The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by Skye Dunlap Dressed for Success: Judy Sobel makes some last-minute adjustments to the costume of Prince Chu before the SJCMT production of 'The King and I.' Offstage, the Prince is Judy's son, Matt Sobel. Junior stars will come out singing on the opening night of 'The King and I' Five Willow Glen students--some new and some seasoned pros--join the cast By Michelle Ku It's 8 p.m. on a school night, when most kids are glued to the television set. Matt Sobel and his colleagues are not. They are singing, dancing and working on the delivery of their lines in preparation for this weekend's staging of The King and I. "I'd rather have rehearsal than be sitting at home and watching TV," Sobel says. Sobel and five other students from Willow Glen schools are involved in the San Jose Children's Musical Theater's first mainstage production of the season. The King and I opens at 7 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 11, at the Montgomery Theater, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 20. As those familiar with the 1960s Yul Brynner movie may remember, The King and I, based on a 1944 novel by Margaret Landon, is set in Bangkok, the capital of Siam. The story centers around how the King of Siam reconciles his traditional ways with the teachings of the British governess he has secured to teach English--and other Western ideas and philosophies--to the royal family, including his many wives and children. The mainstage productions for SJCMT are generally performed by children between the ages of 14 and 20, but the first production of the season typically includes roles for alumni and younger children, according to Armand Plato, SJCMT's marketing and public relations director. With opening night just days away, Ashley Waters, 10, a fifth-grader at Willow Glen Elementary is excited to be in her first play. She says she would have preferred be one of the royal children or a musician, but she was cast as a priest and townsperson instead. Still, she's enjoying her theatrical premier. "[The roles] are pretty fun," Ashley says. "In one of them, I'm praying to Buddha. It's hard to say a couple of the lines we have." At the age of 12, Sobel is already a veteran of the stage. He says he's been acting his entire life, beginning with plays at the Theatrical Arts Academy and the movies he makes at home. "No matter what, when kids come over, Matt will somehow talk them into making a movie," said Judy Sobel, his mother. About three years ago, Sobel saw a SJCMT play, The Velveteen Rabbit, with his grandparents. One of Matt's friends from school was in the play and encouraged him to try out. Matt's first play with SJCMT was The Sword and the Stone , in which he played the role of a townsperson. He's since been involved in such community theater classics as Once on this Island, Lil Abner, Fiddler on the Roof . He also appeared in Pulse: Rhythm of Life, an original work written in chat rooms for sick and disabled children. With eight SJCMT plays under his belt, Sobel views his role as Prince Chu, the eldest of the King's children, with a seasoned actor's eye. "[The biggest challenge is] acting like you're not American," he says. "I had to learn how to walk, talk and not look American. I have to look Siamese." Ten-year-old Caitlyn Cowan has been involved in three other plays, Once Upon a Santa, Fiddler on the Roof and Cinderella. Caitlyn auditioned to be one of the royal wives, but was cast as a priest, townsperson and slave instead. She's also one of the prop movers. Caitlyn says that of all the roles she's played in SJMCT productions, she enjoyed the role of a townsperson in Fiddler the most. "That role is my favorite," she says. "I got to know the older kids and that was just really fun." To help the actors better understand their roles for The King and I, director Mark Phillips took the cast to visit a Buddhist temple. "Mark is really good," Judy Sobel says. "He teaches the kids more than just the lines." Following The King and I, SJCMT will stage The Wizard of Oz in the junior series, for children ages 8 to 13. A Chorus Line. will be the next mainstage production. Sobel plans on auditioning for The Wizard of Oz. He says he doesn't care what role he gets--as long as it's the Scarecrow, the Tin Man or the Cowardly Lion. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, December 9, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.