Further information: List of awards and nominations for The King and I Lawrence as Anna and Brynner as the King from "Shall We Dance?", 1951 Capua, Michelangelo. Yul Brynner: A Biography, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. Inc., 2006; ISBN 978-0-7864-2461-0. Oscar 2, Konge". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016 . Retrieved 1 September 2016. In 1867, Leonowens took a six-month leave of absence to visit her daughter Avis in England, intending to deposit Louis at a school in Ireland and return to Siam with Avis. [5] However, due to unexpected delays and opportunities for further travel, Leonowens was still abroad in late 1868, when Mongkut fell ill and died. Leonowens did not return to Siam, although she continued to correspond with her former pupil, the new king Chulalongkorn. [6] [7] Creation [ edit ] Holtzmann initially wanted Cole Porter to write the score, but he declined. She was going to approach Noël Coward next, but happened to meet Dorothy Hammerstein (Oscar's wife) in Manhattan. Holtzmann told Dorothy Hammerstein that she wanted Rodgers and Hammerstein to create a show for Lawrence, and asked her to see that her husband read a book that Holtzmann would send over. In fact, both Dorothy Rodgers and Dorothy Hammerstein had read the novel in 1944 and had urged their husbands to consider it as a possible subject for a musical. [8] Dorothy Hammerstein had known Gertrude Lawrence since 1925, when they had both appeared in André Charlot's London Revue of 1924 on Broadway and on tour in North America. [12] Rodgers (left) and Hammerstein

a b c d e f Grossberg, Michael. "British director lends authenticity to The King and I", The Columbus Dispatch ( Columbus, Ohio), February 1, 1998. Retrieved February 20, 2011 The Music Theatre of Lincoln Center, with Rodgers as producer, presented the musical in mid-1964 at the New York State Theater, starring Risë Stevens and Darren McGavin, with Michael Kermoyan as the Kralahome. Lun Tha, Tuptim and Thiang were played by Frank Porretta, Lee Venora and Patricia Neway. [86] Costumes were by Irene Sharaff, the designer for the original productions and the film adaptation. [87] The director was Edward Greenberg, with the Robbins choreography again reproduced by Yuriko. [86] This was Music Theatre's debut production, a five-week limited engagement. [88] Taking pride of place in London’s West End since 1997, The Lion King has been delighting audiences for the past three decades. The multi-award-winning musical has redefined family theatre, elevating the genre through its ingenious use of puppetry and jaw-dropping special effects. When theatregoers step into the Lyceum Theatre they are immediately transported into the heart of the Pride Lands. Will you be joining them for an unforgettable trip? When Brynner opened in the original production in 1951, he was the newcomer and Gertrude Lawrence the established star. Now, 33 years and 4,300 performances later, he is the king of the mountain as well as the show... The genius of his performance – and it must be some sort of genius to maintain a character this long – is its simplicity. There is not a superfluous expression nor a vague gesture. And if at times, the arms on hips posture, the shining dome and fierce expression remind one of Mr. Clean, it should be remembered that Brynner was there first. [105] Hischak, Thomas S. The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007. ISBN 978-0-313-34140-3.International Foundations Navigation link in category Study. Press escape key to return to main menu Marie of Hesse-Kassel (born 6 September 1804), daughter of William II, Elector of Hesse and Augusta of Prussia (ultimately she married Bernard II of Saxe-Meiningen) The Renshaw production was revived again in April 2014 by Opera Australia for performances in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, directed by Renshaw and featuring Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes. [146] Some critics questioned anew the portrayal of the Siamese court as barbaric and asked why a show where "the laughs come from the Thai people mis-understanding British ... culture" should be selected for revival. [147] The original London production opened on October 8, 1953, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and was warmly received by both audiences and critics; [71] it ran for 946 performances. [72] The show was restaged by Jerome Whyte. [57] The cast featured Valerie Hobson, in her last role, as Anna; [73] Herbert Lom as the King; and Muriel Smith as Lady Thiang. [72] Martin Benson played the Kralahome, [57] a role he reprised in the film. [72] Eve Lister was a replacement for Hobson, and George Pastell replaced Lom during the long run. [57] The New York Times theatre columnist Brooks Atkinson saw the production with Lister and Pastell, and thought the cast commonplace, except for Smith, whom he praised both for her acting and her voice. Atkinson commented, " The King and I is a beautifully written musical drama on a high plane of human thinking. It can survive in a mediocre performance." [74]

The pair had to overcome the challenge of how to represent Thai speech and music. Rodgers, who had experimented with Asian music in his short-lived 1928 musical with Lorenz Hart titled Chee-chee, [22] did not wish to use actual Thai music, which American audiences might not find accessible. Instead, he gave his music an exotic flavor, using open fifths and chords in unusual keys, in ways pleasant to Western ears. [23] [24] Hammerstein faced the problem of how to represent Thai speech; he and Rodgers chose to convey it by musical sounds, made by the orchestra. For the King's style of speech, Hammerstein developed an abrupt, emphatic way of talking, which was mostly free of articles, as are many East Asian languages. The forceful style reflected the King's personality and was maintained even when he sang, especially in his one solo, "A Puzzlement". [24] Many of the King's lines, including his first utterance, "Who? Who? Who?", and much of the initial scene between him and Anna, are drawn from Landon's version. Nevertheless, the King is presented more sympathetically in the musical than in the novel or the 1946 film, as the musical omits the torture and burning at the stake of Lady Tuptim and her partner. [25] Crowned by a white dome covered with hand-painted leaves, the Baptist Bar might not play the part of a chapel anymore, but its dramatic looks are still capable of inspiring reverence. During the day, look heavenward and you’ll see a white halo of daylight flooding through the windows at the top of the dome. Beneath your feet, wooden parquet forms a star that radiates across the room. Most arresting is the bar itself, clad in gold-toned panels that glint like shards in sunlight. It’s a setting that was practically made for champagne, which is served in the hotel’s custom-made coupes. If that’s not your poison, the barmen are on hand to concoct something more in line with your heart’s desires. Zolotow, Sam (April 17, 1950). "Lawrence accepts lead in musical". The New York Times. p.19 (Amusements section) . Retrieved January 11, 2011. (subscription required)Landon v. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., 384 F. Supp. 450 (S.D.N.Y. 1974), in Donald E. Biederman, Edward P. Pierson, Martin E. Silfen, Janna Glasser, Law and Business of the Entertainment Industries, 5th edition, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood, 2006, pp. 349–56 Howe, Marvine. "Irene Sharaff, Designer, 83, Dies; Costumes Won Tony and Oscars", The New York Times, August 17, 1993. Retrieved February 24, 2011 The Lion King The Musical features over 232 puppets and 50 actors, as well as the beloved songs of the film. The multiple Olivier award-winning musical will transport you to the dazzling desert and will have you singing ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’ all the way home. Why It’s Worth The Watch Hammerstein found his "door in" to the play in Landon's account of a slave in Siam writing about Abraham Lincoln. This would eventually become the narrated dance, " The Small House of Uncle Thomas". Since a frank expression of romantic feelings between the King and Anna would be inappropriate in view of both parties' upbringing and prevailing social mores, [18] Hammerstein wrote love scenes for a secondary couple, Tuptim, a junior wife of the King, and Lun Tha, a scholar. In the Landon work, the relationship is between Tuptim and a priest, and is not romantic. The musical's most radical change from the novel was to have the King die at the end of the musical. [19] Also, since Lawrence was not primarily a singer, the secondary couple gave Rodgers a chance to write his usual "soaring" romantic melodies. [20] In an interview for The New York Times, Hammerstein indicated that he wrote the first scene before leaving for London and the West End production of Carousel in mid-1950; he wrote a second scene while there. [21] The King and I is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel Anna and the King of Siam (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. The musical's plot relates the experiences of Anna, a British schoolteacher who is hired as part of the King's drive to modernize his country. The relationship between the King and Anna is marked by conflict through much of the piece, as well as by a love to which neither can admit. The musical premiered on March 29, 1951, at Broadway's St. James Theatre. It ran for nearly three years, making it the fourth-longest-running Broadway musical in history at the time, and has had many tours and revivals.

Carballo, Bibsy M. "Life on the London stage after Miss Saigon", Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 14, 2000, p. C5. Retrieved February 18, 2010 a b "Yul Brynner never gets tired of King and I role", The Leader-Post, March 15, 1979, p. 18. Retrieved February 18, 2011 Chang, Lia. "Jose Llana and Hoon Lee to play King of Siam in Tony Award-winning The King and I", AsAmNews, June 19, 2015 King's Health Partners Navigation link in category Research & Innovation. Press escape key to return to main menu Ruhlmann, William. " The King and I (1992 Studio Cast) – Review by William Ruhlmann", Allmusic.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023Allegro hasn’t been seen in the West End before, but it made history for the writer-composer duo as a large cast resembled a traditional Greek chorus on stage. Following a man who is trying to deal with the problems thrown up in a modern, fast-paced world, Allegro was considered to be too serious and caught up within itself. South Pacific (1949) As final preparations for the play are made, Tuptim steals a moment to meet with Lun Tha. He tells her he has an escape plan, and she should be ready to leave after the performance ("I Have Dreamed"). Anna encounters them, and they confide in her ("Hello, Young Lovers", reprise). The play (" Small House of Uncle Thomas", narrated ballet) is presented in a Siamese ballet-inspired dance. Tuptim is the narrator, and she tells her audience of the evil King Simon of Legree and his pursuit of the runaway slave Eliza. Eliza is saved by Buddha, who miraculously freezes a river and conceals her in snow. Buddha then causes the river to melt, drowning King Simon and his hunting party. The anti-slavery message is blunt. The King and I opened on Broadway on March 29, 1951, with a wide expectation of a hit by the press and public. Both Hammerstein and Rodgers professed to be worried. The composer complained that most people were not concerned about whether the show was good, but whether it was better than South Pacific. Even the weather cooperated: heavy rain in New York stopped in time to allow the mostly wealthy or connected opening night audience to arrive dry at the St. James Theatre. [52] Margaret Landon, author of the book on which the musical was based, was not invited to opening night. [53] Mordden, Ethan. Rodgers & Hammerstein. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992. ISBN 978-0-8109-1567-1.