King and Country

Comments (0) By Benjamin Leatherman Thursday, May 26 2011

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Overconfidence might be a potent partner to have in your arsenal when talking up a hottie, but it’s also brought forth the tragic downfall of many a lad throughout history, be they kings or congressmen.

In Rudyard Kipling’s classic 19th century story The Man Who Would Be King, hubris causes the rise and fall of two rogue British colonial soldiers who hope to conquer the natives of an Asian country using smoke and mirrors -- not to mention plenty of superior firepower (golly, where have we heard that before?). Armed with a crate full of muskets and heads filled with delusions of grandeur, the pair attempts to install themselves as rulers of the fictional land of Kafiristan, only to see their scheme end in defeat and death.

Adapted by Peter J. Hill, the musical version of this historical epic -- which mixes a swashbuckling spirit with songs about brotherhood and adventure -- is being staged in grand fashion by the dramatists of Fountain Hills Community Theater.

Sundays, 2 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. Starts: May 13. Continues through May 29, 2011