Director-choreographer Marc Robin stages the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about a British teacher who brings English lessons (and notions of democracy) to 19th-century Siam.
Here is a look at the production:
York is best known for her critically acclaimed Broadway performances in City of Angels, Les Misérables, Victor/Victoria (Drama Desk Award), The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sly Fox and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. She recently starred in the Off-Broadway musical revue The Best Is Yet to Come, a collection of Cy Coleman songs.
The famous score of The King and I, which was first sung in 1951 by Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence, includes "Getting to Know You," "I Whistle a Happy Tune," "Hello Young Lovers" and "Shall We Dance?," among others. The cast of The King and I includes veterans of WST's Miss Saigon: Angelica-Lee Aspiras as Lady Thiang, Jeffrey Coon as Sir Edward Ramsay, Nina Crupiti, Janelle Dote, Adam Michael Kaokept, LaMae, JP Moraga, Manna Nichols as Tuptim and Jee Teo. Walnut veteran Greg Wood (Amadeus, Fallen Angels) returns to the Walnut as Captain Orton. Joining them are newcomers Rei Akazawa, Alan Ariano as The Kralahome, Andrew Cheng, Julian Marcus DeGuzmán, Austin Ku as Lun Tha, Paul HeeSang Miller, Yumiko Niimi, Rommel Pierre O'Choa, Rumi Oyama and Minami Yusui.
The youngest members of the cast are Noah Breymeier as Prince Chulalongkorn and Conrad Sager as Anna's son, Louis. The King’s many royal children are played by local child actors including Guiliana Alleva, Ian Bulack, Jessica Halili, Bella Le, Samantha Sam, Clarisse Surja, Marielle Barstow, Rachel Li Jordan, Aidan Killion, Jade Killion, Anna Kralik, Alyrica Lackey, Johanna Lackey, Lael Lackey, Phoebe Fitzmaurice Shean, Mackenzie Lee and Jenna Purviance.
Walnut Street Theatre is at 825 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets and information, call (215) 574-3550 or (800) 982-2787 or visit www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.
