Interview: DC Native Jose Llana of THE KING & I at The Kennedy Center

In the Summer of 2009, while I was helping to organize about 25 buses to take folks from NYC to The National Equality March in Washington D.C., I found myself at a phone bank sitting next to Jose Llana. We were making calls, I think for a NY State Assembly vote on marriage equality. I'd met Jose previously, when he and Julia Murney performed "Endless Love" in one of my Broadway Loves the 80s concerts at Joe's Pub. So I was utterly aware of his brilliance onstage. What I was struck by at this phone bank though, was his passion for politics and activism.

Now, 8 years later, marriage equality is the law of the land and the fights for equality continue. Jose stays engaged and finds himself back in his hometown of DC, this time as a King. I had a chance to chat with Jose about his activism and his return to the show that first brought him to Broadway 20 years ago.

JM: What's it like playing such an iconic role and what do you bring to it to make it your own?

JL: It's incredible. The show has a lot of sentimental value to me since it was the show I made my Broadway debut with 20 years ago. I worked with Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy. Lou was the first person to tackle the role after Yul Brynner. So, I think the way I approach the role and [director Bartlett Sher] does is that I approach it like a new show. And Bart went back to the original script and wanted to bring back a lot of the political overtones that have been edited out over time. He's a bit of a political junkie like I am - I grew up in DC, too. I'm a bit of a younger king than others have been, so I approach him as a young leader trying to figure things out. It feels really healthy. I think especially in this time right now, it's important for audiences to see a young leader who's trying to figure things out and rather than build walls, he's extending hands of friendship. I'm excited to see how that plays out in DC, especially with all that's happening in the world.

JM: What kind of insight do you have on this role, that you maybe gained over the past 20 years since first doing this show?

JL: Wow! My two experiences with the show could not be more different. When I was cast in it 20 years ago, I was literally a child. When I auditioned I was a freshman in college, 18 years old. I was so naive - just a ball of impatience and eagerness. I like to think I was a ball of raw talent that they helped to shape. And a lot of who I was, this impatient, eager 18 year old was what they wanted in Lun Tha. I hope I still have a little bit of that 20 years later, but I hope - to be the King now, I've had to hone a lot of different skills and bring some maturity I didn't have back then. Before I only saw my part, I only saw Lun Tha, I only cared about Lun Tha, which is how you have to approach things as a young actor. But now, I approach the show as more of a leader, the King has to see everything that's happening. Theatre has to be approached with the knowledge of the world the story is being told in. The fact we were rehearsing the last month before the election, and premiering it in San Francisco the week after the election, I can't help but acknowledge what it means to be leading a predominantly brown company going around the country right now. It's significant and it gave us a new purpose in touring the show. About friendship and about different countries getting long. It makes THE KING & I all that much more relevant.

JM: While THE KING & I is a classic, it's so relevant today. What do you think the lessons are we can take away from the show.

JL: We went to 3 very liberal cities to start the tour, San Francisco, LA, and Seattle. And during those 3 months, obviously the news was happening, Trump was happening, and Bart very much wanted to acknowledge the fact that these two very progressive writers back in 1951 wrote 3 very strong feminist roles. He's strengthened their characters and acknowledged that the King's power comes from all three of these women. Anna is strong and very ahead of her time. Lady Thiang is strong, but in a quieter way. She's Hillary Clinton. She's a formidable force, maybe not on the surface, but she holds that power. And then you have Tuptim who ruffles everything up in a very feminist way.

There are two lines in the show that have gotten applause in many cities - The King says "One day I wish to build fence around Siam". It stopped the show in some cities with a laugh. And at one point, Anna says right before "Hello Young Lovers" she says "Do you think women are more lowly than men? Well I don't, I think women are just as good as men, just as important, just as intelligent." and it just gets huge applause I don't know it would get if we weren't in this political climate.

I see a leader trying to protect his country and he chooses to bring in a foreigner to help teach his kids. And I can't see anything more important to a person than the education of their children. I love it when people leave the show and they ask their kids "What was the show about" and the kid says "It's about these people from different countries who hate each other, but through respect of their own countries and one another, they become friends." Seeing people who have nothing in the world in common, they realize their love for their children is their core. In my eyes, the show is just as much about these three strong women as it is about the King.

JM: How do you approach the "white savior" element of the show?

JL: I acknowledge the show was written in and about a different time period. The King is not trying to save himself thinking "I'm going to bring in this white woman to save me." He knew they were going to invade. That's what happened. White people invaded everywhere. So he realized he needed to find someone to teach his children English. Historically speaking King Mongkut was a scholar, he needed to do something quickly. In essence, I think she was not the only person invited into the country. He was very ahead of his time to bring foreigners and foreign thought, and because he did that, Siam was the only country not colonized during that period.

JM: Historically, The King is so frequently played by non-Asian actors. The casting of this particular production seems very intentional about inclusivity. Are you seeing a change in how race in general, is considered in casting?

JL: Very much so. Especially with shows like THE KING & I and MISS SAIGON. I've been working in New York exactly 21 years now. And thank God that in the last ten years, Asian American actors are finally not being quiet about it. 25 years ago, with the MISS SAIGON casting controversy, thank God we had people like David Henry Hwang and BD Wong to speak up and say "This isn't right!" And thinking of the four kings who went through our Broadway company - Ken Watanabe, Myself, Hoon Lee, and Daniel Dae Kim, and the people who say "Oh, we can't find any Asian American men", who would believe that?

When the show was written in 1951, there weren't a lot of Asian American men who'd risen to enough prominence in their careers. They didn't look for them as much. But now we're talking about America in 2017. So, immigration from Asian countries has been happening for over a hundred years now. And many of us have grown up in this diversity and we can say there's a stronger casting pool now.

There's this stereotype of Asian Americans as the thoughtful, perfect immigrants where we just sort of nod our head and put up with racism. I've been guilty of it at times, but for the most part I'm not quiet - you need look no further than my social media presence. I tend to speak up when I think something is wrong. And I think that's changed too. We're more American than a lot of our parents are. Just look at the film industry, with Asian Americans still fighting for representation. And in theatre, it's better than TV and film. Going non-traditional in TV is much rarer than it is in theatre. But it's changing. And not only are Asian American actors coming into their own, but Asian American writers and directors are too. And our allies as well - my best friend is a screenwriter in LA - he's a white Jewish guy, and when he writes, he doesn't see Asian Americans as just "the other", he sees them as part of his life.

It's not unlike with LGBT folks, when you grow up around us and we're part of your life, you feel differently. A lot of Americans didn't grow up knowing any Asian Americans. It's changing - it can change faster, but I'm very proud to tour this country as an Asian American actor playing an Asian role. Lou was the first Asian American to play the King on Broadway, and I'm the first to play the King on a national tour.

JM: Have you notice an increase and focus on activism within the Broadway community?

JL: I happen to be friends with Gavin Creel and Rory O'Malley from non-activism angles. I was good friends with both of them when they founded Broadway Impact and it was such a natural fit. They called and asked me to be a part of it. We have to acknowledge that in our theatre community, there's a disproportionately large population of gay men. And with the AIDS crisis, it became more apparent. And now with marriage equality, and the advent of social media, it created an opportunity. Theatre actors like Rory & Gavin had the opportunity to reach out to large swaths of people who could affect some change. It's how marriage equality happened so much faster than folks thought it would - it's powerful.

And then there's Audra McDonald - having a straight ally like her, who is so completely out there, is just so incredible. Being in this business for 20+ years - the acting profession at it's core can be selfish - "look at me - look at me" But being a part of Broadway Cares and Broadway impact allows me to say I work in this profession that can be silly at times - but because of it, I have a lot of people who I don't even know, follow me on social media. I can then use this opportunity to raise awareness about important things - like politics, world hunger, Syria. And it's an opportunity that my profession is providing me.

Doing the national tour and playing the house where I saw my first Broadway show. I always think about that chubby little kid coming to see shows when I was 10 years old. And now, in 2017 - any one of those chubby kids can follow me on social media, and it can gear them towards being more aware of the world. I have to acknowledge that's a power young people give to entertainers. And I hope to be a positive influence when I can be. I'm really proud that I get to be that person.

JM: Also, what I wouldn't give to have been able to see that some actor I saw in a show and whom I admired, was out and gay and living a happy successful life...

JL: SO much! I had a sit-down with my producers when I first got cast and made it clear that I wasn't closeted and had a strong social media presence and I wasn't shy about it. And they were very cool about it. I think it's so important because visibility is the only way progress is made for minority groups. I mean, if when I saw Les Miz when I was a little kid and found out that Marius was gay, it would've changed my life.

JM: Anything else you'd like to add?

JL: This part of the tour is the most important to me. It's what attracted me to the tour. bart came to me very early saying they thought they wanted me to do this. He said "You're from DC, aren't you?" I said yes and he told me we were going to the Kennedy Center for 5 weeks - I almost said yes on the spot! So now, coming home, staying with my parents - for the last 7 months, I've been fielding emails - my 20th high school reunion was a few years ago and all my friends have reconnected on Facebook - and they're coming to almost every performance - and not just friends from high school, but my middle school and elementary as well. People I haven't seen since I was 8 years old. It's going to be overwhelming and exhausting, but I'm just so excited to come home and reconnect. It's kind of profound. THE KING & I changed my life 20 years ago - when I was cast, the last production I did was on my high school stage. And now I get to come back and perform for these folks who are all now married and have two or three kids each. I can't wait.

THE KING & I plays July 18-August 20 at The Opera House at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Visit Kennedy-Center.org for tickets or more information. Also be sure to follow @thejosellana on Twitter.

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