BroadwayHD announced today that The King and I: Live from the London Palladium has joined their streaming theatrical library. The announcement follows record-breaking special screenings of the capture in movie theatres worldwide in November and December. The film is currently available to subscription members of BroadwayHD or as a one-time rental.
The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic joins a streaming library that includes live filmings of such musicals as She Loves Me, Company, and Memphis. The recent London revival of 42nd Street is slated to join the platform in 2019.
Filmed during the production's West End run in summer 2018, the capture features Kelli O'Hara, Ken Watanabe, and Ruthie Ann Miles recreating their performances from the 2015 Tony-winning revival's original cast. Both O'Hara and Miles won Tony Awards for their performances, and Watanabe's was Tony-nominated.
The production was helmed on Broadway and in London by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, with Christopher Gattelli providing choreography.
Written by the legendary golden age Broadway team of composer Richard Rodgers and book writer-lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, The King and I is set in 1860s Bangkok, centering on the temperamental relationship between the King of Siam and a British schoolteacher who has been brought in to teach his wives and children. The classic score includes such favorites as "Whistle a Happy Tune," "Getting to Know You," and "Shall We Dance."
