The King and I
The 2015 Lincoln Center Theater revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic 1951 romantic drama about the cultural clash between the King of Siam and an English governess in the 1860s starred Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe. Directed by Bartlett Sher, this opulent production includes gorgeous period costumes and a lush rendition of the score which includes such standards as "Hello, You Lovers," "Getting to Know You" and "Something Wonderful."
It is 1862 in Siam when an English widow, Anna Leonowens, arrives with her young son at the Royal Palace in Bangkok, having been summoned by the King to serve as tutor to his many children and wives. The King is largely considered to be a barbarian by those in the West, and he seeks Anna's assistance in changing his image rather than his ways. With both keeping a firm grip on their respective traditions and values, Anna and the King grow to understand and, eventually, respect one another in a truly unique love story. Along with the dazzling score, the incomparable Jerome Robbins ballet The Small House of Uncle Thomas is one of the all-time marvels of the musical stage.
O'Hara gives a measured, beautifully sung performance as the ''I of the storm'', for which she won a Tony Award. This version was re-short during the production's London run in 2018.
- First Pubished: June 29, 1956 (USA)
- Director: Walter Lang
- Author: Margaret Landon, Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
- Awards: Academy Award for Best Actor,...
- Adapted: The King and I, Anna and the King of Siam
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
