Hoon Lee in THE KING AND I

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/30/15 at 10:30pm

Has anyone seen his performance yet? Can't wait to hear how he does.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/1/15 at 6:34am

I saw the performance on Tuesday and though Jose Llana may have been my favorite king so far this was my favorite overall experience with the production. 

 

Hoon Lee is very good; he particularly excelled in the whipping scene and in the finale. Kelli was on fire and that damn letter reading scene really got to me. I love this show and revival so much- easily up there with the recent Follies and Sunday in the Park revivals as one of my most beloved. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/1/15 at 9:09am

I really want to go back and see this revival. I saw the third preview back in March, but I imagine the show is so much tighter now.

[bfreak]

Posted: 10/1/15 at 9:26am

^And now you could understand what the King is saying! Ken's diction was all over the place at that point.

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 10/2/15 at 12:14am

I saw this last night and Hoon Lee was SPECTACULAR!! He truly commanded that role. And I have to agree. The whipping scence or lack there of had me on the edge of my seat. If you seen it with prior kings. You won't be disappointed seeing it again.

[pnewelljr]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 2:16pm

I am going to take my family to see this for the first time (I have seen the revival twice already), and I am a little nervous we will end up with understudies. I would really like to see Hoon Lee, as I have already seen Jose twice.

 

Do you think whether it is a matinee on Saturday or evening show will make a difference? Does Kelly ever call out unannounced? I always grew up hearing from my grandma that actors are more likely to take matinee's off.

[ddrourr]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 2:49pm

He does not take matinees off. I know he will perform both show this Saturday as I have been invited to meet him after the matinee. All Kelli's scheduled absences are listed on the website. She rarely misses a performance. 

Updated On: 10/11/15 at 02:49 PM

[phan24]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 9:20pm

I saw Hoon Lee last night and he was indeed amazing. It was my first time seeing the show and by the end I was completely amazed by all the lead characters. I have to agree with everyone else, the whipping scene is one of the most intense scenes I've witnessed on stage, Kelli's line delivery was so natural and quiet, not forced, yet that one line stopped the King and the whole show cold. Kelli is such a treasure and Hoon Lee seems to have the role down. The Shall We Dance waist grabbing moment was specially felt with Hoon Lee's delivery.

I cannot recommend this show enough!

Updated On: 10/8/15 at 09:20 PM

[UnwoundFantasies]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 9:46pm

Kelli is missing next Saturday's evening performance (10/17) but besides that she doesn't have any scheduled absences coming up. 

[phan24]

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

Analisa Leaming is Kelli O'Hara's latest stand-by as Betsy Morgan has departed to be in First Daughter Suite FYI! 

[Musical Master]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 11:40pm

It's funny that he's playing the King, and he's the current voice actor of Master Splinter in Nickelodeon's 2012 version of TMNT.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/8/15 at 11:43pm

I got a front row ticket through LincTix to see this again later this month. I can't wait to make a return visit.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 3:44am

I'll be seeing my third king on Sunday. I first saw a rather late preview from a front orchestra seat adjacent to the stage (stop me if you've heard this before), where I was so occupied with being starstruck by Kelli and Ruthie delivering their songs from a few feet away, and generally feeling so much like I was in the cast that it might have distracted me from the show as a whole.

I saw it again two Sundays ago with a large group from a meetup, sitting in the loge. A different perspective. Although I had already seen this production the first time, and had seen the '95-'96 Donna Murphy revival, and watched the film more than a few times, I was surprised to find all the tears welling up at the end. The woman I had been with since the group met at a pub, came from a background of opera and classical and was not that familiar with musical theater could not stop praising it at intermission. "There is just so much in this."

And of course she was right. As with all the "classics," this show was based on a book or play that might not have been memorable on its own, but which provided the story line, the main characters, and the serious issues to be addressed in the musical play.The music was added to embellish the play and to create memorable moments when the story and the music came together at the right moment to create some amazing moment when the whole of the experience was greater than the parts.

So I go back again, in the first row, to experience being in the cast one last time.

I hope that they broadcast the last Saturday night performance "Live From Lincoln Center" as they did with South Pacific.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 9:27am

I am just grateful that now you  have a king you can understand. Ken Watanabe was difficult to understand, . Diction is so much part of theatre and the man's words were  indecipherable. The fact that he was Tony Nominated was mind boggling. It ruined the King and I experience for this theatre goer.

[Terhune]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 10:30am

I believe that Lincoln Center is waiting for Ken to return to film it for LFLC. It's rumored that he'll return in the spring. I saw him near the end of his run and could understand almost all of his spoken lines. "A Puzzlement" was a little less understood but was a fine tradeoff for how well he played the role.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 12:58pm

It was filmed before Ken left.

[pnewelljr]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 1:11pm

Terhune said: "I believe that Lincoln Center is waiting for Ken to return to film it for LFLC. It's rumored that he'll return in the spring. I saw him near the end of his run and could understand almost all of his spoken lines. "A Puzzlement" was a little less understood but was a fine tradeoff for how well he played the role.

 

"

Were did you hear this "rumor"? Would love to get to see him too.

[Terhune]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 2:10pm

I heard it from a friend, not sure how much validity there is to it. Has anyone noticed that Kelli's wig looks different in the new pictures? There's less volume at the top and it makes her look even older than the original wig did.

[bfreak]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 4:21pm

I heard a rumor too that he may be coming back early next year. I saw his performance the weekend after the show officially opened, and I felt that his diction was about 90-95% clear and I was really taken aback with his performance. I found it it be authentic, powerful, and moving. He ranked as second for me this year for best actor just behind good ole' Michael Cerveris's tour-de-force in Fun Home!

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 7:07pm

I actually loved Ken's performance but if they had regular rush (and not just student rush) I would go back to see Hoon Lee.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 7:37pm

Yeah, I understood when Ken was saying just fine when i saw him in June. Like I said before, I adored his performance, but yeah Michael deserved that Tony win.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 9:33pm

I saw the third preview of the show. Ken Watanabe's diction was a serious problem IMO. I'm looking forward to seeing this again with a new king.

[bfreak]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 10:10pm

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 10/9/15 at 10:58pm

I also had almost no issues understanding Ken Watanabe when I saw him earlier this year. I thought he was wonderful, he's a really commanding presence onstage and quite powerful.

[ddrourr]

Posted: 10/11/15 at 5:33pm

Saw it yesterday and was blown away by his performance. I have seen many do the role including Yul, and while Yul's performance is iconic,  Hoon brings an intensity to the part that I have never seen before. His chemistry with Kelli is superb, oozing with sexual tension that many Kings or Is never exhibited. When he grabs her waist in Shall We Dance and stares into her eyes, you feel their previous tensions melt away at least for a brief two minutes until the whipping scene, in which he magnificent and dynamic. I cannot recommend his performance enough. I won't even go into the other major performances, the spectacular opening scene, the majesty if the entire production or the magnificent sound if the 30 piece orchestra, as they have all been covered before. See it and relish it. This is what musical theater is meant to be.