Kyle, who the theater had billed as “A world-famous fiddler from the United States”, teamed up with Thailand’s masters in theatre, music and dance to create this exciting new work. As the main character, “Phra Lor”, he charmed the audience with his bewitching rendering of the violin in eastern tunes. A ticket holder for the invitation-only opening night show, June 19th, was a member of the Thai Royal Family, Princess Maha Chakri Sinrindhorn. “Opening night was a very formal event, and it was a great honor to perform for her as the star of this Thai production”, Dillingham said. “I also had an official picture taken with her by the palace photographer and she presented me with flowers.” Other notables who attended the premiere were the Minister of Finance, Israel’s Ambassador, the U.S. Ambassador, First Secretary and Cultural Affairs Officer to Thailand.

Thailand’s legendary theatre figure, Patravadi Mejudhon, the founder-artistic director of the internationally-renowned Patravadi Theatre, was the director of the production. When she was on the quest to find the perfect lead role for this major theatrical production, she was looking for an expert violinist who could capture the essence of this passionate northern Thai character. After auditioning Thai violinists for over a year, she almost gave up. When she happened to see one of Dillingham’s performances in Thailand last November, she found her prince. “Kyle is exactly what I had been envisioning for this role, but I couldn’t find anyone in Thailand who could do what he does”, says Patravadi. But because Dillingham does not speak Thai, she had the entire script re-written to accommodate his artistry. Patravadi was also part of the cast which boasted a team of Thailand’s most talented musicians and performers.

“Phra Lor” is a literary gem written more than 500 years ago during the Ayutthaya period. It has shocked people with its elegant writing of a love relationship between one prince, played by Dillingham, and two princesses from the North. It tells a powerful story of war, revenge and passion and exemplifies all aspects of the arts.

Music, songs and dance have been dedicated for this rare literary gem since its creation. In 1916, The Association of Thai Literature officially listed it as “The Best Literature in Thailand”.

The 2009 production of “Phra Lor” adapted the beauty of refined literary language to the contemporary world. The play presented the original story in parallel with its contemporary version, unfolding in colorful renditions of drama, music, dance, installation arts and technology.

The songs for this show are as revered as the literature. But this time, the beloved music of “Phra Lor” was interpreted by Oklahoma’s own, Kyle Dillingham. Along with Anant Narkkong, a renowned Thai composer and ethnomusicologist, Dillingham breathed new life into the well-loved traditional tunes by weaving the beauty of the Asian sounds with a variety of western musical influences.
Manop Meejamrat, winner of “Silapathorn” National Award for Contemporary Performing Artists, was the choreographer.

In addition to rehearsing, Dillingham was busy with other theatre-related projects. The week before the premiere, he was in the recording studio for the production of the CD of music from the show, which includes some of his own compositions. He also interviewed with national and international media outlets, one being Music and Art Magazine, where he graces the cover of the June issue.

His Majesty the King of Thailand gave his support and so did the Embassy of the United States. Along with the support from The Crown Property Bureau, Office of the Basic Education Commission, Office of Contemporary Arts and Culture and The Dhamma Foundation, this charitable production raised funds for the Dhamma Foundation that benefits the development of young Thai artists.

“Phra Lor” raised its curtain June 19th with performances that ran daily (except Monday) through June 28th.

View Kyle's interview with Bangkok's Morning Talk TV (June 15th show starting at 11:50) HERE.

Click HERE to view a performance of Kyle as Phra Lor crossing the Kalong River.