The King and I - Lincoln Center

[bekk99]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 10:36am

As an FYI, at the R&H concert at 92Y last night, Ted Chapin (of the R&H Organization) confirmed the long-standing rumor that "The King and I" will be staged at Lincoln Center next spring. No further details were given. Exciting stuff!

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 10:39am

I really hope that Kate Baldwin is cast as Anna.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 10:40am

She'd be great, too, but I've long heard that Kelli O'Hara is being tapped for Anna.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 10:44am

Exciting I guess? Eh. Not the most interesting show.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 10:57am

Kelli has mentioned doing this in recent interviews. Obviously nothing officially announced, but Barlett is essentially doing this FOR Kelli. I assume she's going straight from Merry Widow at the Met to this.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:00am

Kate Baldwin really would be an incredibly lovely Anna.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:15am

YES!! Can't wait. I doubt there's a chance that it WON'T be Kelli.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:27am

Kelli will be an inspired Anna, and I would suspect that will finally bring her her first Tony Award, for a great, classic role too.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:29am

Kelli O'Hara. That's all.

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:34am

She's awfully young for the role. Most people who play it are in their late 40s, early 50s. There is a reason for that-the gravitas the role requires. I'm not sure I buy into it with her, as brilliant as she was in Bridges.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:41am

Donna Murphy was 37 when she played Anna. O'Hara is now 37.

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:46am

I guess I thought she came across as more sophisticated in a way O'Hara doesn't.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:49am

Well I agree. I mean, O'Hara has the ingenue thing going on that suited Julie Jordan and Nellie Forbush, and would suit Laurey. But Anna is R&H's real woman role, so I understand where you're coming from. Murphy had an older quality to her. But maybe this is where O'Hara can revitalize the character and give it another edge. I know when Elaine Paige did the role (she was probably in her 40s/50s at the time) in London in the 2000s, many said she was too matronly, and I'd agree with that. There has to be something for the King to find attractive about Anna. Really excited about the possibility of all of this. Excited to see if it's Sher directing, what he does with the show.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:55am

There are two women named Laura who would be perfect for Anna: Laura Michelle Kelly and Laura Osnes.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 11:59am

Laura Osnes is and reads far too young for Anna. Though I think Laura Benanti could be a lovely Anna. But Sher seem to think only one soprano is worth casting in basically anything he directs, so it'll be O'Hara.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:04pm

In reality, Anna's son was only 5-years-old when they arrived in Bangkok. But obviously he is cast older in stage productions. Also, Anna was only around 25 when Louis was born. If Louis is around 8-10 in the stage production, then Anna should not be much older than 35.





Updated On: 4/7/14 at 12:04 PM

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:09pm

Benanti is far too sultry and sexy for the role IMO... Laura Michelle Kelly may be up to it, though. She's done it before too.

[dreaming]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:10pm

Frankly, Bartlett Sher's appeal is wearing thin on me. There are other directors out there who are just as good, if not better. I would love it if Lincoln Center would get someone else. He just seems to want to go through the R&H catalog and do the same casting throughout.

Also, re: Anna's age: Gertrude Lawrence, the original Anna, was over 50 when she played the role, and subsequent Annas have been older as well (Donna Murphy might well have been the youngest, but read as more 'mature'). The musical isn't meant to be a realistic history lesson. The character is an independent, mature woman with a worldly sense about her (which is why the role is usually not played by someone in their 30s). You need someone with an air of sophistication about her.

I bet he'll bring in some opera people for the other roles. Updated On: 4/7/14 at 12:10 PM

[wickedfan]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:17pm

I just don't understand what Kelli O'Hara has to do to make people more open to her casting in projects. It seems every time she's cast in something, most people go "Oh I can't see her in the role" and just about every time she comes out and blows us all away. If she ends up being Anna, and she probably will be, then I look forward to seeing her interpretation. Yes, there are other actresses who could be lovely Anna's as well, but why do we have to put down O'Hara, one of the finest musical theatre actresses working today, to make that point?

And I think that Sher will do a great job with this. I personally believe his strong suit is revivals and King and I seems like a perfect fit for him. No matter what, we at least know that this production will look and sound gorgeous.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:18pm

^ I agree. If it's as lavish as the SOUTH PACIFIC revival, we are in for a real treat.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:22pm

Lea Salonga for Lady thiang.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:23pm

I just don't understand what Kelli O'Hara has to do to make people more open to her casting in projects. It seems every time she's cast in something, most people go "Oh I can't see her in the role" and just about every time she comes out and blows us all away. If she ends up being Anna, and she probably will be, then I look forward to seeing her interpretation. Yes, there are other actresses who could be lovely Anna's as well, but why do we have to put down O'Hara, one of the finest musical theatre actresses working today, to make that point?

And I think that Sher will do a great job with this. I personally believe his strong suit is revivals and King and I seems like a perfect fit for him. No matter what, we at least know that this production will look and sound gorgeous.

I've personally never been a fan of O'Hara, outside of her stunning voice. She isn't engaging to me as a personality or an actor, and so I find it odd that she's the go-to soprano when I can think of several sopranos in her age range that I find more interesting and engaging.

That being said, I do actually think Sher will do an excellent job with the show. I just would like to see him work with another leading lady.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:28pm

Anna, by the way, is not a soprano role. It's actually not a singing role at all. So Sher would not be getting her for her singing talents, that's for sure. Lady Thiang and Tuptim are the two heavy-duty singing roles, and as someone else mentioned, this production will most likely benefit from the import of strong operatic singers that Sher has worked with in the past.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:37pm

Sigh. It'll be Kelli, but it should be Kate.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/7/14 at 12:41pm

Enough about the 'I', how about the 'King'? First actor who came to mind was Daniel Dae Kim, from Hawaii 5-0.