Track Listing

1. Main Title
2. Harbour
3. I Whistle a Happy Tune
4. Welcome to Bangkok
5. My Lord and Master
6. March of the Siamese Children
7. Anna Unpacks
8. Hello, Young Lovers
9. Home, Sweet Home
10. A Puzzlement
11. Getting to Know You
12. Garden Scene
13. We Kiss in a Shadow
14. Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?
15. Something Wonderful
16. Temple Scene
17. Banquet Scene
18. I Have Dreamed
19. Song of the King
20. Shall We Dance?
21. Finale Ultimo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41942 in Music
• Released on: 1992-10-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording

Amazon.com
Anyone who's a fan of Julie Andrews (and who isn't?) will not want to miss this CD. A pet project of expert conductor John Mauceri, this 1992 studio cast was assembled to capture the sumptuous orchestral scoring of the 1956 film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic while also restoring three songs not used in the film ("Shall I Tell You What I Think of You," "My Lord and Master," "I Have Dreamed") as well as underscored scenes. Andrews is such a natural as Anna it's hard to believe she had never recorded the role before. Playing the King following Yul Brynner is one of the most thankless jobs in musical theater, but Ben Kingsley turns in a gruff, effective performance. As the young lovers, Lea Salonga is perfect while pop balladeer Peabo Bryson is a little too smooth, but of course he sings gorgeously. The booklet includes historical notes and photos as well as a synopsis. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

its never been done better ...
as someone who considers themself as a fan of musical theater, i strongly agree with the sentiment that such fans must own at least one copy of The King and I. its a beautiful musical full of stirring and emotional songs regardless, so you certainly can't go wrong. the only problem is which copy does one buy?! lets face it, there is the 1951 original cast, 1956 motion picture, 1977 broadway revival, 1996 broadway revival and this 1992 studio cast. wow, where to begin.

as someone who owns three copies of this timeless musical (1956, 1977, this) i have to say that if you must choose just one, this is the one. the performers here the overall strongest of any recording and the orchestrations are fuller and richer than ever before. the songs are just as great as ever before. although it is missing a couple of songs from the stage show, that's not too bad and the missing songs are nothing too terribley memorible.

VOCAL PERFORMERS
wow, this is a nearly flawless cast. julie andrews is superb as anna. a role that she appears born to play, but just never got to. her voice is strong, rich and full of emotion. it conveys the emotion amazingly well. ben kingsley does well as the king, but lets face it, who can ever live up to yul brynner?! kingsley does well and manages to evoke emotion with his songs and brings the combination of strength and vulnerability that made brynner performance(s) so memorable.

as for the supporting roles (tuptim and lun tha) we find lea salonga and peabo bryson. and all that i can say is WOW. salonga's voice is always beautiful and full of emotion. she makes tuptim memorable and mournful, not whiney or forgettable. some have complained about bryson's vocals being too "poppy" but that isn't the case. he is amazing and like salonga, bings depth to his two duets. their two songs may just be the best on the soundtrack. they make these songs much more memorable than anyone else has. absolutely flawless

VOCAL 5 out of 5

ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE
what's really nice is that a lot of focus is put on the orchestra here. its nice because the score is so great and original using asian influences that it's nice to hear more than just an overture and the march of the siamease children. the orchestra always sounds full and lush, just as it should.

ORCHESTRA 5 out of 5

overall, this is the most consistantly solid performance of the king and i. but true fans should at least own one version featuring yul brynner. but for fans of andrews, salonga, or bryson. this is a sure hit. fans of the musical as well will find a great originality and brilliance here that makes this rank right up there with the best of the best cast albums.

A Tiny Review
Simply gorgeous. That is all i can say about this stunning recording. Superbly cast and recorded. Lea Salonga's version of "My Lord And Master" is possibly the Highlight.

Best portrayal of this score
Nobody does it better than Kingsely and Andrews. I know it's blasphemy, but this production outdoes the film by far. Lea Solanga and Peabo Bryson are simply amazing in "We Kiss In A Shadow" (my fav track). Hollywood Bowl Orchestra are perfection in this production.

Cannot recommend this piece enough for music lovers.