Fit for a King

There’s a reason for this which won’t be obvious at the start, but I’ll get to it soon.  However, the background is central.  And it begins a short while ago when, in the May Edstravaganza video I posted of classic Broadway moments on The Ed Sullivan Show, it included John Michael King recreating his performance of “On the Street Where You Live,” which he did in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady, playing the role of ‘Freddie Eynesford-Hill.’

For all the clips in that video of famous numbers and oddities, that particular performance by King really stuck with me, and I’ve gone back to watch it a few times, which really surprised me because, while I like the song, it’s not among my favorites from the musical.  But I remain absolutely bowled over by John Michael King’s performance.  It’s the best I’ve heard – made impressively better by seeing his physicality with the song, not just hearing his voice on the original cast album, which I have for many decades.  It’s such a “nice”, sweet song that’s intentionally a bit goofy because the character is a bit of an upperclass twit and foolishly pining for ‘Eliza Doolittle,’ and so most performances of the song are “nice” and somewhat bland.  But…man, seeing him on video, he just throws himself into it.  All the way through the song with his glowing smile, but most especially at the end.  And I really believe he means every word, rather than just being over-the-top dreamy for someone he met once, briefly.  That (as he sings in the introduction to the song, not heard on the album or in the video) he wasn’t merely taken by Eliza’s feisty shout at the Ascot horse race, “Move your blooming ass!!!” – but that he really fell for her.  Joyfully smiling, enthusiastic as he strolls around.  And when he THROWS his body into the song at the end, it’s just wonderful.  (If you missed it or want to see it again as a reminder, you can find it here.   It starts at the 16:15 mark.  Highly recommended…because it puts into perspective the whole point of the rest here.)

From some research I did, I think this performance on The Ed Sullivan Show came about a year-and-a-half into the musical’s run, so clearly he’d been playing the role for a long time.  And his performance certainly shows the advantage of knowing a part inside-out.

But also, even better, in doing the research I came across something I never knew.  And this is the point of it all.  It turns out that John Michael King’s father is Dennis King!  I had no idea.  And yes, I’m well aware that not only did most people reading this not know that either – but I’m equally sure that they and most people anywhere have no absolutely idea who Dennis King was, since he is pretty obscure today in theater history.  But Dennis King was a major figure in the very early days of Broadway, and most famously he was the original star of The Vagabond King, with music written by the legendary Rudolf Friml in 1925.  (In The Music Man, when ‘Harold Hill’ finally gets a chance to woo ‘Miss Marion’ on the footbridge, he briefly gets called away by his associate, ‘Marcellus,’ and deceitfully explains to ‘Marion’ as his excuse for leaving that he is “expecting a telegram from Rudy Friml.”)  Dennis King was a big star of the era.  And The Vagabond King was an early big hit, playing 511 performances, when a run that long was rare – in fact, it was later made into a movie in 1956.  So, what a treat to find that about John Michael King, who went on a have a very solid career, beyond even just My Fair Lady.  How nice for him – and for his father (who lived until 1971).

As famous as The Vagabond King is, I don’t know the score, except for one song which I think is great fun.  “The Song of the Vagabonds.”  And I actually found a 1926 recording of Dennis King singing it! (Fun Fact:  I first heard the song on a Harry Secombe album of show tunes that I bought on a trip to England when I was a kid.)

I’ve always liked the bombastic, vibrancy of the song, and it’s a such a treat to find the original.  And to find that it’s sung by the father of John Michael King.