Meadows School of the Arts Dean José Bowen (second from left) visits back stage with Joe Nemmers ’90, Augustine “Tino” Jalomo ’93, Addison Reed, Robert Patrick Paterno, Chamblee Ferguson ’88, Margaret “Maggie” Soch Hayden and (seated) Luann Aronson ’88.
“Getting to know you” wasn’t a problem for some members of the cast and crew of Lyric Stage’s The King and I. Their paths had crossed before as Meadows School of the Arts students. Stage veteran Joe Nemmers ’90, in his first musical role, played the titular role of the King of Siam. Luann Aronson ’88, who appeared on Broadway as Christine in Phantom of the Opera, co-starred as his foil, the strong-willed English governess, Mrs. Anna Leonowens. Other players with an SMU connection were Chamblee Ferguson ’88 as Sir Ramsey, Augustine “Tino” Jalomo ’93 as a member of the Royal Ballet and former students Addison Reed and Robert Patrick Paterno, also cast in the Royal Ballet. Margaret Soch Hayden ’89 was stage manager for the production. The world premiere of the newly restored Rodgers and Hammerstein classic was presented June 19-28 in Irving, Texas. In the audience for one of the performances was Meadows Dean José Bowen, who visited back stage and gave Meadows T-shirts to the alumni. The lavish production, a collaboration between Lyric Stage and the R&H Organization, which owns the rights to the musical, gained national attention as the first presentation of the restored 1951 score, performed by a 35-piece orchestra as originally written.