The King and I for Rockdale
Rockdale Musical Society presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I from 3-12 March 2017 at Rockdale Town Hall.
The production features a cast of almost 60 actors, singers and dancers – including 26 children - as well as a full orchestra, all set in the 19th century royal palace of Bangkok.
Set in the 1860s, the tale of East meets West is based on the true story of English schoolteacher Anna Leonowens and her experiences in the court of the King of Siam (now Thailand). Newly widowed, Leonowens sets sail for Bangkok with her son Louis to take up a position as teacher to the King’s children - all part of the King's drive to modernize his country. Anna and the King (patronised as a ‘barbarian’ by western leaders) struggle to find common ground. With both keeping a firm grip on their respective traditions and values, Anna and the King teach each other about understanding, respect, and love that can transcend the greatest of differences. Beneath the fraught, fiercely opinionated, conflict-ridden surface of Anna and the King’s relationship lies one of the most unique love stories in the musical theatre repertoire. There is humour, romance, drama and its well-known songs include "Whistle A Happy Tune", "Hello Young Lovers", "Getting To Know You", "Something Wonderful" and "Shall We Dance?".
The original award-winning Broadway season featured Gertrude Lawrence and a young Yul Brynner in the main roles, Deborah Kerr later playing Anna in the equally successful movie. Brynner won the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance (to add to the actors’ and the movie’s multiple Tony Awards).
Directing this production is Cathy Boyle, with musical director Ian Buchanan and choreographer Keely Soulsby.
Boyle says The King and I is all about beauty.
“We have over 130 beautiful period costumes, a beautiful and ingenious set (designed by Bob Beet) that allows us to suggest the very many locations in this musical. Plus a dream team that includes two full casts of children, wonderful singers and dancers and principals who are – as needs be in this show – terrific actors.”
The King and I stars Stephen Halstead as The King, Charmaine Gibbs as Anna, Tisha Kelemen as Lady Thiang, Ed Mafi as Kralahome, Max Fernandez as Louis, Ellis Pinkerton as Chulalongkorn, Natalie Rose Cassaniti as Tuptim, Jeremy Boulton as Lun Tha, Michael Norris as Captain Orton, Paul Adderley as Sir Edward Ramsay, Haji Myrteza as the Priest and Dean McGrath as Phra Alack. Elizabeth Carter, Hannah Chin, Marianne Hidi, Minh Huynh, Ana Lawford, Anne-Lise Le, Theresa Lundberg, Georgia McLinden, Jade Montalvo, Shaan Patel, Annabelle Radford, Melissa Stewart, Sarah Topfer, Julia Voccaro play wives and Amazons; and Alexander Alkhair, Oliver Alkhair, Sibelle Altiparmak, Alissandra Alvarez, Aisha Amesbury, Alyssa Bishara, Tiana Bishara, Billie-Rose Brotherson, Ava Crewes, Heather Donnelly-Debski, Eva Heaney, Tatiana Heaney, Amy Hummerston, Annabelle Johnson, Emily Johnson, Bella McLachlan, Estelle Nunes, Jayna Patel, Tarsha Phelan, Jackson Rouvas, Talena Saumitonga, Stephanie Swords and Jenny Zhao are the King’s Children! Plus the ballet in the famous Siamese rendering of Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Jacqueline Chang as Eliza, Joseph Nalty as King Simon, Jordy Williams as the Angel, Sibelle Altiparmak as Little Eva, Georgia McLinden as Topsy and Estelle Nunes as Buddha.
THE KING AND I
Rockdale Town Hall, cnr Princes Highway & Bryant Street, Rockdale
Friday 3rd March 8pm | Saturday 4th March 2pm & 8pm | Sunday 5th March 2pm
Friday 10th March 8pm | Saturday 11th March 2pm & 8pm | Sunday 12th March 2pm
Tickets $40 | Conc & groups 8+ $34 | Children <12 $30 | Family $110 (plus $1.50 booking fee)
Bookings and more information www.rockdalemusicalsociety.com
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