him onstage!
Ashley Park
Annnndddd then sometimes you stumble on a word while you narrate the ballet... and come back to your dressing room and find that your supportive castmates leave you notes of encouragement...
Ashley Park
Annnnnndddd sometimes Ken Watanabe begs for forgiveness when he rips off your wig in the heat of the beating scene... and you have to do the entirety of said scene in a wig cap with your wig hanging off by the grace of two bobby pins.
Ashley Park
Book club with my other half, Conrad! We've got a list of books including this one. Spoiler: we're both dead at this point in the show... so we get to catch up and eat a "heaven snack" before we rejoin the cast for curtain call!
Ashley Park
Goofs.
Ashley Park
Broadway's Mamma Mia! boys graced our matinee with their presence (Jacob Pinion, Neil Starkenberg, Tony Gonzalez)! Miss these boys and love having friends in the audience.
Ashley Park
Some fresh air on the Lincoln Center Grassy Knoll between shows with the King and I kids!
Ashley Park
Got this hilarious selfie texted to me by Jeffrey Sousa (currently in American in Paris) as he passed through Columbus Circle subway station
Ashley Park
Two-show days = Seamless.com dinner. I'm loyal to Blossom Du Jour's the Karmic Kale wrap with Lemon-Unchicken and EXTRAAA avocado! Grubbing before nap-time.
Ashley Park
7:30 - Half-hour for show #2 already! Meet in the Canteena (our Green Room of sorts) to celebrate our 100th show tonight with cake! Chris, Hsin-Ping, Edward, Paul, Maggie, and Jose approve of the sweets :)
Ashley Park
Our Dance Captain, Yuki Ozeki, strategizes our cut track for tonight's show... she's gonna go on in a male track in the Ballet! She always saves the day.
Ashley Park
Bobby Pestka's first Angel Card: POWWERRR! Bobby just recently left the cast of Aladdin on Broadway to join our company. We're so happy to have him!
Ashley Park
Rommel O'choa's got some serious cupping done!! His Angel for tonight's show is "flexibility"! #DancerLife
Ashley Park
Chris just got an awesome polaroid camera! Chris taking a picture of me taking a picture of him taking a picture of me handing out Angel Cards.
Ashley Park
Polaroid for my station! With Chris and my Angel Card bag (thanks Aaron!)
Ashley Park
It's Saturday night on Broadway ya'll! Flowers left at the stage door from friends at the show tonight! Brightened up my day!
Ashley Park
Ruthie takes on the pile of posters!
Ashley Park
The kids line up in the hall ready for their second "March of the Siamese Children" of the day! I pass them in the hall on my way to...
Ashley Park
...Betsy's room! (Betsy Morgan is Kelli's stand-by for Mrs. Anna). Saturdays are "Swing Saturdays" in Betsy's Room, but with the other swings all in the show tonight, Betsy and Stephanie hold down the fort with crafts and quilting!
Ashley Park
"Emergency! Puffer Fish lost his puff!" Little princesses Adriana and Christie come for some urgent craft pet help!
Ashley Park
Jon Viktor Corpuz knows where to get the best wi-fi! Prince Chulalongkorn is so modern... totally ready to be King!
Ashley Park
I love visiting "Happy Hour" dressing room! Always greeted by snacks, magazines, and smiles from MaryAnn Hu, Sumie Maeda, and LaMae Caparas. Their room is right next to...
Ashley Park
All the love from the shows on Broadway, around NYC, and on tour that wished our show a Happy Opening Night. Such a supportive tradition, I'm so glad we keep them posted... and so is Abe... and Benny (Tuptim gets side-eye from those guards and wives on AND off stage)!
Ashley Park
INTERMISSION. Time to grab my gold necklace from my jewelry tray and change for Act 2! Some special tokens of love at my station: Czech Angel that Conrad brought me from his vaca, Michael Yeargen's set design for "We Kiss in a Shadow," Card from Kelli (we're weird and we like it), a mini Thai Buddha from Beth Glover (my Cinderella mama), and...
Ashley Park
...that's right... a mini 3-D replica of Andy Jones, Audrey Cardwell, and Paige Faure. Their gift to me for Opening Night, so that they "could be there to cheer me on everyday." May favorite part is Audrey and Paige's bevels. And that Paige is punching Andy in the face.
Ashley Park
Extra wig glue for Act 2 because John McNulty (our amazingly sweet hair supervisor) is taking all precautions to prevent a repeat of earlier (refer to pic: 57). Ruthie approves.
Ashley Park
"Western People Funny" and King's Wives Pretty! Sneaking backstage to say hi at the Top of Act 2.
Ashley Park
Act 2 has begun and I have a scene before I enter for "I Have Dreamed"... so I visit two of our principal dancers, Chuan Xie (Eliza) and Michiko Takemasa (Little Eva), as they apply their special Ballet make-up plots!
Ashley Park
Beautiful ladies! See you at the Ballet!
Ashley Park
I've got these dapper gentlemen as Dressing Room neighbors (Edward Baker-Duly and Murphy Guyer)! A quick smolder as they ready themselves for their Act 2 entrances. Fun fact: all three of us have won Dollar Friday!
Ashley Park
Fondant art Cupcakes hand-crafted by our multi-talented hair dresser Genavieve Helene White! She designed one for every member of the cast!
Ashley Park
Some Ballet characters, monks, and Royal guards! How can we eat these, they're so beautiful and intricate!
Ashley Park
Post-"I Have Dreamed" and Pre-"Small House of Uncle Thomas." Del and I have the rhythm of this quick change down like a science. Standing and narrating Tuptim's Ballet for over 15 minutes calls for as much hydration as I can fit in!
Ashley Park
Quick pose with the Tuptim fondant cupcake in the matching outfit before devouring it!
Ashley Park
Always lookin real cute post "captured Tuptim beating" scene. Enough crying for one day! Time to reglue lashes and get look alive for curtain call
Ashley Park
Discovery of the day: Tuptim can't pull off Bart's glasses. And also Bart is blind. Another visit from our director! And Bales Karlin (one of our amazing Stage Managers). It was a long day for all parties.
Ashley Park
Time for our "Heaven Snack". Always necessary to have something sweet after a good cry. Today featuring my absolute favorite: macarons! (From my sweet MAMMA MIA! fellows who came to the matinee)
Ashley Park
Conrad goes for a second macaron. Can't stop won't stop!
Ashley Park
Cheers to our 100th show (and 39 previews beforehand)!! Post-show toast with the KING AND I fam
Ashley Park
One of my best friends from Ann Arbor, MI (where I was raised) came to visit NYC with her mom just to see our show tonight! Hannah is an elementary school teacher in Detroit and she gave us a "gold star" ;)
Ashley Park
Dream come true. View as I head home to...
Ashley Park
... ice battle wounds and grub on late-night sushi with my roomie Dani Spieler. She's a vacation swing at Broadway's Chicago, and tonight she performed as Hunyak for the first time (she's performed all the tracks now!). #GoBlue #GoodNight :)
Ashley Park
Thank you for joining me on a two-show day at my King and I I home at the majestic Vivian Beaumont of Lincoln Center Theater! Come visit us in "Siam" where we've...
Ashley Park
... officially welcomed Broadway's Jose Llana as our new King! Catch him in our show through September 27th!
Jose Llana took the throne of Siam as The King in Lincoln Center Theater's Tony-winning Broadway revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic The King and I starting July 14.
Tony nominee Ken Watanabe, who left to shoot a film in Japan, played his final performance as the King July 12. He was succeeded on July 14 by Jose Llana, who recently completed a run as another singing Southeast Asian potentate, President Ferdinand Marcos, in the Off-Broadway musical Here Lies Love. He joins fellow Here Lies Love alumni Conrad Ricamora and Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles, who play Lun Tha and Lady Thiang, respectively. Llana will play the King for 11 weeks through Sept. 27, followed by Hoon Lee, who begins Sept. 29, immediately upon completion of filming his starring role on the fourth season of the Cinemax series “Banshee."
They will all play opposite 2015 Tony-winning Best Actress in a Musical Kelli O'Hara. Bartlett Sher, who earned a Tony Award for the 2008 Lincoln Center Theater Broadway revival of South Pacific, directed The King and I, which opened April 16 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and won the 2015 Tony Award as Best Revival of a Musical.
The principal cast also includes Ashley Park (Mamma Mia!) as Tuptim, Edward Baker-Duly (Peter and the Starcatcher) as Sir Edward Ramsey, Jon Viktor Corpuz (A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Prince Chulalongkorn, Murphy Guyer (South Pacific) as Captain Orton, Jakes Lucas (Newsies) as Louis, Paul Nakauchi (Chu Chem) as Kralahome and Marc Oka (Anything Goes) as Phra Alack.
The revival has choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific, Newsies) based on the original choreography by Jerome Robbins. The original Robert Russell Bennett orchestrations are also being used with dance and incidental music arranged by Trude Rittmann.
The King and I reunites Sher with his Tony-winning South Pacific creative team, including scenic designer Michael Yeargan, costume designer Catherine Zuber, lighting designer Donald Holder, sound designer Scott Lehrer and musical director Ted Sperling. Casting is by Telsey + Company/Abbie Brady-Dalton, CSA.
O'Hara's history with Lincoln Center Theater includes the Sher-directed productions of The Light in the Piazza and South Pacific. She most recently collaborated with Sher on The Bridges of Madison County. Her stage appearances also include Sweet Smell of Success, The Pajama Game and Nice Work If You Can Get It.
The King and I marked Watanabe's American stage debut. His film work includes "The Last Samurai," "Inception," "Letters from Iwo Jima," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Batman Begins" and "Godzilla." His Japanese theatre credits include Dialogue with Horowitz, Hamlet, Shitayamannen-cho monogatari, The Lion in Winter and The Royal Hunt of the Sun.
The Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical, based on the life of Anna Leonowens as well as Margaret Landon's 1944 novel "Anna and the King of Siam," includes classics such as "Hello Young Lovers," "I Whistle A Happy Tune," "Shall We Dance?" and "Getting To Know You."
According to LCT, "Set in 1860's Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the imperious King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children."
Next year, Carnegie Hall's house band will perform Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony, unfinished works by Schubert, and the final concert of Conductor Bernard Labadie.
