The King and I (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Tamper too much with the basic appeal of this show and it capsizes. Mr. Sher sheds a light that isn’t harsh or misty but clarifying. He understands very well what makes the show work, and he delivers it clean-scrubbed and naked, allowing us to see 'The King and I' plain. He understands very well what makes the show work, and he delivers it."
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"While this production possessed many virtues when it debuted last spring, a lightly bantering current of sexual attraction was not among them. But what a difference a king makes...Something exciting is going on at the Vivian Beaumont, a richly reimagined classic had assumed even fuller dimensions."
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"'The King and I' arrives like the ship that heaves into the Beaumont stage: a majestic vessel, bringing many wonderful things. Sher directs with palpable respect and a care to avoid orientalist humbug...You marvel at the sophistication of the theme: intercultural change and evolution. This 'King and I' speaks a universal language of love."
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" An astonishing achievement..too beautiful to miss...It does expand the concept of a love story to include relationships that are impossible. In exploring them, Sher’s production is the frankest, and sexiest, I’ve ever seen. It is also the saddest. Our era allows him to show plainly what even its authors could only suggest."
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"The mutual fascination and eternal struggle for understanding across the cultural divide between East and West is played out on a magnificent scale in Lincoln Center Theater's breathtaking revival. Director Sher banishes even the faintest trace of patronizing exoticism from the material, treating the 1951 classic with unimpeachable dramatic integrity and emotional authenticity that are equaled by this landmark production's exquisite musicianship and vocals. "
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"If you’re quite sure of the lengths that can be achieved on Lincoln Center's stage, you’ll need to think again after witnessing Bartlett Sher’s breathtakingly appointed take on 'The King and I'...Judiciously stops short of fetishizing Eastern culture...It has boosted the overall theme of intersocietal behavior and respect...Sher’s intents seem to sway the story back to a uniquely feminist state of mind."
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"”The production itself, with its operatic sweep and opulent aesthetic, is the star of its own show. ...The show’s still pertinent theme: the dissonant dynamic when Western civilization tries to assert its values on Eastern cultures. That cultural dialogue is at the heart of this absolutely stunning show. "
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"'The King and I' presents three major problems: the scenic requirements, Yul Brynner’s legendary star turn, and the writer portrayed the King of Siam as a spoiled man-child. Director Bartlett Sher’s solution: cast an Asian actor in Brynner’s role while simultaneously underlining the show’s proto-feminist aspect...The results: I doubt I’ll see a better production of 'The King and I' in my lifetime."
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"The splendid new production of 'The King and I' is everything you could want from a professionally polished production of a masterwork —lavishly designed, meticulously directed by Bartlett Sher, and magnificently performed by a heaven-sent cast of perfectionists who blend and collate like a family in love."
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"Now comes 'The King And I', in one of the most elegantly beautiful and beautifully sung productions I’ve ever seen, and the Beaumont looks like a living treasure chest for a director with the right vision and a company that can command a vast space and make it feel like your living room...This production exudes class. It’s all a feast for the eyes as much as for the ears."
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"You can’t overstate how stunningly beautiful, how achingly well sung this new revival of 'The King and I' is...The music is simply divine. The cast appears to be just as transported as we are, their voices ringing with heartfelt emotion. So strong is the rest of this show that, even with a relatively weak performance by the king, you’re still getting the royal treatment."
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"Something wonderful happens quickly in 'The King and I'...This splendid revival emerges as majestic and intimate simultaneously...Grandeur and grace fill each scene and song...'The King and I' endures for its beauty and ambition."
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"'The King and I' holds up incredibly well as a piece of drama. The songs are beautiful, the characters are complex and its themes of democratization, cultural miscommunication and gender inequality are timely. Sher's production is generally impressive and satisfying."
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"Sher’s production deftly mines the many layers embedded within. Choreographer Christopher Gatelli’s ballet for 'Small House of Uncle Thomas' seizes on the darkness and beauty of the culture. Everyone in this immense company performs to perfection."
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"Director Bartlett Sher has brought 'The King and I' thrillingly to life for a new generation. With outstanding performances from his cast, Sher brings the grandeur of opera to this mounting...Those looking for a time-honored Broadway musical realized on a grand scale could do no better."
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"Their sparring match is at the true heart of any production of this show, and it’s a little bit of a rocky fight for a while…But somewhere in the second act, as their characters’ hearts begin to melt for each other – and so do ours - these performers simply sail into the theatrical stratosphere…If you’re not sniffling a little at the final curtain, you may need a heart transplant yourself!"
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"From the very first moments of Lincoln Center’s ravishing 'The King and I,' it feels like a privilege just to be sitting in the audience...And so it goes, each scene flowing seamlessly, and splendidly, into the next, allowing for the breathtaking spectacle this musical deserves...However, the ballet brings home a fact that is hard to deny: It encourages us to identify with the prevailing world view – that European morality and culture are superior to any other."
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"This 'King and I' is excellent...The production has the epic sweep that the authors intended...Sher and his leading players also investigate undercurrents of romance and physical attraction which were not evident in the original production...Sparks fly."
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"Sher once again reveals the musical’s own enormous qualities without imposing an arbitrary interpretation..Seven years, it’s too long to wait for another reunion of Rodgers and Hammerstein, LTC, and Sher."
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"There are moments in 'The King and I' that may leave you grinning so hard your face will hurt. Then suddenly, without warning, you'll be fighting off tears...'The King and I' still has much to tell us about our differences and shared interests — about all the beautiful and new things we can learn from each other."
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"Director Bartlett Sher's sweepingly romantic production aches with deep, unforced understanding of the story's East/West cultural divide while luxuriating in the sumptuous pleasures of the classic...Nothing overshadows the staggering wealth of the songs...How good to be getting to know the show all over again."
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"Anna is summoned by the king to help modernize Siam. Her impact ends up being more personal than expected -- that’s a notion the musical presents eloquently...'The King and I' requires a regal, charismatic leading lady, and it has one who's just about perfect."
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"'The King and I' is getting an elegant, thoughtful revival courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater. There's an opulent, almost operatic feel to this production, and the music and dancing are richly presented...the production feels fresh and yet familiar, too."
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"This musical is so glorious that I was moved to tears on a few occasions...By the closing number, I was weeping for the beauty of it all — that I get to sit in a beautiful theater on a hot July afternoon and watch some of the best stage artists in the country present a fully realized, perfect incarnation of a classic show. It made me feel lucky to be alive. Theater, folks! It’s a powerful thing."
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"Lincoln Center has done it again. The organization has revived 'The King and I,' and it is a sumptuous and majestic production. Everything about the show is grand, from the musical’s opening to the enormous cast to the towering sets. This is how to experience a Rodgers and Hammerstein production."
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"Plotwise, 'The King and I' is a bit wanting, particularly in the first act…But you may have forgotten how many gorgeous songs it contains…O’Hara is a beautiful singer and as an actress she shares with Julie Andrews the gift for being able to toggle easily between withering brusqueness and sweet delicacy…'The King and I' is a model of how a musical can be borne aloft, rather than dragged down, by its sociological themes."
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"A sumptuous production...Sher's vision subtly augments tradition...This remains a production in which all aspects have been satisfyingly thought out, and a work that stands the test of time."
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"This production is beautiful. It’s a piece of classic musical theatre done in a stunningly simple and simply stunning way...Go see 'The King and I' for the exquisitely staged and performed 'Shall We Dance' that will bring tears to the eyes of even the most hardened critics."
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"'The King and I' is everything a classic musical should be. In director Bartlett Sher’s beautiful production, the familiar story comes to life gloriously...The production as a whole is quite sumptuous...Sher’s direction is quite good, though the show drags a bit in the middle of each act...Those qualms aside, 'The King and I' is a decadent treat and an incredibly beautiful show."
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"This 'King and I' isn’t revelatory. It merely fulfills virtually every reasonable expectation of Rodgers and Hammerstein fans who hope to be delighted anew with a familiar classic on Broadway. And that's something wonderful."
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"Magic has not struck at the Vivian Beaumont...Ken Wantanabe gives a highly externalized performance. O’Hara internalizes much of her role. The contrast could work, if there were sparks flying that could kindle some flame of romance between the two. Not here...The set designer has opted for an interpretive set that leaves a lot of negative space, which absent real energy between the two leads makes the stage loom static at best, and sometimes even vacant."
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