Peggy Hickey’s choreography of “The Small House of Uncle Thomas” cunningly combines the poses and movement of Thai classical dance drama with the balletic style of the influential ballet master Marius Petipa the excellent solo dancing of Lisa Gillespie’s Eliza is more than reminiscent of Clara in Petipa’s choreography for “The Nutcracker.” Lee Blakeley shepherds heartwarming performances from his large cast and conductor David Chase transforms his orchestra into a necessary character to the pulling of heartstrings. This “The King and I” employs the sort of voices that approach the color and control, if not the size, that one might hope for in an operatic venue, while maintaining the clarity of characterization upon which a Broadway production relies. Lyric Opera of Chicago has found a formula that comes closer to a successful collaboration between the resources of a major opera company and the magic of musical theater. Kate Baldwin and Paolo Montalban/Photo: Todd Rosenberg

The king and i lyric opera chicago