Jose Llna and Hoon Lee are the next Kings
Posted: 6/18/15 at 3:48pm
Thanks. I saw this cryptic playbill tweet and was confused as to whether they were alternating or not.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 3:53pm
I remember that some people were hoping Jose would be the King to begin with.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 3:53pm
Yes! I was hoping Jose would play the King. That's so cool.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 3:56pm
I'm going to be seeing Jose Llana. I've never seen him in anything so I'm excited to see this response!!
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:01pm
Doesn't Ken's contract not end until the 5th or 6th? Who is going to play the king until Jose starts on the 11th?
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:04pm
Tony nominee Ken Watanabe will play his final performance as the King July 12
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:07pm
Ken Watanabe will be missed. He was fantastic and I still remember his performance of "A Puzzlement". I congratulate Jose and Hoon for getting the role. I'm sure they'll be great!
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:31pm
I am unfamiliar with both these gentlemen. Is the expectation that Kelli's name alone will sell tickets?
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:34pm
The show, the Tonys, and the LCT experience will sell the show. Kelli's name won't hurt. South Pacific ran 996 performances with no stars!
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:36pm
Surprised that no one has mentioned that Jose got his big break as Lun Tha in the 1996 revival. He's coming full circle!
Updated On: 6/18/15 at 04:36 PM
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:39pm
When I googled him I came across this video. Interesting to hear how he got his break in that production!
Updated On: 6/18/15 at 04:39 PM
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:40pm
This just made my day! I have tix for September and I couldn't be more excited to see Jose Llana.
I'm telling you now - this will be a performance for the ages.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:44pm
Jose playing Lun Tha previously is mentioned in the BWW article and is why this casting is so fun and partly why so many wanted him to play the role initially.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:50pm
Very good choices!! Very anxious to see this show again...
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:53pm
I think Llana is a very handsome guy and a very funny actor, but I can't imagine this being in any way "a performance for the ages," except to his mother and perhaps his agent.
I'm surprised we haven't heard more vocal/written objections lately to this problematic role, a white-written "noble savage," a "barbarian" at heart who is trying to be "better" (i.e. more white), who descends into animal behavior but is ultimately redeemed by adopting Western (or "more evolved") morals. David Henry Hwang has written about this, but everyone seems quite quiet on the subject during this production.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 4:58pm
He seems a bit young to play the king
Posted: 6/18/15 at 5:18pm
He is 39, Lou Diamond Phillips was 34 and Yul Brynner was 31 when he originated the role. I think he is fine. The only thing that might make it hard to believe is if Conrad Ricamora looks to close to him in age.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 5:19pm
Here Lies Love reunion for 11 weeks!!
Posted: 6/18/15 at 5:21pm
I'm surprised we haven't heard more vocal/written objections lately to this problematic role
Or the casting. I guess it only applies to certain productions of Miss Saigon.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 5:28pm
newintown, isn't the Westernization aspect based on some form of the truth? If it's based on fact I don't understand the objection. Yes, other movies and adaptations have been more accurate but I think The King and I still holds up a bit better than Flower Drum Song which Hwang eventually rewrote.
Posted: 6/18/15 at 5:48pm
The ""truth?"
The truth is that Anna was probably part Indian, never lived in England, and met King Mongkut very few times while working for him.
The truth is also that Mongkut was a Buddhist monk before he was King and was well-educated, and a notably gentle and peaceful man.
The truth is something that The King & I ignores pretty completely, in favor of somethjng more like a sentimental Western melodrama.
Not that that's a terrible thing; the best musicals play fast and loose with the truth; but it's good to know when that playing is playing somewhat on the racist side.
Updated On: 6/18/15 at 05:48 PM
Posted: 6/18/15 at 6:24pm
Not every variation from the truth is racist. Isn't the point that he is trying to be a better person and the struggle kills him with stress? He is not trying to be a better Asian and he is not trying to be a Western European but to find the truth in his own culture and in other cultures? If you focus on his race, aren't you missing the more sensitive points of the story?
Posted: 6/18/15 at 6:26pm
Love Banshee and whenever Hoon Lee makes his dramatic appearance.
Not that I am able to see it but certainly would love to see his transition from Killer Queen to sympathetic King.
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