Morrison Theatre to Present THE KING AND I, 11/11-12/4

The Douglas Morrisson Theatre in Hayward will once again present the all-time favorite Rodgers and Hart musical The King and I. The show, which opened the Morrisson in 1979 when it was named The Little Theatre, has been one of the most requested shows by audiences over the years, and was most recently mounted at the Morrisson in 1994. The upcoming production, directed by Sue Ellen Nelsen and starring T.K. Armstrong as The King and Anna Cook as Anna, will open on November 11 and run through December 4.

The musical, written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, is based on the novel "Anna and the King of Siam," written by Margaret Landon in 1946. The novel in turn was inspired by the real-life memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who served as governess at the court of King Rama IV (also known as King Mongkut) from 1862 to 1867. The King and I premiered on Broadway in March of 1951, starring Gertrude Lawrence as Anna and Yul Brynner as The King, and won Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actress (Lawrence) and Best Featured Actor (Brynner). Although Lawrence died of cancer a year and a half later, the show had a Broadway run of over three years, with 1,246 performances, before embarking on a national tour.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $20 for juniors and students, and special prices are available for groups of ten or more. The Douglas Morrisson Theatre is located at 22311 N. Third St. in Hayward, next to the Senior Center and the Japanese Gardens. The Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 12:30 to 5:30 and can be reached at (510) 881-6777. Additional information is available at www.dmtonline.org.

The Douglas Morrisson Theatre is owned and operated by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, and is funded by the property taxes of the people who live in the Hayward, Castro Valley, and San Lorenzo areas, as well as other portions of unincorporated Alameda County. The theatre operated under The Little Theatre name until 2003 when it was renamed the Douglas Morrisson Theatre.