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The King and I facts for kids

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The King and I
Brynner the King.jpg
Brynner in the original 1952 production
Music Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II
Book Oscar Hammerstein II
Basis Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon
Productions Broadway (1951)
West End (1953)
Movie (1956)
Awards Tony Award for Best Musical (1952)

The King and I is a famous two-act musical play. It tells a story based on the book Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. Richard Rodgers wrote the music, and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the story (called the "book") and the song words (lyrics). This musical even won a big award called the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1952!

The Story of The King and I

The musical is set in the 1860s in Siam, which is now called Thailand. It's about a British schoolteacher named Anna Leonowens. She travels to Siam to teach the many children of the King.

Anna and the King have very different ideas about how things should be done. Anna believes in modern Western ways, while the King wants to keep his country's traditions. Even though they argue a lot, they learn to respect each other.

The story explores themes of understanding different cultures and finding common ground. It also shows how people can change and grow when they are open to new ideas.

Famous Songs

The King and I has many popular songs. These songs help tell the story and show what the characters are feeling. Some of the most well-known songs include:

  • "Hello, Young Lovers"
  • "Getting to Know You"
  • "We Kiss in a Shadow"
  • "I Have Dreamed"
  • "Shall We Dance?"

These songs are loved by many people and are often performed in concerts and shows.

Original Productions

The musical first opened on Broadway in New York City. This happened at the St. James Theatre on March 29, 1951. It was a huge success and ran for 1,246 shows! That's more than three years.

The very first actors to play the main roles were Gertrude Lawrence as Anna and Yul Brynner as the King. John Van Druten directed the show. Jerome Robbins created the dances, which are called choreography.

West End and Movie

After its success in New York, The King and I also opened in London, England. It played at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, starting on October 8, 1953. This production ran for 926 performances.

In 1956, the musical was made into a movie by Twentieth Century Fox. Yul Brynner played the King again in the movie. The role of Anna was played by Deborah Kerr. The movie helped even more people around the world see and love The King and I.

Images for kids

  • SiamRoyals1875GeorgeEastmanHouseviaGetty

    King Mongkut (far right) with his heir Chulalongkorn seated next to him and some of his other children. A wife is seated at left.

  • King Mongkut and Prince Chulalongkorn

    Mongkut with Chulalongkorn, dressed in naval uniforms

  • R and H

    Rodgers (left) and Hammerstein

  • Jerome Robbins 1951

    Choreographer Jerome Robbins

  • Yul Brynner The King and I 1954

    Yul Brynner in the original production of The King and I

  • Gertrude Lawrence as Anna

    Gertrude Lawrence as Anna, in the Irene Sharaff-designed ball gown

  • New Haven song list

    Part of the Act I song list from the New Haven tryout

  • King 1977

    The King of Siam (Yul Brynner) presents (some of) his children to Anna (Constance Towers), in 1977

  • King dictates to Anna

    Lawrence as Anna takes dictation from the King (Brynner), 1951

  • Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence in stage musical The King and I

    Brynner and Lawrence perform "Shall We Dance?"

  • Stjamestheatre

    The King and I opened in 1951 at the St. James Theatre (seen in 2006).

  • Portrait of Zachary Scott, in The King & I LCCN2004663545

    Zachary Scott in the 1956 revival of The King and I

  • Brynner 1977 program

    Brynner on the 1977 program cover

  • Puzzlement

    Brynner in 1977: "Every day I do my best for one more day."

  • Hello Young Lovers

    "Hello, Young Lovers", 1977 cast: Towers as Anna; June Angela as Tuptim at right; Hye-Young Choi as Lady Thiang in front of other wives at left

  • Lawrence Brynner

    Lawrence as Anna and Brynner as the King from "Shall We Dance?", 1951

  • Brynner 1977

    Brynner in the 1977 Broadway production

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: El rey y yo (musical) para niños

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