, who earned a Tony Award for the 2008 Lincoln Center Theater Broadway revival of South Pacific, directs The King and I, which will officially open April 16.
O'Hara (The Bridges of Madison County, South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza) stars as Anna Leonowens opposite Watanabe in his Broadway debut as the King of Siam. A 29-piece orchestra is featured.
Here Lies Love stars and join them as Lady Thiang and Lun Tha, respectively. The principal cast also includes (Mamma Mia!) as Tuptim, (Peter and the Starcatcher) as Sir Edward Ramsey, (A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Prince Chulalongkorn, (South Pacific) as Captain Orton, Jakes Lucas (Newsies) as Louis, Paul Nakauchi (Chu Chem) as Kralahome and Marc Oka (Anything Goes) as Phra Alack. Also featured are , , , , LaMae Caparas, , , , , , , , MaryAnn Hu, , Christie Kim, , , , , Rommel Pierre O鈥機hoa, , , , , , , , , , Lainie Sakakura, , , , , , Christopher Vo, and .
The revival has choreography by Tony Award winner (South Pacific, Newsies) based on the original choreography by . The original orchestrations are also being used with dance and incidental music arranged by Trude Rittmann.
{image-2} The King and I reunites Sher with his Tony-winning South Pacific creative team, including scenic designer , costume designer , lighting designer , sound designer and musical director . Casting is by Telsey + Company/Abbie Brady-Dalton, CSA.
O'Hara's history with Lincoln Center Theater includes the Sher-directed productions of The Light in the Piazza and South Pacific. She most recently collaborated with Sher on The Bridges of Madison County. Her stage appearances also include Sweet Smell of Success, and Nice Work If You Can Get It.
The King and I marks Watanabe's American stage debut. His film work includes "The Last Samurai," "Inception," "Letters from Iwo Jima," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Batman Begins" and "Godzilla." His Japanese theatre credits include Dialogue with Horowitz, Hamlet, Shitayamannen-cho monogatari, The Lion in Winter and The Royal Hunt of the Sun.
The and musical, based on the life of Anna Leonowens as well as Margaret Landon's 1944 novel "Anna and the King of Siam," includes classics such as "Hello Young Lovers," "I Whistle A Happy Tune," "Shall We Dance?" and "Getting To Know You."
The original production opened March 29, 1951, at the . It starred and and ran for 1,246 performances. The King and I has been revived on Broadway three times; the most recent production starred and .
According to LCT, "Set in 1860's Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the imperious King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children."
Visit .
Visit .
