Musical Director Frederick Dvonch
About Rodgers and Hammerstein
When The King And I opened on March 29,1951, at the St.James
Theatre in New York it was the consensus that the team of Richard
Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had achieved another triumph of
collaboration. "The boys have done it again" was the tribute of
Broadwayto the joint creators of "Oklahoma", "Carousel" and "South
Pacific." I the line of it's illustreous predecessors, "The King And
I" was something more than a musical. It was , in the truest sense, a
musical play, a drama that was both serious and humourous, a form
that differing from the European tradition, could be regognized and
classified as American opera. First-nighters pointed out that it was
a pleasant coincidence that "Oklahoma" opened at the same theatre
exactly eight years before and ran for years to sell-out
audiences.
About "The King And I"
"The King And I" was based on
Margaret Landon's "Anna and the King
of Siam." It is the story of a young English widow (Gertrude
Lawrence) who has been brought to the Orient in order to impart
Western culture to the king's court. She manages not only to educate
the king's numerous wives and his even more numerous childrhildren -
some 67 of them - but the king himself (Yul Brynner) - a stubborn,
half-tyrannical, half childish, but surprising, charming and always
fascinating individual. The essence of the drama is the struggle
between the two leading personalities-the hoop-skirted, genteel but
firm-minded teacher and the semi-barbaric, inflexible but curiusly
"scientific" monarch.Apart form the semi-political, semi-romantic
duel between the principals, the play is full of unexpected incidents
which are not only exciting but touching. There is real pathos in the
subsiduary plot, a tragig love story of the beautiful slave Tuptim
(Doretta Morrow), there is genuine comedy in the schooling of the
ruler's multiple offspring; and there is avital dignity in the
character of Lady Thiang (Dorothy Sarnoff), the king's head wife.
In common with the best of Rodgers and
Hammerstein, the music is perfectly integrated with the play. The
songs are not mere "numbers" designed to be hit tunes, although they
have attained national popularity, but emerge naturally from the
action of the drama and the quality of the characters. Thhe music,
instrumental as well as vocal, not only illuminates the play, but is
an imperative part of it. It is not necessary to see the rich, Far-
Eastern colours and witness the delicately bizarre rituals to delight
in some of Richard Rodgers' warmest and happiest of melodies. The
score is a succession of gracious and engratiating tunes.
Particularly spirited are the opening "I Whistle A Happy Tune," the
wise and psychologically witty "Shall I Tell You What I Think Of
You?" and the haunting waltz "Hello Young Lovers," all of which are
sung by Gertude Lawrence. Scarcely less enjoyable are the captivating
concerted numbers such as the tart but sprightly "March Of The
Siamese Children" and the whimsical "Getting To Know You." For
critical connoisseurs as well as mere music lovers there are the
deeply moving measures of "Something Wonderful," sung by Dorothy
Sarnoff, the poignent "My Lord And Master," sung by Doretta Morrow,
the echoing "We Kiss In A Shadow" and the pursuasive and memorable
duet, "I Have Dreamed" rendered by Doretta Morrow and Larry Douglas,
the philosophically teasing "A Puzzlement," sung by Yul Brynner, and
the brilliantly vivacious "Shall We Dance?" which brings the whole
thing to a high-spirited climax. Altogether this a score to relish
... and remember. notes by Louis Untermeyer
Gertrude Lawrence is one of the great ladies of the theatre. She
has been a vivid personality ever since sh first faced an American
audience in "Charlotte's Review." Before crossing the Atlantic she
had served her theatrical apprenticeship in England. Originally a
dancer, she graduated to singing parts, then to speaking roles, and
made theatrical history when she was paired with Noel Coward in
"Private Lives." The assi=ociaion extended to another celebrated
production, "Tonight At Eight Thirty," a series of nine varied one-
act plays which gave Miss Lawrence an excellent opportunity to
display her almost incredible versatility. This was followed by
another series of successes; "Susan and God," "Skylark" and "Lady In
The Dark." During the war Miss Lawrence was a Lieutenant in the Red
Cross Motor Corps, Colonel in the American Ambulance Corps, and
Vice-President of the American Theatre Wing. She toured the Pacific
as well as France and Belgium, with her own U.S.O company. In 1946
she turned author and published her autobiography, "A Star
Danced"
Yul Brynner has been seen by New York audiences in only one other
production. That was in 1945-6 when he played the male lead opposite
Mary Martin in "Lute Song." That occasion was just one more patch in
the colourful crazy-quilt of his background. Born in the Far-East,
Brynner was educated in France. He quit school in his early teens,
and accompanying himself on the guitar, became a night club singer.
He then joined the circus as-of all things-an acrobat and then
perfected himself in the art of pantomime. Brynner next entered the
legitimate theatre as an apprentice with the famous repertory company
of Georges and Ludmilla Pitoeff. Here he did everything from building
scenery and making props to playing leads. In his spare time he
studied at the Sorbonne, and was graduated with a degree of Bachelor
of Science and Philosophy. During the was he was an announcer and
commentator for the United States Government. A pioneer in
television, Yul Brynner was engaged as a TV director and directed the
well-known Studio One and other shows. notes by
Louis Untermeyer from the Original Cast Album
OVERTURE
I WHISTLE A HAPPY TUNE
MY LORD AND MASTER
HELLO YOUNG LOVERS
MARCH Of THE SIAMESE CHILDREN
A PUZZLEMENT
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
WE KISS IN A SHADOW
SHALL I TELL YOU WHAT I THINK Of YOU
SOMETHING WONDERFUL
I HAVE DREAMED
SHALL WE DANCE?
All these tracks were transferred with a special digital
high definition process for full, clearer, more natural sound by
Mickey Clark
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