Tony winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) directs this classic tale of a British schoolteacher's unexpected relationship with the imperious King of Siam.
Five-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O'Hara (The Light in the Piazza, South Pacific) and Academy Award nominee Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai, Inception) star in a magnificent new Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved THE KING AND I.
Featuring a cast of more than 50, choreography based on the original by Jerome Robbins, and a score of treasured songs including "Getting to Know You," "I Whistle a Happy Tune" and "Shall We Dance?" in their glorious, original orchestrations, Lincoln Center Theater's new staging of THE KING AND I invites you to get to know this inspiring and enchanting musical classic.
I doubt I'll see a better production of 'The King and I' in my lifetime. Mr. Watanabe gets out from Brynner's long shadow by giving a performance that is gleefully playful, regally commanding and wholly his own...Kelli O'Hara leaves nothing whatsoever to be desired as Anna. Firm but not priggish, touching but never sentimental, she stands up to Mr. Watanabe like a redwood to a tornado...The supporting cast is sterling, and Mr. Sher's detailed character work repays close study: Every part, right down to the smallest of the children, is endowed with strong and clear individuality...Ted Sperling's 28-piece pit band plays Robert Russell Bennett's original 1951 orchestrations, which glitter and shine. Indeed, I'm not sure I've ever heard a Broadway score played in the theater with such finesse.
O'Hara's Anna is fiercely determined, if cautious as a newcomer, and it's thrilling to watch her negotiate the pitfalls involved in establishing herself at court...It's hard not to be moved as O'Hara describes the beauty of a snowflake after the blissful 'Getting to Know You' sequence. O'Hara's voice is in prime operatic form throughout, rivaled only by her ability to waltz in Catherine Zuber's lavish, flowing gowns. I had mixed feelings about Watanabe's performance...Watanabe's got the imperiousness down pat, but he's falling back on enough of his Japanese accent that it makes some of his line readings difficult to parse...It's not a fatal flaw, whatever you've read in the chat rooms. And anyway, I could watch these two perform 'Shall We Dance?' all night long...'The King and I' requires a regal, charismatic leading lady, and in O'Hara, it has one who's just about perfect.
1951 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
1953 | West End |
London Production West End |
1956 | Off-Broadway |
City Center Revival Off-Broadway |
1960 | Off-Broadway |
City Center Revival Off-Broadway |
1961 | Off-Broadway |
City Center Revival Off-Broadway |
1963 | Off-Broadway |
City Center Revival Off-Broadway |
1964 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Revival Broadway |
1968 | Off-Broadway |
City Center Revival Off-Broadway |
1969 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
1973 | West End |
London Revival West End |
1977 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
1979 | West End |
London Revival West End |
1985 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
1996 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2000 | West End |
London Production West End |
2002 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
2004 | US Tour |
Touring Revival US Tour |
2006 | St. Louis, MO (Regional) |
St. Louis MUNY Production St. Louis, MO (Regional) |
2015 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Theatre Broadway Revival Broadway |
2016 | US Tour |
Lincoln Center National Tour US Tour |
2018 | West End |
West End Revival Prodution West End |
2024 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Costume Design | Catherine Zuber |
2015 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actress in a Musical | Kelli O'Hara |
2015 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The King and I |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | The King and I |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Scott Lehrer |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Ruthie Ann Miles |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Kelli O'Hara |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | The King and I |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Kelli O'Hara |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Catherine Zuber |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Ruthie Ann Miles |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | The King and I |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design | Michael Yeargan |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Christopher Gattelli |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Catherine Zuber |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Bartlett Sher |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Donald Holder |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Ken Watanabe |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Ruthie Ann Miles |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Kelli O'Hara |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The King and I |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Lincoln Center Theater |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Andre Bishop |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Adam Siegel |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Hattie K. Jutagir |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Ambassador Theatre Group |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Michael Yeargan |
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