Matthew Uzarraga, Michael Semanic, Zachary Uzarraga, Dylan M. Lainez, Sophia Woo, Alexis Aponte, Rika Nishikawa, Nicholas Dantes, Lilly Fujioka, Hannah Savella Photo

From: Photo Flash: Inside Opening Night of THE KING AND I at Marriott Theatre

The romantic and richly textured tale of East versus West, THE KING AND I, is now playing at The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL., where it opened on October 29, and will run through January 4, 2015. Nick Bowling (Juno and The Normal Heart at Timeline Theatre) makes his Marriott Theatre directorial debut with a fresh take on this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, merging history and romance with today's social and political issues. THE KING AND I takes audiences on an uplifting journey of the power of education as characters transform from instructor to students themselves, learning from one another in the process. In consultation with the Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute of Chicago, Bowling and Choreographer Tommy Rapley will explore ancient Siamese customs, dance and traditions, and bring them to life on stage.