Set in 1860's Bangkok and based on Margaret Landon's novel, "Anna and the King of Siam" and the life of Anna Leonowens, The King and I is the story of Anna, a British woman who has been hired by King Mongkut to teach his children and wives about western ways. Although they experience a rough start in their relationship (mostly due to cultural differences), they eventually fall in love. It is a moving story of acceptance, cultural diversity and the unlikely pairing of a man and woman from opposite backgrounds.
1946 saw the first movie version of this story by 20C Fox drama starring Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison. A second movie, in 1956, became the classic big screen production of The King and I. It starred Yul Brynner as the King and Deborah Kerr as Anna. This story was revived in a lavish big screen production in December of 1999 under a new title, "Anna and the King", and starred Hollywood legend, Jodie Foster as Anna with the relatively unknown Chow Yun Fat as the King. This production was reviewed as being somewhat slow but with an authenticity for the time and some of the most beautiful scenery ever produced. Even more recently, an animated version has surfaced, written by Peter Bakalian, Jacqueline Feather and David Siedler, showing the appeal that this timeless romance story has maintained.
On the Broadway stage, the King and I made its live debut to audiences at New York's St. James theatre in March of 1951 and ran for 1246 performances. Broadway's first production starred Gertrude Lawrence as Anna and relative newcomer, Yul Brynner as King Mongkut. It is this role, which Brynner re-created in the film opposite Deborah Kerr, that made him famous. Yul Brynner's name is now synonymous with the King and I. This Broadway production took several of the 1952 Tony awards including best musical, best actress in a musical, best actor in a musical, best costumes and best scenic design. On April 11, 1996, Marie Osmond and Kevin Gray opened in a revival production of The King and I. Later, Lou Diamond Philips took over the role of the King on Broadway. Soon, a touring production starring Hayley Mills and Vee Talmadge took to the road, allowing audiences all over America the opportunity to witness another live stage production of this beloved story.
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