So, earlier this morning, I purchased a ticket to next year's revival of The King and I on May 1st. Looking forward to seeing it, as I've never actually seen the show performed on stage, just the movie.
I was trying to look up some video and clips of the 1996 revival, but all I could find was a short video of that production's Tony Award performance.
So, I thought I would ask those here who had seen the production what it was like, and what they remember the most about it.
I will start by echoing previous posts- DONNA MURPHY. We were underwhelmed by Lou Diamond Phillips, but we had my eleven-year-old niece at the performance and she still has the backstage door picture we took of her with Phillips on her dresser. The sets and costumes were scrumptious, the opening set with the arrival from the ship was breathtaking. I'm excited that you will be able to see Kelli O'Hara in what will surely be a Tony-nominated performance.
Donna Murphy and later on Faith Prince were both wonderful. The sets were glorious and a welcome change from the set being used for years in the Yul Brynner touring revival.
The scenic design was, and still is, breathtakingly beautiful and one of my all time favorite designs. There should be a picture book of the scenic progression of that production.
I LOVED this production. The sets and costumes were delicious. Ms. Murphy was wonderful and truly deserved the Tony for her performance over the egregiously, tho still fab, frontrunner.
I was surprised how much I liked Mr. Philips as the king, but who stole the show for me was Joohee Choi as Tuptim.
"Carson has combined his passion for helping children with his love for one of Cincinnati's favorite past times - cornhole - to create a unique and exciting event perfect for a corporate outing, entertaining clients or family fun."
Johee Choi's Tuptim is still so fresh in my mind, after nearly twenty years. She was spectacular and should have won the Tony.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
I had a great time at this production but had to voice a dissenting vote on the usually wonderful Faith Prince. Strangely miscast here, her voice had all the squeaks and hiccups left over from her time playing Adelaide in Guys and Dolls from 5 years before, utterly devoid of the necessary gravitas. So the lead performance was off, but that didn't stop the show from still being wonderful, probably for me the 2nd most beautiful score R&H ever wrote after Carousel.
I loved this production! Saw it numerous times. Donna Murphy was magnificent. I liked Lou Diamond Phillips and felt he got better with each performance I saw.
Hey Dottie!
Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
AC, I am haunted by Ms. Choi as well. It was the best year for supporting performances by ladies that I can remember. All were fantastic, and I remember seeing each show wondering "who the f*&? is that?!"
Joohee Choi in "The King and I" Veanne Cox in "Company" - stunning as Amy, heartbreaking and hilarious Idina Menzel in "Rent" - the only time I've truly loved her in a role Ann Duquesnay in "Funk/Noise" - AMAZING and I was happy when she won, but would've been happy with any of these four winning. She was actually a lead, however, imo.
"Carson has combined his passion for helping children with his love for one of Cincinnati's favorite past times - cornhole - to create a unique and exciting event perfect for a corporate outing, entertaining clients or family fun."
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
I echo everyone else's sentiments on here that it was a beautiful production from a design standpoint. Personally I found Donna Murphy very disappointing, however I think she was ill the night I saw it (or at least vocally strained) as she sounds much, much better on the recording than I remember her live. All in all a very solid production.
Phreak, Here is a link to one photo on the Facebook page for the current / recent Australia production of this staging... Browse around... Breathtaking. King & I Australia
It sounds like a beautiful production, and I hope next year's version will be just as wonderful.
I looked at those photos, and they do look gorgeous. However, my all time favorite set (based on photos I had seen) was the set for the production of The Secret Garden. Man, I wish I could have seen that.