Drury Lane Theatre is presenting the Tony Award-winning musical Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. Based on “Anna and the King of Siam” by Margaret Landon,” with music by Richard Rodgers, and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, The King and I was originally choreographed by Jerome Robbins.
The cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I includes Betsy Morgan (Anna Leonowens), Adam Jacobs (The King of Siam), Christine Bunuan (Lady Thiang), Paulina Yeung (Tuptim), Ethan LePhong (Lun Tha), Braden Crothers (Louis Leonowens), Nolan Maddox (alt. Louis Leonowens), Matthew Uzarraga (Prince Chulalongkorn), Karmann Bajuyo (The Kralahome) and Victor Holstein (Captain Orton/Sir Edward Ramsey). The ensemble includes Kristine Bendul, Chih-Jou Cheng, Mai Claypool, Hannah Fernandes, Albert Hsueh, Kenway Hon Wai K. Kua, Kevin Kulp, Anthony Christopher Milfelt, Nich O’Neil, Yuki Ozeki, Aurora Penepacker, Richel Mari Ruiz, Garrett Shin, Marissa Swanner, Ayana Strutz, and Michiko Takemasa. The child ensemble includes Avelyn Choi, Dante Garcia, Enzo Garcia, Elle Laroco, Vin Laroco, Rika Nishikawa, and Alexandrya Salazar.
Drury Lane’s production of The King and I is directed by Alan Paul with music direction by Tim Laciano and choreography by Darren Lee and runs April 1 – May 22, 2022, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The press opening is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
The production plays on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m, Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The Drury Lane Theatre is located at at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Single tickets range from $64 – $79. Wednesday and Thursday matinee tickets are $64, Thursday and Sunday evenings are $74, and Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees are $79.
British tutor Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam struggle with cultural differences after Anna arrives at the royal palace in Bangkok. Inspired by true events, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I is a tale of the human experience, exploring the historical intricacies of class, race, and politics in 1862. Featuring beloved songs like “Shall We Dance?” and “Getting to Know You,” this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic won 13 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical.
The creative team includes Alan Paul (Director), Tim Laciano (Music Director), Darren Lee (Choreographer), and Yuki Ozeki (Associate Choreographer). Additional creatives to be announced. The King and I is rated G. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm or online at DruryLaneTheatre.com
Broadwayworld: Photos: First Look At Adam Jacobs, Besty Morgan & More In Drury Lane’s THE KING AND I
Lia Chang is a Chinese-American actor, a multi-media content producer, an award-winning filmmaker, and a photo activist and documentarian, who lifts up and amplifies BIPOC communities and artists and the institutions that support them.
Lia moved to New York from her home in San Francisco when she was 17 years of age and made her stage debut as Liat in a national tour of South Pacific with Barbara Eden and Robert Goulet. She spent many years working extensively Off-Broadway, including Signature Theatre’s revival of Sam Shepard’s Chicago. Her film work includes Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and The Last Dragon. The decades of being viewed by others through the narrow lens of “Asian actor” in the industry brought Lia to a turning point, and she picked up her camera, determined to create awareness by documenting the work and the lives of her BIPOC colleagues, resulting in the creation of thousands of photographs and pieces of video. Her photo archives are housed in the AAPI collection in the Library of Congress’ Asian Reading Room under “Lia Chang Theater Portfolio collection,1989-2011” and in the “Lia Chang Photography Collection” in The Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library.
Lia’s awards include the 2000 OCA Chinese American Journalist Award and the 2001 AAJA National Award for New Media. She is also an AAJA Executive Leadership Graduate, a Western Knight Fellow at USC’s Annenberg College of Communications for Specialized Journalism on Entertainment Journalism in the Digital Age, a National Press Photographers Association Visual Edge/Visual Journalism Fellow at the Poynter Institute for New Media, and a Scripps Howard New Media Fellow at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
More recently, Lia co-founded Bev’s Girl Films, which makes films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. She executive produced and starred in the indie films Hide and Seek (AA Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Best Actress Nomination), Rom-Com Gone Wrong, and When the World Was Young (2021 DisOrient Film Audience Choice Award for Best Short Narrative).
A retrospective of Lia’s photographs will be on view at the Museum of the City of New York later this year, documenting her BIPOC colleagues and contemporaries in the performing arts, which will include photos of Prospect Theater Company artists at work. www.liachang.com, www.liachangphotography.com
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang 