Bartlett Sher's The King and I Revival Announces Closing Date
(© Paul Kolnik)
The Broadway musical The King and I will end its run at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre on June 26 after playing 538 performances. The show began its run March 12, 2015, and opened on April 17. A national tour of The King and I will open in November in Providence, Rhode Island.
Directed by Bartlett Sher, the opening night cast of The King and I starred Kelli O'Hara and Ruthie Ann Miles in roles that would win them 2015 Tony Awards. Ken Watanabe was the original King of Siam, with Jose Llana and Hoon Lee going on to play the role. The cast of 51 currently stars Marin Mazzie as Anna Leonowens and Daniel Dae Kim as the King of Siam, with Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang, Ashley Park as Tuptim, and Conrad Ricamora as Lun Tha.
Inspired by Margaret Landon's novel Anna and the King of Siam, The King and I features music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Set in 1860s Bangkok, the story follows the relationship of British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam, who employs her as a tutor for his many wives and children. After premiering on Broadway in 1951 with a cast led by Gertrude Lawrence and Yul Brynner, it was last seen in a 1996 revival that starred Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Phillips.
The King and I features sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, and lights by Donald Holder (all three nominated for 2015 Tony Awards); and sound by Scott Lehrer (2015 Drama Desk Award nomination). The production, which features an orchestra of 29 conducted by music director Ted Sperling, is performed with the musical's original 1951 orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and dance and incidental music arranged by Trude Rittmann.
