The King And I

The King and I, one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best-loved musicals of the past 60 years lights up the Brisbane stage.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein are one of the best-known musical duos to ever grace Broadway, with their work headlining the “Golden Age” of musical theatre in the ‘40s and ‘50s. One of the many they produced together, The King and I, was their fifth collaboration and enjoyed an on-and-off run for over 60 years.   

The King and I was so successful, it made the rare transition into cinema, with Yul Brynner reprising his live role. The material is timeless, the music is sophisticated and reachable, and both reasons are enough for the Queensland Performing Arts Center (QPAC) to breathe new life into it. It’s being presented by Opera Australia and John Frost, which already signifies this show will be a force to be reckoned with.    

But instead of content to rest with an already stellar premise, the Brisbane production of The King and I is focused on bringing generations together by starring a total of 27 Queensland kids, all within the 5 to 13 age range.

When so many productions are content to market themselves to a very narrow demographic, The King and I sees the value in taking an enduring story and creating something that everyone who watches it can relate to.

It’s also the kind of production where anyone can see it and enjoy it, from long-time musical theatre aficionados to those new on the scene. Songs such as “I Whistle a Happy Tune”, “Shall We Dance?”, “Hello, Young Lovers”, and “Getting to Know You” are not only toe-tappingly contagious, but they contribute to one of the most memorable scores in musical theatre and cinema history.

Putting their powerful voices behind them are four-time Gold Logie winner Lisa McClune (playing Anna Leonowens) and baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes (playing the King), both of whom are reuniting from having recently toured with South Pacific.

And when you get this stellar of a cast and production team behind The King and I, it’s almost a crime to let it run with even one empty seat in the house.

Buy tickets here

Need to know: From Apr 22-Aug 22 the QPAC car park is closed for refurbishment.