What is the best recording of the King and I?

[broadwaybabytn]

Buying one for a Christmas present, just wanted some outside opinions.

[maila]

the Hollywood Studio Cast recording with julie andrews as anna, ben kingsley as the king, lea salonga as tuptim, peobo bryson as luntha and marilyn horne as lady thiang.

[wickedfan]

If you can find it, the London recording with Elaine Paige is wonderful.

[blaxx]

I think Donna Murphy can do no wrong.

[CATSNYrevival]

I like the revival recording with Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Phillips. For my itunes playlist I just inserted "Small House of Uncle Thomas" from the London recording with Elaine Paige.

[madbrian]

Wait to see if the current production running in Philadelphia gets recorded. I'd take Rachel York over anyone.

[lovesclassics]

madbrian,

As much as I love your thought, I can't imagine Walnut St ever making a recording of the current production. Bartlett Sher will just have to cast York in his revival if it ever comes to pass!

I vote for the Julie Andrews recording. A collector's item for sure.

Have you seen this video, mb?
Rachel York Video

[bwayphreak234]

The recordings with Elaine Paige and Donna Murphy are both fantastic. I also love the recording with Barbra Cook and Theodore Beikel.

[marknyc]

The Julie Andrews version uses the orchestrations from the film, so you get the best of both worlds.

[best12bars]

I'm really partial to the film soundtrack with Marni Nixon, but that's because I grew up on it. She sounds fantastic and the orchestra is the best.

[Smaxie]

Seems like everyone has a different answer! And I'll do the same. My fave is the 1977 revival recording with Yul Brynner and Constance Towers.

[ljay889]

^ I quite enjoy the 1977 recording as well. It's a treat having "Western People Funny" and "A Puzzlement" reprise.

[TimesSquared]

Add my vote for the 1977 version. It was a lavish and gorgeous production, and the recording is (something) wonderful.
Brynner was brilliant. He was 57, but looked 20 years younger.

[mikey2573]

The 1977 revival recording is gorgeous! And it has Brynner as the King so you can' t go wrong (not to mention the exquisite Towers as Anna).
As close as to perfection as you can get.

[Musical Director 109]

My vote also goes to the 1977 revival recording.

[South Fl Marc]

I agree with the 77 recording. Martin Vidnovic is especially wonderful singing "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in the Shadows".

[LMcC95]

Is the 2015 recording good? I just saw the show on tour in SF and I want to buy one of the recordings but having a hard time choosing one. 

[OlBlueEyes]

Just to throw in one for the home team, The King & I was written for Gertrude Lawrence and the OBC is a memorial to her final role before diagnosis with cancer forced her to leave a short way into the show's run.

It's a shame that they could fit so little material on those 33 1/3 LPs.

The OBC might make a good 2nd string recording to have for Gertrude and historical reasons.

[ozjust4]

Gonna have to cast my vote to the 2015 one.

[Theater_Nerd]

Funny I just stumbled upon this thread in the middle of doing some research on the various productions of "The King and I". I came across this very sexy promotional photo with Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence from the original Broadway production and I just have to share it!

 

 

[Theater_Nerd]

Oh, I almost forgot! I consider the 1977 Broadway Cast Recording to be one of the best - - - if not THE best recording of the score. Martin Vidnovic and June Angela are winning as "Lun Tha" and "Tuptim". Angela especially impresses. She reaches notes in "My Lord and Master" that are thrilling. I believe she was the youngest actress ever cast in the role. She had just come off a long stint as part of the kids singing group, "The Short Circus" on the PBS children's program, "The Electric Company" where she shared screen time with Rita Moreno who played "Tuptim" in the 1956 motion picture. 

 

[TNick926]

Yul Brynner may have been one of the sexiest men who ever lived! (IMHO)... :)

[Mr. Nowack]

I must be the only person alive who prefers the 1964 Lincoln Center cast album. I just love that orchestra.

[OlBlueEyes]

I heard an anecdote once, that when The King and I was trying out in Connecticut the audience response was very flat. One night after a performance Yul and Gertrude went out to a diner for something to eat. They looked up at each other knowingly, as if each knew what the other was thinking, They agreed that one thing was lacking from the show. Beginning the next night they added the element of sexual attraction.

I wish I could remember if the source was a reliable one.

[OlBlueEyes]

Now that I think about it, the source was probably Yul Brynner himself. After he discovered that he was dying of lung cancer, he and his wife launched a public crusade to warn off others from smoking. He was frequently interviewed, and I believe that the story of The King and I in Connecticut came from these interviews.