Shall we indulge our love for the genius of Rodgers and Hammerstein with one of their most celebrated masterpieces, The King and I? Shall we? Yes.
It is 1861. Anna Leonowens, a young English widow, has been engaged to teach the many children and wives of the ruler of Siam. When she and her son arrive at the Royal Palace they do not know what to expect.
It is with great pride that Opera Australia and John Frost bring this world-famous production back home for its first ever season at the Sydney Opera House.
This now legendary production of The King and I won the triple crown of awards: The Tony, the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle for Best Musical Revival. Further Tony and Drama Desk awards included Best Scenic Design and Best Costume Design, and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.
Whilst the sumptuous costumes and gilded sets have traveled the world, it all started in Australia, with a dream to create a version which was not just a remake of the iconic 1956 film, but a real consideration of this clash of cultures and meeting of minds.
Christopher Renshaw was the perfect choice of director and together with Brian Thomson he traveled to Thailand, where they discovered a deep affection for the rich and nuanced culture of Siam. Australian costume designer Roger Kirk joined and an award-winning creative team was born.
When Richard Rodgers' daughter, Mary Rodgers, saw it, she declared it the best King and I she had ever experienced. "I was dazzled," she enthused. "I actually thought that Chris had changed and improved some lines. But he hadn't changed anything. He'd just found how to emphasise certain things."
The production of The King and I premiered at the Adelaide Festival Theatre in 1991, followed by a highly successful Australian tour.
The show reopened at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway in 1996, followed by a US tour, then transferred to the London Palladium in 2000, where it played for nearly two years before embarking on a UK tour. Audiences were thrilled by the period costumes - including Anna's enormous crinoline skirts - and by the lavish, meticulously researched sets. With these insights, an exotic fairytale becomes spiced with real culture and real human emotion.
Don't miss this dazzling display of the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
The production of The King and I is based on the John Frost and Adelaide Festival Centre production first performed on 11 June, 1991.
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