The King and I
(The King and I)

Anna Leonowens is a new widow and with her son Louis they leave their native England for Siam (now Thailand). Anna agreed to become the teacher of the offspring of the King of Siam. The King is determined to bring his kingdom into the modern world and he believes Western education can be a part of it. Anna is initially horrified by the Thai traditions which are dear to the king. Both are struggling to find common ground. The king is considered a barbarian by Western rulers. He takes Anna as a counselor and asks her to help him change his image and the way he rules.
They learn from each other respect, tolerance and love that can transcend even the biggest differences.

Find the trailer for the London production which was showing at the London Palladium in 2018:

General information
  • Style : Romance, Classical, Family
  • Theme : Love, Vietnam, Family, Childhood
  • year of creation : 1951
Music
  • Composer :Richard Rodgers
  • Lyricist : Oscar Hammerstein II
  • Librettist : Oscar Hammerstein II
  • famous songs : "I Whistle a Happy Tune" "My Lord and Master" "Hello, Young Lovers" "March of the Royal Siamese Children" "A Puzzlement" "The Royal Bangkok Academy" "Getting to Know You" "We Kiss in a Shadow "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" "Something Wonderful" "Western People Funny" "I Have Dreamed" "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" (Ballet) "Song of the King" "Shall We Dance?" "Something Wonderful"
  • Famous performers : Barbra Cook, Laura Michelle Kelly, Angela Lansbury, Kelli O'Hara, Ramon Tikaram, Ken Watanabe, Peter Wyngarde, Ruthie Ann Miles, Ashley Park
kinships
  • Inspired by another work : The work is based on the novel Anna and the King of Siam which romanticizes the memoirs of Anna Leonowens.
  • Exists in film : There are several films but the best known remains that of 1956 directed by Walter Lang with Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner. The film won 5 Oscars.
Awards
  • Appointments and Awards : The musical won 5 Tony Awards in 1952. The 1999 revival received 4 Tony and 4 Drama Desk Awards. The 2015 revival with Kelli O'Hara won 4 Tony Awards.
  • Number of performances : 1246
Currently on stage