New Seats to THE KING AND I at QPAC On Sale 10 Feb

Lovers of musical theatre should get in quickly as new seats go on sale for the Brisbane season of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Broadway musical The King and I from Monday 10 February at 9.00am.

Starring Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes, the Tony Award-winning Australian production, which is being revived next year by John Frost and Opera Australia, will open as an Australian Premiere at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from 13 April 2014.

Much-loved Australian actress and four-time Gold Logie winner Lisa McCune plays English governess Anna Leonowens, while internationally acclaimed opera singer Teddy Tahu Rhodes takes on his second musical theatre role as the King of Siam.

John Adam plays Sir Edward Ramsay, and Chinese-born Australian opera singer Shu-Cheen Yu plays Lady Thiang, the King's chief wife, returning to the production 23 years after playing the young Burmese slave girl Tuptim in 1991. The King and I also Adrian Li Donni as Lun Tha and Jenny Liu as Tuptim.

The King and I was Rodgers and Hammerstein's fifth musical together and is considered one of the jewels in their crown. It was based on Margaret Landon's 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, which took its inspiration from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, a British governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam (now Thailand) in the early 1860s.

The beautiful score includes the songs "I Whistle a Happy Tune", "Getting to Know You", "Shall We Dance?" and "Hello, Young Lovers".

A hit on Broadway in 1951, where it starred Gertrude Lawrence (who died during the season) and Yul Brynner, the show ran for three years before touring. The first London production opened in 1953, enjoying similar success. In 1956 it became a famous film starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner who won an Academy Award for his performance

John Frost's now legendary Australian production premiered at the Adelaide Festival Theatre in 1991. Directed by West End director Christopher Renshaw and starring Hayley Mills as Anna, it played to sell out houses around the country. In 1996, the production went on to win four Tony Awards on Broadway: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical (Donna Murphy), Best Scenic Design (Brian Thomson) and Best Costume Design (Roger Kirk). The Broadway season was followed by a US tour. In 2000, the production opened at the London Palladium with Elaine Paige as Anna where it played for nearly two years before embarking on a UK tour.

Christopher Renshaw will return to Australia next year to revive the production, with its stunning Thai-inspired set design by Brian Thomson, sumptuous costumes by Roger Kirk, lighting by Nigel Levings and sound design by Michael Waters. Susan Kikuchi will recreate the original Jerome Robbins choreography as well as the choreography of her mother Yuriko who appeared in the 1951 Broadway production and the 1956 film.

New seats are on sale for the Brisbane season from 9.00am Monday 10 February 2014. To book go to www.qpac.com.au or phone 136-246.

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