The King and I Revival — Page 2

^ I am very curious to see how they will stage several of the scenes and the scenic transitions. Does the Vivian Beaumont have a large backstage?

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I don't see how a theater lover could dislike Kelli O'Hara. While her fellow leading ladies Audra and Kristin have spent years on the other coast in network TV series that did not require any of their vocal skills, Ms. O'Hara has gone from one Broadway production to the next. Having established herself as a star in "Piazza" and "South Pacific," she has tried to stretch herself into comedy (Bells are Ringing and Nice Work), serious drama (Madison County), and comic opera (Merry Widow). She is more than just a voice; she is an actress.

As for this revival of The King and I, its biggest obstacle may be having to match the standard set by South Pacific. Ben Brantley in his review of the latter stated, "I know we're not supposed to expect perfection in this imperfect world, but I'm darned if I can find one serious flaw in this production."

I love Kelli. I loved South Pacific. And I loved the last revival of King and I, which was gorgeous in every respect, and, has been stated, was decades ago. And Watanabe as the King only makes me happier.

So, yeah, I'm very excited.

Jorge....

As much as I also want to see Kelli finally win a TONY, it seems that Kelli will become the Susan Lucci of the Tonys....The VISIT is supposed to be Chita's swan song to Broadway and almost every Tony voter will want to send her off with a statue...

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Let's call this one The King and I-val.

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I also am dying to see how this looks at the Vivian Beaumont.

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I hope Kelli can swing the Tony---she does deserve one after all of the near misses

Since they are using the original choreography and the original orchestrations, I think we can look for the music and dance to be sumptuous, but traditional. I've read, although I would not swear to it, that Rodgers put a lot of reliance in Robert Russell Bennett, giving him not quite integrated pieces of a song and trusting him to put the final together. Bennett, like many orchestrators, does not get enough credit. He put the final polish on many songs as we have come to recognize them.

It is written in the great Wikopedia, and I have read it elsewhere, that Lawrence's voice had a small range and she was often a bit flat (she never would have made it to Hollywood when Simon was a judge). So he wrote her songs with that in mind. I wonder if an actress without vocal limitations will take the songs to places that they have not previously visited?

Will they have the 29 piece orchestra of South Pacific again? I think that they must or the first impression of the audience will be a negative one.

^ Stage visual from South Pacific

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^Will they have the 29 piece orchestra of South Pacific again?
YES and a cast of over 50!
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JUST READ THIS:

While touring orchestration sizes remain a concern, the past few years have seen an encouraging return to original, large orchestras in revivals of classics on Broadway. For example, the revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater, which played sold out shows for two years (2008-2010) used a 29-piece orchestra, as does the upcoming revival of The King and I (March 2015).
Local 802 member Ted Sperling is music director for The King and I and was also music director for South Pacific. “It takes a certain size to sound like ‘an orchestra’!” he explains. “You need a critical mass of string players, for example. Otherwise it sounds more like a chamber group or a pop band. You get an incredible sense of joy and excitement from a big orchestra. Interestingly, a large orchestra can also be very sensitive to accompanying singers. With a string section, you can have 15 people playing and still hear every word.”

According to Sperling, the orchestra size should relate to the production as a whole, and be in scale with the number of cast members. Scaling down that equation will lead to compromises that could sacrifice sound quality.

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Don't know if its been mentioned, but there's a discount code for mezz tickets for previews only, for $99. I bought tickets for the first preview with it yesterday as a gift for someone and I'm sure it's the last discount this show will see in 2015.

I just discovered Kelli O'Hara has a previously scheduled concert engagement the day for which I bought tickets. I'll be at the matinee, and I'm hoping she'll still be in given that the concert is only in Port Washington at 8 pm. I just really wish Telecharge had made that fact known upfront given that I imagine she's most definitely above the title. Do you think it'd be worthwhile trying to switch dates through them?

Jordan, where did you find the discount code? Thanks.

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