Playbill: King and I headed for London

According to an article appearing today in Playbill, written by managing editor Robert Viagas, the Lincoln Center production of The King and I will be off to London late this year or early next, and its Tony winning Anna will be along for the trip.

The production is bound for London during the 2016-2017 season, and it is expected that the the revival’s original Tony-winning star, Kelli O’Hara, will repeat her performance in the West End. No official casting has been announced.

http://www.playbill.com/article/broadway-king-and-i-ends-its-reign-today

This was also reported in WestEndTheater on Friday, but with no news of casting.

http://www.westendtheatre.com/41260/shows-coming-soon/the-king-and-i/

This transfer may account for the absence of a live or filmed broadcast of the show on Live From Lincoln Center. The London producers would probably not welcome a few million DVR recordings of The King and I before it even opened.

Would it though? South Pacific had a recording and also had a west end transfer.

Call_me_jorge said: "Would it though? South Pacific had a recording and also had a west end transfer.

"I guess that you have me there, unless O'Hara, unlike Szot, is considered to be enough of a star to pull in audiences. You see where Sher mentions how expensive the show is to put on, probably meaning to justify why this Lincoln Center version had to be shut down in spite of sales that were not all than bad.

Danster said: "Why should we care on a scaled down version happening on the other side of the globe? Makes no sense

"

It's not going to be a scaled down version, friend. This will be the full Lincoln Center production transported to the West End.

There are many Kelli O'Hara fans here who like to keep track of her. She has two concert dates that could be affected: Carnegie Hall on 29 October and Stony Brook University on 10 December.

But you are right that not many here will get to see the London production.

I hope they hire Kelli a new dialect coach before she goes over there.

Is there a theater there that could handle this show? OR would it not be in a thrust anymore?

Emma MK said: "Isnt this old news? The UK website has been up for ages lol

"

The news part is when and mostly who. No one up to now has revealed that Kelli will be going along. And even that isn't official. Robert Viagas, the managing editor of Playbill Online, has been there a long time and I don't think that he would announce that she would be starring over there unless he were sure.

So far it is looking like Jersey Boys will make its move to the Playhouse to make way for The King and I to move into the Piccadilly. Although if this is the case then it will be a scaled down production.

It is a shame that School of Rock has taken the New London as this theatre has a similar design to the Vivian Beaumont.

Waitress is rumoured to be wanting the Novello (kicking out Mamma Mia!) or The Adelphi (kicking out Kinky Boots)

Wind in the Willows is already pencilled for Theatre Royal.

Toxic Avenger pencilled for Harold Pinter (although I am not sure this will go ahead)

Unless The Girls (Phoenix) and Dreamgirls (Savoy) are major flops. Which I don't see either being... means both theatres will be filled. Kinky Boots is only like to see 1 more year (if that)

SmoothLover said: "Does anyone know when they are opening that musical version of Gone With The Wind at the Beaumont?



"

Why does everyone keep talking about this new Gone With The Wind? Is it even real?

After over a year with no new information... https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kelli-OHara-and-Ken-Watanabe-Will-Dance-THE-KING-AND-I-to-the-London-Palladium-20171012

Hopefully LCT films it!

Updated On: 10/12/17 at 08:26 PM

THRILLED that Kelli and Ken are rejoining! Hopefully they'll follow suit in the trend of filming West End transfers