The King and I

It was a very put together play. I was impressed by the lead role, loved her accent as well. I never saw The king and I movie so I don’t feel like I can give a fair enough review, or appreciated it as much as someone who did. The singing was amazing, what beautiful voices they had. Imo the 2^nd half was more interesting than the first. It dragged a bit, and I found myself dozing off at times. Maybe I just have a short attention span. I loved the lead woman though, I wanted her to be my mommy: p
I forgot to say my thoughts on the venue (theatre). You could pretty much see everything from every seat, except deep into the stage from the side seats. But even though I had the cheaper seats I could still see pretty much everything. They did try to make most of it at the center of the stage.
Now what bothered me about the place: You cannot take your drinks with you inside the theater, only bottled water. There was a sample mojito at the bar (in a large glass cup) and it looked great so I ordered one, but it came in a tiny plastic cup and for $ 16. It was good, however. It did suck that no drinks are allowed inside as I was bored. Also the bar area was closed and I couldn’t even go there if I wanted to through out the show (only to the bathroom). So I couldn’t go have a drink if I wanted to. It was so long and dragged on so I think they should allow people to go drink if they are bored of the show.

I went exactly a week ago during the 2 for 1 broadway ticket promotion for $ 71 (+$ 10 for the additional ticketing fees) and granted the seats were selected seating (near the back) the theater seatings were positioned very well. I was on the 2^nd floor in the aisle of row C with a very clear view of the performance and I felt this was very reasonably price since I enjoyed everything about it from the soundtrack, costumes, dances and the atmosphere. The story line is meaningful and touching. I felt that I appreciated and understood it more considering my age when I watched smaller productions of The King and I back in elementary school. Now as an adult I picked up more of the story than before. I highly recommend watching this broadway show!

My only issue with this show is the price (I took one star off as a result). When it premiered last year, the cheapest seats I could find for this show began at $ 140 and were near the back of the second floor loge. I saw and loved the movie, so I figured, what the hell, I can skip this show without issue. I managed get a 60% off ticket a few weeks ago and knew that I needed to take advantage before the weather turned into abject frozen hell.
The basic premise of this show is that a 19^th century English governess is helping the then King of Siam realize that without changing his view and desires, his country would no longer be his own nor would he have any country to leave to his 67 children.
Let me start with the fact that Kelli O’Hara’s (Anna) singing voice was full of more depth, range and emotion than Marni Nixon’s voice (dubbed) in the 1956 film adaptation. I realize Kelli O’ Hara is Broadway royalty but I purposely skipped seeing her in «Bridges of Madison County» the musical because who gave a shit about that movie?
Ms. O’Hara is the real deal. If you were motivated to pay full price seats, she does not carry the show alone but she is by far the Captain. I loved her British accent. I cannot speak as to what an old-​time British accent from an international governess should sound like but it was a hell of a lot more convincing than other British accents on Broadway (I’m looking at you «Kinky Boots»). I started crying when she wistfully sang «Hello Young Lovers.»
Lady Thiang (played by the brilliant Ruthie Ann Miles, aka Imelda Marcos from «Here Lies Love») did not have the same vocal strength as Tuptim (operatic level voice strength) or musicality of Ms. O’ Hara but her voice carried far and the pain felt by the head wife of a monarch experiencing a paradigm shift in light of European «civilization» was imbued throughout her performance. I felt Lady Thiang’s pain as she spent upwards of three hours worried for the fate of her King and her future King (her son, Prince Chulalongkorn, the oldest of the King’s dozens of progeny).
The two dozen children portraying the Princes and Princesses of Siam were wonderful, energetic, talented and had me laughing more than is healthy, considering the weighty nature of the show’s themes. Every player, from the King, to his Prime Minister and those players mimicking the silent acting of the Siamese version of «Uncle Tom’s Cabin» all possessed the talent and physicality that sold the show, but Ana & Lady Tiang were standouts in an otherwise stellar cast. There were no weak performances in this production. The story is timeless, the songs classic and I was not bored at any time during the staging.
The set dressing was not over-​the-​top (save for an old-​timey ship that protrudes well over the stage into the audience) for the first 20 minutes of the show and while I will say that the orchestra was rather small (I could see maybe 20 players) considering the sheer magnitude of the stage, the instrumentation was accurate and Rodgers & Hammerstein would have been proud of their accuracy. Again, if you are able to obtain Student Rush Tickets, LincTix, Broadway Box, TDF or other discounted tickets, see this show before its run concludes in June 2016.

I went here back in November 2015. I really enjoyed the show. It was funny and entertaining. What made it even better was that I got the lincx ticket (32 dollars for 21 – 35 tickets) and I sat in the front row. The actors and actresses did a great job. I was more impressed with Tuptim’s voice (played by Ashley Park) than the other lead actress. The King played by Hoon Lee did a great job as he was funny yet serious. Prince Chulalongkorn bothered me a bit with his facial expressions, but he still did a good job.
Since I sat in the front row, I got to see what the people in the orchestra did during the breaks. Two of them were playing chess. yet they were so quick to pick up their instruments during their parts. I was very entertained and impressed. The players in the orchestra band played really well!

Breathtaking!
This is truly one of my favorite musical play in prestige Lincoln Center.
We sat in the balcony with a view perpendicular to the stage. Thought for a second I was in heaven as the silences in the theater slowly transition into beautiful sounds.
The curtain was filled with this colorful and welcoming energy.
Oh my! The cast did an excellent job with their performances.
For three hours, I thought I was Anna, she perform in such a way that I felt as though she was inviting the audience into her soul.
Everyone sang with passion and brought their characters to reality in this magical story.
The children were precious and helpless yet so powerful.
I was swept off my feet and I must say the King’s character was filled with a bit of naughtiness, humor, and added value overall to life towards the end.
Even the gentlemen sitting next to me shed a tear or two…
You’ll not be disappointed if you’re a lover for Broadway shows!

AMAZEBALLZ, do not miss! Stellar performances and voices. BRAVO to all (except one smaller part was mediocre, but not a big deal).

Close from subway 1 line 66^th street station. The performance was just magnificent. I got an orchestra seat that was so close to the cast. The venue was not too big, creating a very intimate atmosphere. I did not have reservation, nonetheless asked the ticket availability at the box office 15 min prior to the start. I got lucky. There were some leftover tickets. I guess it does not hurt asking.

I recently went to this show and was so impressed by the set, the cast, the music, everything!
I had center seats in the last row which actually was fantastic as I had a great view of everything.
It’s an enjoyable story filled with humor, drama and beautiful cultural references. I highly recommend this musical.

This was an amazing production! Humor, great vocal performance, creative stage execution, et cetera, et cetera! This show had it all. Don’t be intimidated by the show’s length. The three hours flew by in a jiffy. This honestly is probably one of my favorite shows that I have seen on Broadway! I would definitely recommend checking it out.
The theater was perfect for this musical. I went and got student rush tickets and was placed in the first row of the balcony. I had no trouble seeing anything.
This show definitely left me wanting to see it again.

We absolutely loved it. It was smart, funny, in good taste. Actors were amazing. I want to see it again, and I rarely say it about plays!

Great musical and the Lincoln Center Theatre– what could be better??? I attended the matinée performance yesterday. It was wonderful! Kelli O’Hara is fantastic as always, the «new» king, Hoon Lee, was excellent, the «young lovers» were terrific (especially the male) and the children was adorable.
This theatre cannot be beat for seeing a show. I’ve seen many here, and I don’t think there is a bad seat in the house. For this performance I was lucky enough to be seated in the third row just left of the roll out stage. I was maybe eight feet away from «Anna» throughout the performance. Music, singing, and costumes were impeccable.
Only one little quibble, the audio could be better at the beginning of the show on the «ship» and at the end when the little children speak. Otherwise I have no complaints. Three hours flew by. Go, it’s a wonderful experience. I love Lincoln Center!

Was thoroughly surprised with this musical! Although they didn’t modernize the musical, I’m kind of glad. By seeing the past’s rendition of society, we really get to evaluate how far we’ve come. The story itself is pretty one-​dimensional, but by portraying it in today’s world, we can grasp a glimpse of the past.
The casting is excellent — from all of the Asian actors/​actresses/​dancers to Kelli O’Hara’s wonderful, powerful singing to Ruthie Ann Miles’ authenticity. The costume design is ornate and so intricate; every outfit is a work of art in itself.
The Beaumont theater is by far the best part of this musical. The theater is large and any seat in the house gets you a wonderful view of the stage. From the starting pure white curtains to the shifting ship, The King and I is a beautiful musical.
(Also, get the extended booklet! It’s donations based.)

Best musical/​opera/​performance I’ve seen. Was expensive but definitely a memorable experience. Go if you can.

This may be my favorite show yet. I have seen many over the years but this one was so much fun.
It was genuinely funny, the stage design was cool, the acting was great, and the singing was terrific. I especially loved the part of the show when the king’s newest (and unhappy) wife narrated a play she wrote as an adaptation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin: The small house of Uncle Thomas. It was hilarious and visually stunning.
I haven’t enjoyed a show this much since Book of Mormon and given the Rodgers and Hammerstein score, I think I liked this one even more. Go see it!

I was so excited for this musical because of: 1) the casting and 2) the Rodgers and Hammerstein soundtrack.
The casting was awesome. I’m so glad they cast Asian actors/​actresses. They were talented and amazing and I hope they all go far. Ken Watanabe (one of my crushes) was hilarious in terms of acting (got a bit exaggerated at times), although I couldn’t understand him a lot and his singing was alright.
The music was lovely as well. It took my straight back to my childhood Saturday evenings when I watched Tom and Jerry (which also featured similar 1950s classical-​jazz show tunes). This isn’t music that I’ll be listening to consistently on a daily basis of course, but it was a fun interlude to the songs that I normally encounter.
The musical was SO LONG. Maybe I was super tired or something before it started, but by the time we got to the second half, I felt my eyelids drooping shut. It felt like it lasted forever. I guess the writing style contributed to my exhaustion — this isn’t like the modern musical that is jam packed with action and singing. This one actually had a nice balance of dialogue and music. I just thought the plot line was drawn out a lot more than it needed to be.
So the parts that made me feel uncomfortable were the themes of: 1) female submissiveness and 2) Western disdain for Siam culture. (You can see the sociologist in me coming out now). Of course, these sentiments were all in the original text (as well as the slightly obnoxious play within a play that parodied Asian theater), so I guess it makes for an interesting reflection on how «we’ve progressed» (in quotes because it’s a lot more complicated than just that). But just as the directors chose to put Asian actors in the roles (which were traditionally done by Caucasians in yellow face), I sort of hoped that they could alter the original text by remedying the two problematic themes. Perhaps with sarcastic humor, or a more obvious portrayal of resistance — I’m not sure what they could have done, but I felt like they should have tried something. I was cringing a lot because of the content, and not a good kind of cringing, but the bad kind.
Theater space was beautiful, inside and outside. Highly recommend you check out a show in the Beaumont. The set design was one of my favorites so far. So wide and airy and powerful. Yet, everything moved so smoothly — I was taken away by the brilliance of it all.