THE KING & I Reviews- Page 7

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/6/15 at 6:51pm

Thank you for answering my questions RaisedOnMusicals, I'm going to see it in June a week after the Tony Awards and I can't wait.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 11:14am

I saw this the other night and enjoyed it pretty thoroughly, much to my surprise.  The cast is admirable, the orchestra plays beautifully, I was just beside myself with delight more than once.  Seriously, if Ms. O'Hare's "Getting To Know You" doesn't make you happy, you're pretty much beyond reclamation.

Alas, Mr. Watanabe pretty well botched "A Puzzlement" and that lovely little bit about blossoms and bees -- he was simply unintelligible, his accent got in the way and I couldn't make head or tail out of what he was saying.  He fared better with the prayer at the end of the first act.  An admirable performance overall, though.

An admirable production -- I got a lot out of it.  

 

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 6:52pm

The 2015 Broadway Revival Cast Recording will be released 6/2 digitally, and 6/9 in stores.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/7/15 at 8:16pm

Is there a track list yet?

[Princeton78]

Posted: 5/8/15 at 4:05pm

Hello, 

I don't post here nearly as much as I used to, and I don't get to NYC nearly as much as I used to, but I just found out that I'll be in the city next Saturday (5/16) and I would absolutely love to see K & I, but alas, it appears to be sold out.  I'm just wondering if there's any way people know about to get my hands on tickets?  

TIA

[Actriz2]

Posted: 5/8/15 at 4:16pm

You can go to the theater and ask/wait for cancellation line tickets. LCT is a subscription-based house so cancellation tickets are most likely going to be available.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/10/15 at 12:01am

I saw this tonight thanks to LincTix. Seemed like a lot of us were in the 500s in the Lodge. It was a great seat. Can't complain about it. I got mine a week ago, so I'm happy I pounced on it. All in all it's a great night out. I didn't fee like 3 hrs. I was interested, entertained. O'Hara is just marvelous. She kind of underplays the whole thing, but it totally works. The King is the goofy one - and totally charming in it - and so she comes off as more human and honest. She was great. I don't think it's her Tony winning role, but I think she's marvelous. I still think she should have won for Bridges. The design is beautifully simple and the direction is really strong. All in all it's worth seeing and I'm sure will win Best Revival, and if it wasn't for Fun Home, I think they'd win for Best Supporting Actress for Ruthie Ann Miles. She just delivers. She's just so interesting to watch. She was always invested. I really appreciated her performance. 

 

This was one of the first shows I did as a child, and it's such an odd little musical. It doesn't fit a lot of normal stereotypes of musicals like the big opening number or the big choral opening numbers. There's not really any "I want" songs and no 11 o'clock number for the leading lady. Beautiful tunes and great book, but I'm surprised there isn't one beautiful duet for the King and Anna. I mean "Shall We Dance" was great, but it's not really a duet in that sense. 

 

 

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 5/10/15 at 10:57am

Caught this last night. Bill and Hillary Clinton were in attendance, as was Sarah Jessica Parker. Pretty cool! Bartlett Sher was present as well.

It was my first exposure to The King and I. I thought it was wonderful. Kelli O'Hara delivers a stunning, honest, and beautiful portrayal of another classic character recognized by Broadway legends of the past. Whether it is at Kelli O'Hara's advantage or disadvantage during award season, she continues to do this every few seasons on Broadway. She was stunning. Her Anna is very calculated, strong minded, and a bit of a force to be reckoned with. The scene during Shall We Dance was her strongest - and I think it's her choices in this number that could push her into the winner's circe on June 7.

Ken Watanabe was excellent. Hilarious, heartwarming, and convincing are all words I'd use to describe his performance. His singing wasn't anything to be desired (which I know isn't completely different to compare - but Kelli O'Hara's counterpart last time she was at Lincoln Center in a Sher directed show by R&H was one of the best voices I've heard in a while, Paulo Szot). The King's chemistry was Anna was perfect. The rest of the cast was excellent and their voices soared.

I've been a fan of Sher's direction for years. I've got his big shows and Off-Broadway show as well. To me, he's brilliant. That ship's entrance was breathtaking, the movement of the set pieces and props is gracefully, the staging in that space is near perfect. It reminded me of a frequent Emmy Awards debate of cable networks vs. premium cable. I feel that Lincoln Center is that premium cable - the casts, the spaces, the director. And Sher brings this to his audiences in an excellent way each time.

Bravo to the cast and creative team. I wish it luck for each award on June 7 and all awards leading up to then.

[veronicamae]

Posted: 5/10/15 at 8:17pm

Had the pleasure of taking in this show this afternoon. What a luscious production - the staging and set, and the costumes and colors.

Kelli is always great, and my one criticism comes with Ken Watanabe's singing; it was very difficult to understand him, diction-wise.  Speaking, I had no trouble at all.

Very glad I got to experience it.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/11/15 at 1:17am

Wonderful review MusicAndPassion.

Tonight, THE KING AND I won three Outer Critic Circle Awards for Revival of a Musical, Best Costume Design and for Ruthie Ann Miles' performance as Lady Thiang. 

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 5/12/15 at 6:41pm

Thanks, Musical Master.

Playbill.com has a clip of Kelli O'Hara and the children performing "Getting To Know You" on Kelly & Michael today. For those who haven't seen it yet: Here!

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/12/15 at 7:39pm

Kelli was perfect, as expected and the kids are precious! Can't wait to see this!

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/13/15 at 8:21pm

In the show: Is the choreography here by Gattelli inspired by Jerome Robbins or is it the Robbins version re-staged? Now, shouldn't a track listing be released by now? 

Updated On: 5/13/15 at 08:21 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/13/15 at 10:25pm

There's usually a track list out by now, right? I hope the release date doesn't get pushed back.

I guess we know the main songs will be there but I'm curious to know which reprises they recorded and whether or not they recorded "Small House of Uncle Thomas."

[Actriz2]

Posted: 5/13/15 at 10:26pm

I hope we get a full recording of the overture with those orchestrations!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:08am

Music and Passion we were at the same performance! I saw SJP but I guess I missed the Clintons! Darn it!

[Thoroughbred]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 11:10am

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but there is a clip here of "Shall We Dance". Cuts out a fair bit of the dialogue, but a nice clip.

 

 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 11:35am

I saw The King and I last night and was enthralled from the moment I walked in the theatre. The sets are gorgeous and the overture really sets the tone and transports the audience - I was truly able to shut off the outside world.

Kelli O'Hara was flawless. Her voice is just so perfect and her acting in this role is perfect. She did a great job showing personality with Anna's clever, witty lines and then just gutted me with the more serious scenes. She makes very difficult work look easy, especially with her singing that seems almost effortless. "Shall We Dance" was breathtaking. I've seen all the best actress Tony nominees but Leanne Cope (will see soon) and if I were voting, I'd be giving it to Kelli.

II had read a lot on here about Ken Watanabe's diction problems, but also that they had improved. "A Puzzlement" had some issues still but I was able to look past that because of the rest of his performance. I thought he was a great King and captured the nuances of a complex man.

I hadn't heard a lot of talk about Ashley Park's Tuptim and was blown back the first time I heard her sing. She has a beautiful voice and did a wonderful job. I was equally impressed by Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang, who is one of my favorite characters in musical theatre.

Btw I did stage door this which was a little unique. There were maybe 15 people milling about by the stage door and even though they have that built in barrier, the performers didn't use it to form a line - they walked past it and stood in the lobby (aka no buffer for the crazy).  Both Ken Watanabe and Kelli O'Hara signed autographs but it was more like a cluster of people rotating in for their turn. It worked out fine but one guy ahead of me really spent too much time with both of them, especially Kelli. She clearly tried to break away from him several times but he was going on (positively) about her acting choices and vocal abilities. It was just inappropriate and I felt badly for her. She was very gracious though as was Watanabe, who had several Japanese fans there.

 

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 12:06pm

Playbill has a great article featuring the three female leads from The King and I as O'Hara, Miles and Park offer their perspectives on Anna, Lady Thiang and Tuptim. I agree with their assertion that this incarnation of the show delves deeper into this women and lets them be even more strong willed. I think this production revolves so much around their relationships with the King but from their perspectives as emotional, strong, conflicted women. In this article O'Hara speaks directly to the challenge of making these characters bolder than they were in the 1950s.

http://playbill.com/news/article/a-womans-world-theres-room-for-us-all-the-kings-ladies-on-redefining-game-changers-348551

I particularly liked this quote from O'Hara regarding Tuptim's role:
"You're dealing with a triangle of one woman who has never and will never [confront the King]; one woman who could from the outside; and the youngster, the naïve one, who is right. There has to be one of these to create change."

[TheaterGal3]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 12:28pm

NJ_BroadwayGirl, I couldn’t agree with your review/thoughts on the show more. I’ve seen the show twice since it opened and absolutely love it. You summed it up so well I’ll just comment on one of the many scenes I loved. When Anna went to the King and had to guess what he was going to do so that he wouldn’t seem like a barbarian – thought Kelli and Ken both nailed that scene. Her subtle eye rolls and sighs in reaction to his acting choices were fantastic.

Thanks for sharing that article!

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:00pm

" I’ll just comment on one of the many scenes I loved. When Anna went to the King and had to guess what he was going to do so that he wouldn’t seem like a barbarian – thought Kelli and Ken both nailed that scene. Her subtle eye rolls and sighs in reaction to his acting choices were fantastic."

I totally agree TheaterGal3! That scene and the entirety of Shall We Dance, especially the transition from the dance to the aftermath with Tuptim, are what made me feel that Kelli deserved the Tony. I know some say it's a part that's been done before and won awards before and not that special, but I disagree. It's a beautifully complex role. I also think the message delivered by O'Hara in that Playbill article should speak directly to Tony voters as they consider the spin she has put on the role. I didn't get to read my Playbill last night but I think it's published in the currently circulating issues.

 

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:39pm

I agree NJ_BroadwayGirl, O'Hara should win but I would be happy if the award was given to either O'Hara or Chenoweth, for they both worked their butts off by bringing their own into their respective roles.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 11:44am

She makes very difficult work look easy.

EXACTLY.  

Which is why she is my choice for the Tony win.

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 6:55pm

As many times as I've seen The King and I, I guess I've never seen the role of Anna as being all that complex. Especially for a good actress. The way this performance is being described, it sounds like it's being played exactly how Anna should be played.  And it seems like a good actress of O'Hara's caliber should be able to do that.

Now, Chenoweth's role in OTTC….that is what I would consider a complex role.

 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/16/15 at 8:03pm

The track list is up on Amazon. I'm bummed that they didn't include the act one finale or the letter scene but I guess including "Small House of Uncle Thomas" meant that a lot of the less important reprises and stuff had to be sacrificed. 

Overture
I Whistle a Happy Tune
My Lord and Master
Hello Young Lovers
The March of the Siamese Children
A Puzzlement
The Royal Bangkok Academy
Getting to Know You
We Kiss in a Shadow
A Puzzlement
Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?
Something Wonderful
Western People Funny
I Have Dreamed
The Small House of Uncle Thomas
Song of the King
Shall We Dance?
Finale Ultimo

 

Updated On: 5/17/15 at 08:03 PM