Broadway ‘The King and I’ revival comes to London
LONDON: A Broadway revival of the 1951 Rodgers & Hammerstein musical “The King and I” comes to a London stage this summer with Japanese actor Ken Watanabe and Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara reprising their roles from the New York production.
A 2015 adaptation of the musical, which tells the story of British school teacher Anna arriving in 1860s Bangkok to tutor the children of the King of Siam, had a successful run on the American stage, winning praise from critics and four Tony Awards.
Under director Bartlett Sher, it now heads to the London Palladium for a limited run, with O’Hara as Anna and “Inception” and “The Last Samurai” actor Watanabe reprising the part of the king.
“It’s like putting on an old glove, a really beautiful one,” O’Hara told Reuters in an interview about reprising the role.
“I don’t think that we assume that because it was a success on Broadway it will be a huge success on the West End, but I do feel like we have the security of having built something that we are proud of.”
The original Broadway show by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II won Russianborn actor Yul Brynner a Tony Award for his portrayal of King Mongkut. He later picked up an Oscar for the 1956 film version.
Asked if they would like to star in a film remake of the musical, Watanabe said: “Hopefully, yes”
O’Hara said: “Yes, yes, absolutely. It’s due for a revival of a movie I think. Yes, why not?” — Reuters