Hoon Lee in THE KING AND I - Page 2

[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. 

[UnwoundFantasies]

Posted: 10/13/15 at 10:53am

Couldn't agree more, I saw this production for the 8th time this weekend. And after seeing both Ken and Jose multiple times, I cannot praise Hoon's performance enough. He IS the king! He is the absolute best and I wish he had been in this productions original cast. Even if you've seen the show already, you really need to make another visit to see Hoon. Not to mention Kelli, Ruthie and the rest of the cast giving consistent, amazing performances. 

Also no, LFLC has not yet been filmed and it will be filmed in the spring when Ken indeed does return to the production. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/13/15 at 4:09pm

"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."

Oh, God. I need to step away from this thread because I do not have $150 to spend on this show.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/18/15 at 7:14pm

I caught the show this afternoon. Kelli O'Hara was out, so the standby, Analisa Leaming, was on. Let me preface this post by saying that I saw the third preview of the show back in March. The running time was over three hours, and it was evident it was an early preview of a new production. I still enjoyed the show immensely (especially Kelli O'Hara), but the show was not a smooth as it currently is.

 

I was initially very disappointed to see that Kelli was out. I am a HUGE fan of hers (as you can guess from my avatar), so I was pretty bummed to read the call board. That being said, I was completely blown away by Analisa Leaming's Anna. She is every bit as good as Kelli O'Hara. Hoon Lee is a MUCH better King than Ken Wantanabe. It was nice to have a King that you could actually understand. He is truly marvelous in the role.

 

I used LincTix so I had a very nice front row seat. The only bummer is that I can not buy another ticket via LincTix to see this again (They must limit you to one ticket per production)! This revival is truly one of the, if not *the*, best revival to be produced on Broadway in years. It is absolutely flawless in my book. 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 10/19/15 at 5:56am

Hoon Lee is very masculine in the role and a very good actor.

[tripelite]

Posted: 10/19/15 at 12:07pm

I also saw the matinee on 10/18, and when I arrived and saw that Kelli O'Hara was out, I considered getting a refund, as I came largely to see her.  I'm so glad I didn't - Analisa Deaming was stupendous, and if I hadn't known who Kelli was, I would have assumed that Analisa was the original Anna.  Hoon Lee was remarkable - a truly powerful, captivating, funny, and passionate performance.  Ruthie Ann Miles deserved her Tony, and we're lucky she didn't become a dentist.  I was thrilled with every element of this production - one of the best revivals I've seen in years.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/19/15 at 12:35pm

"Also no, LFLC has not yet been filmed and it will be filmed in the spring when Ken indeed does return to the production."

As Smoothlover said, it was filmed - for the archives - with Watanabe. That doesn't rule out a Live From Lincoln Center later.

 

"Hoon Lee is a MUCH better King than Ken Wantanabe. It was nice to have a King that you could actually understand. He is truly marvelous in the role."

Each king has had his own interpretation. Hoon Lee is indeed a marvel, and I highly recommend him, but Watanabe was mesmerizing. I don't understand those who say he was unintelligible. Yes, he has an accent. He was perfectly understandable and his stage presence undeniable.

"It's rumored that [Ken will] 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 [sic] did you hear this "rumor"? Would love to get to see him too."

Ken himself twittered that he would return in the spring (sorry, can't find the link) - but don't wait. See Hoon Lee. He really is something wonderful

 

 

 

Updated On: 10/19/15 at 12:35 PM

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 10/19/15 at 7:32pm

 

The New York Times article on Watanabe's departure said that his return to the show had not been determined yet.

 

I also recall him referring to his return next year. This may have just been a reaction to all the adulation he received when he left.

 

Tickets are on sale through May. Only 81 percent in this small theater surprises me, even if Kelli missed the Saturday night performance and average ticket price is up there with the highest (excluding Mormon). The extreme ends of the loge are really shunned.

It must be an expensive production, with the large cast and orchestra.

 

Updated On: 10/19/15 at 07:32 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/19/15 at 9:19pm

"I also recall [Ken] referring to his return next year. This may have just been a reaction to all the adulation he received when he left."

 

No, it isn't just that. He genuinely wants to return. Whether they can work it out and whether the show lasts long enough is another matter. Many shows dropped last week. With the holiday season coming up I would think TKAI will perk up, but going into next year? Who knows? It was SRO on Sunday without Ms O'Hara, fwiw.

 

Time will tell, which is why I said to see Hoon Lee now. He fully inhabits the role and has great chemistry with the cast.

[Julie Yard]

Posted: 10/30/15 at 10:37am

I revisited The King and I last night and I'm so glad I did! It is a wonderful production, and I'm really pleased that someone started the thread acknowledging Hoon Lee.. he is terrific. If you haven't seen this, or saw it early on, I highly recommend coming back for another visit. It was a gorgeous night of theater.

And I see a lot of posts where people saw it early on and have revisited... is it the exact same show? It felt like there had been some changes.. including the closing scene where (SPOILER) I remember "Whistle a happy tune" actually closed the show, and last night it was the King who suggests the children sign before he dies. And really, that new ending felt so much better than them singing after he's dead. But maybe I've remembered the 1st go around wrong. Anyway.. for those who have seen it a 2nd time... can you chime in if that was a change, or if you noticed other changes?  

 

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/30/15 at 1:38pm

I'm pretty sure you're misremembering. The show ends seconds after the king's death as the young prince (now king) is making his proclamation about bowing to the king. 

 

I would think it would be jarring and macabre to have the kids singing Whistle a Happy Tune (which only Anna and Louie ever actually sing) after the king dies. Anna teaches one of the kids to whistle it after the king tells Anna "Let it be the last thing you teach" before she sails away, but the kids never actually sing it.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 10/31/15 at 12:20am

Bart directed the show so well that when various actors step in while original cast members are sick, on vacation, or filming; the production remains very strong. Every actor on the stage is intricate to the performance and the ensemble feels like a community. One of the best performances is given by the actor who plays the King's son. I have seen all 3 Kings and they all brought something different to the table. They have done fine work but Mr. Lee has an added emotional core that deepens the production. The NY Times should go back and review it while he is doing the run.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 10/31/15 at 10:15am

Any truth to the rumor that Marni Nixon will be dubbing Ken Watanabe in the PBS broadcast?

[hork]

Posted: 11/1/15 at 10:52am

I saw him last night and thought he was great. I really can't imagine a better King. He had the arrogance and presence of  Yul Brynner but tempered with a more accessible humanity. 

[Pootie2]

Posted: 11/2/15 at 7:50am

I'm not interested in the show yet this word-of-mouth about the performances sure has me curious!

For anyone interested, Broadway.com is facilitating a Q&A and is taking questions for O'Hara and Lee. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/182648/shall-we-ask-the-king-and-is-kelli-ohara-hoon-lee-are-taking-your-questions/

 

 

[Musical Master]

Posted: 11/3/15 at 12:51am

That is so wonderful to hear that Hoon Lee is doing excellent work in THE KING AND I that I hope to revisit NYC soon to see the production again. I said it before and I'll say it again, Bartlett Sher is an unstoppable director in finding ways to make these classical musicals feel new again and just watching his production of THE KING AND I unfold in front of my eyes made it an unforgettable experience that not only I will ever forget but remember it fondly as I grow older. I hope that Sher will do wonders with the upcoming revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, a musical which I think Sher and his dream crew are perfect for.

 

BTW: There is new montage footage of Hoon Lee as The King, but I should warn you for those who haven't seen the show: There is a brief glimpse of the ship that opens Act 1, which IMO looks really good on film, but it was a big, breathtaking sight in person which made it even better.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/18/15 at 10:51pm

I'm late to the party on this one, but FINALLY caught the matinee today and thankfully everyone I wanted to see was in (Kelli, Conrad, Ruthie, Hoon), and this is just beyond perfection to me. I loved every second. The cast, the songs, the set, the lighting, etc., etc., etc.

 

The only downside is you want to see it again immediately.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 4:43am

I saw the show for the third time tonight. I've seen all three kings. For what it's worth, I still think that Watanabe had the most command of the stage and the most intimidating presence. It's been a long time since I saw him in a preview and I'd really have to see him again to compare him to the other two. I had no trouble understanding him, but so many did, even after the first month, that something must have been at work here they we don't understand that governed whether you had trouble understanding him.

 

Llana I thought might be the weakest king because of his youth and lack of physical stature. But he was fine and that performance was the only one at which I got teary-eyed at the end. That might have been because I was up in the loge that day instead of up front and so close to the actors that they distracted me from the play as a whole.

 

Tonight, for what I figure will be the last time for me to see it, I was the ultimate close. Seat 101 on the aisle in the first row of orchestra left. When Kelli sat down on a stool to watch the Act 2 ballet, her gown brushed my knee. The actors almost seem to be in your living room. I saw all those bare feet close up and wondered how they managed to keep the stage free of debris that they might step on.

 

If I were only seeing the musical once, or for the first time, I would sit further back and take in everything as a whole. But if you go back, sitting in the first or second rows to either side of the orchestra pit provides a unique experience.

 

My first observation on Hoon Lee is that he has a natural comedic side to him. The most laughs were in this production. He and Kelli had the comedy bits down cold, particularly the scene in which she must keep her head lower than his, but also in many other places. I agree that he gave a bravura performance in the whipping scene, however my eyes did not tear-up at the end, which is probably very significant.

 

Attendance is a sadder matter. Checking with Telecharge in the afternoon, there were about a quarter of the orchestra seats and almost all of the loge available. At game time, to the performers the orchestra seats probably looked full. Which they were, mainly, except for the last two rows and a few patches of bare spots in other places.

 

The loge, on the other hand, was almost deserted. Right loge and right center loge were empty except for a half dozen people sitting in the first row. My thoughts were that I hoped that the performers didn't see any sparse attendance as this must be discouraging to them.

 

New TV spots are being rolled out which is usually an early sign of trouble. It really looks like this wonderful musical is not going to have the legs of its sister show, South Pacific, which ran for almost two years. This lavish production of an acknowledged classic from one of our greatest composers and by the greatest book and lyrics author is supposed to do better than a Carole King tribute musical.

 

I guess that's a topic for a future discussion.

 

 

[Musical Master]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 9:58am

I might have to agree with you OlBlueEyes, as much as I can't wait to see what Hoon Lee does with the role, I'll always believe that Ken Watanabe was the best King of Siam thus far with his physicality and commanding presence and I hope he comes back to play the role when "Live at Lincoln Center" comes in the future. But who knows, maybe Hoon Lee will really impress me when I see it again in January. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 10:20am

This lavish production of an acknowledged classic from one of our greatest composers and by the greatest book and lyrics author is supposed to do better than a Carole King tribute musical.

 

You need to be realistic here, just because a show is critically acclaimed doesn't automatically sell tickets. Otherwise, shows like Ragtime, Finian's Rainbow, On the Town, Side Show, and Honeymoon in Vegas would all still be running, and other shows like Hand to God and Spring Awakening would be hits. It's rare nowadays for a critically acclaimed show to also be a big financial success (The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, etc.)

 

As of now, The King & I is still doing fine. I don't think it's in any danger of closing yet.

Updated On: 11/19/15 at 10:20 AM

[indytallguy]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 11:12am

It will be interesting to see what happens to The King and I once Fiddler opens, if anything. For friends who have been looking for a classic to see, up until now my default rec has been The King and I. But if Fiddler opens strong, I'll now be presenting them two musical options.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 11:14am

OlBlueEyes said: "Attendance is a sadder matter."

 

The matinee was even worse. I think they were a bit bullish with some great seats close to the stage, so while I was seventh row on the aisle, there were two empty seats in both the fifth and sixth row aisles, etc.

 

Hoon's comedy was one of the highlights of the show to me.  

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 1:45pm

"New TV spots are being rolled out which is usually an early sign of trouble. It really looks like this wonderful musical is not going to have the legs of its sister show, South Pacific, which ran for almost two years. This lavish production of an acknowledged classic from one of our greatest composers and by the greatest book and lyrics author is supposed to do better than a Carole King tribute musical."

 

I think you have to compare the show to other revivals, not to Beautiful. And also, factor in that it's revived relatively often both on Broadway and in different regional productions around the country. So this is more of a Gypsy.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 1:56pm

I think it will hold out fine in the end just like South Pacific did.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 11/19/15 at 6:57pm

i saw HOON LEE last week and i was also blown away with his acting his singing and how much sexual chemistry he had with Kelli...it all added up to an amazing evening in the theatre...he was dynamic and thoughtful and very sexy as well...even though i always tear up for the ending,  i really felt for this king more than usual...i can whole-heartedly recommend you see it