The beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein classic that whisked Broadway audiences to 1860s Siam gets an extra splash of colour in Stephen Bulla’s Symphonic Highlights from The King and I. Bulla distils three show-stoppers—“March of the Siamese Children,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” and “Shall We Dance?”—into a nine-minute travelogue that glides from pentatonic pageantry to Viennese-style waltz-mania while sprinkling the wind band with temple blocks, finger cymbals, and clarinet glissandi that wink at the Thai ranat ek xylophone. The original 1951 musical, itself based on Anna Leonowens’ memoir of tutoring King Mongkut’s many offspring, swept five Tony Awards and later spawned the 1956 film whose star, Yul Brynner, won an Oscar for the same role—one of only ten performers ever to do so. Bulla’s suite keeps that East-meets-West charm alive for modern ears, and Kelvin Grove Wind Orchestra will serve it hot. Bring your imagination—and maybe a silk fan for the waltz finale. From Memoir to Musical Legend Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II adapted Leonowens’ adventures from Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, premiering The King and I on Broadway in March 1951; it went on to win five Tonys, including Best Musical. The 1956 film remake, starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner, garnered nine Oscar nominations, with Brynner taking home Best Actor. Over 4,600 stage performances later, Brynner had become synonymous with King Mongkut, cementing the show’s global cachet. When we land our final unison chord, you’ll swear you’ve danced the length of a royal ballroom—no passport, no jet-lag, just Rodgers & Hammerstein’s evergreen magic in surround sound. Cue the applause, or as they say in Siam: khob khun ka! Tickets available for Kings and Queens at 2pm this Sunday August 31 via the yellow button below or visit www.kgwo.org.au. |
