The King and I Revival
The King and I Revival
#1The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:16pm
I guess it's no suprise that a lot of people on here are extremely excited for the upcoming revival in March of 2015 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
The thing that's got me excited is not only the casting of Ken Watanabe as The King, and Bartlett Sher as the director, but the restoration of Jerome Robbins' choreography and Robert Russell Bennett's large orchestrations. With how amazing the South Pacific revival in 2008 turned out, I think we're in for something wonderful with this one.
Updated On: 7/23/14 at 12:16 PM
#2The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:17pmI agree. I also assume that the "A Puzzlement" reprise and "Western People Funny" will be restored/included.
#2The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:34pm
Yeah, it's about time those two songs came back. I think that Western People Funny is one of the underrated comic songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein, so it's Sher's choice to bring it back or not for this production.
When I start to think about it... Bartlett Sher could do wonders for a production of Follies.
#3The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:35pmIs Kelli the only one winning a Tony for this show, or is she one of many?
#4The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:40pm
I don't think so I think Watanabe might have a shot. Plus this is going to be done by not only Sher but his entire crew from South Pacific, so I think this revival could win many awards.
Updated On: 7/23/14 at 12:40 PM
dreaming
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/09
#5The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:42pmI must be the only one not excited about this show AT ALL. I'll see it once with my LincTix-and that will be all. I guarantee it. It's the same schtick out of Sher. I get it-he likes Kelli O'Hara.
#6The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:44pmI'm excited for this production as well, but let's calm down. It doesn't start performances for nearly 8 months. Let's not jump to awards it'll be winning just yet, please.
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
#8The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:46pmI can't WAIT for this revival. I hope that I'm able to make it back to NY when both K&I and On the Town are playing. What a treat to get two great classics being given lavish productions with original orchestrations in the same season.
#9The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:51pm
It's the same schtick out of Sher.
But we haven't seen it yet. And what IS his shtick? Casting someone in 4 out of his 8 Broadway productions does not seem like a shtick to me. Bernadette Peters doing 5 Sondheim shows on Broadway is a shtick too, right?
Updated On: 7/23/14 at 12:51 PM
#10The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 12:59pmI hope the scene transitions are just as wonderful as the South Pacific revival, that's one of my biggest hopes.
TalkinLoud
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/3/09
#12The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 1:47pmdreaming, you're so unexcited for this show that you're going to go see it?!
dreaming
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/09
#13The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 1:52pmI'm willing to give it a chance (partly because I can get a cheap ticket and partly because I like to have an opinion based on my own experience-doesn't mean I'm excited about it. There are 10,000 other shows I'd rather see revived. And maybe, just maybe something more daring than "The King and I".)
#14The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 1:59pm^You would rather want a revival that's more "daring" than The King and I? What do you have in mind? Personally I wouldn't mind a future revival of City of Angels.
dreaming
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/09
#15The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 2:04pmHeck, I'd rather have "City of Angels". I'm rather excited about "Allegro" at CSC to tell the truth. That's a daring piece (or it was when it came out-it was a flop-but it was ahead of its time and I wonder if it might now be more acceptable). I wish we could get out of the 'traditional American songbook' stuff. There has to be more out there. We need to dig deeper for rich, bold, daring material. I like "The King and I" but feel 'kinged' to death right now. And I guess I think it's predictable that we'll see Carousel next-with KELLI O'HARA as JULIE JORDAN because that hasn't been done yet.
#16The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 2:08pmActually, Kelli O'Hara has played Julie Jordan already in a concert version of Carousel a year ago. Personally she was good, not great (ala Shirley Jones) but still good enough.
holdyourbatboy
Stand-by Joined: 3/1/04
dreaming
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/09
#18The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 2:14pmVery funny. I'm hoping he'll get an opera singer who can hit the high notes. (Hui He)
#19The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 6:22pmSo far Sher has done a good job of casting the right people for his shows (well maybe Women on the Verge's casting is debatable). So I think he'll do a good job of casting the feautred roles to some very talented people.
mjohnson2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/2/13
#20The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 8:11pm
CATSNYrevival, I totally agree. The Lincoln Center artwork is always gorgeous and I love when new ones are revealed.
As for the revival, I have faith that it will be a proper revival of a really wonderful show, with amazing production values to boot, but I just wish that we could see another show than THE KIND AND I, because the last revival was only in 1996. In perspective, the LCT revival of CAROUSEL was in 1993, and I would rather see that or a revival of STATE FAIR or PIPE DREAM or ALLEGRO instead of another production of this show. Either way, it will still be a magical evening at the theatre (hopefully) so there isn't too much to complain about.
Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.
VIETgrlTerifa
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/18/04
#21The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 8:24pmI think the King and I is just a natural choice. One, it's been almost twenty years since the last revival. Two, the score holds up and has more broad-based appeal compared to other R&H musicals.
"I've got to get me out of here
This place is full of dirty old men
And the navigators and their mappy maps
And moldy heads and pissing on sugar cubes
While you stare at your books."
#22The King and I Revival
Posted: 7/23/14 at 9:22pm
An Allegro revival would be a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan's dream come true, not so much for Me & Juliet and Pipe Dream (which the former's book is Hammerstein's weakest book).
But the 1996 revival was a rather meh production to me, it lacks that certain spark that (from my guess) that the original production and the 1956 film had. So Bartlett Sher and his cast and crew will restore the progressive intent that Hammerstein, Robbins, and even John Van Druten intended just like how Sher restored the original intent of the South Pacific revival.
Updated On: 7/23/14 at 09:22 PM
#23The King and I Revival
Posted: 2/19/15 at 1:41amJust a bump for this thread seeing how the day of THE KING AND I's first preview performance is almost a month away.
#24The King and I Revival
Posted: 2/19/15 at 6:11amI was just thinking where the King and party will sit during the ballet. There are no box seats like in the last revival. Maybe on stage?
