"I Have Dreamed" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King & I
The King & I, is the fifth musical by the notable team of composer Richard Rodgers, and dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II, and the next musical we feature in the RCT Musical Theater Virtual Review Series. The musical is based on the Margret London novel, Anna and the King of Siam (1944), which in turn is derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, Governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860’s. The story of The King & I takes place in 1862 in Siam when English widow, Anna Leonowens, and her young son arrive at the Royal Palace in Bangkok, having been summoned by the King to serve as tutor to his many children and wives. The King is largely considered to be a "barbarian" by those in the West, and he seeks Anna's assistance in changing his image, if not his ways. With both keeping a firm grip on their respective traditions and values, Anna and the King grow to understand and respect one another in a truly unique love story.
Opening on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in New York City on March 29, 1951, The King & I played 1,246 performances, closing on March 20, 1954, winning the 1952 Tony Award for Best Musical. The run was, at the time, the fourth longest ever for a Broadway musical. Leading the original broadway cast was Gertrude Lawrence in the role of Anna Leonowens, Yul Brynner as The King of Siam, Dorothy Sarnoff as Lady Thiang, Larry Douglas as Lun Tha, and Doretta Morrow as Tuptim.
The Rose Center's production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King & I, was produced by RCT Musical Theater Productions and played November 13 - 29, 2009 in Westminster, California at the Rose Center Theater. The cast featured talents, Melissa Cook as Anna Leonowens, Vincent Aniceto as The King of Siam, April Niedle-Milling and Linette Roungchun in the role of Lady Thiang, Van Bich Nguyen as Tuptim, and Ryan Salazar as Lun Tha. They were accompanied by live musicians from the Vietnamese American Philharmonic. Orchestra. The production would later be reprised, without the orchestra, at Orange County’s famed Curtain Call Dinner Theater in Tustin that holiday season, playing through January 2010, adding Linette Roungchun as Lady Thiang and Vivian Ngo as Tuptim to the returning cast.
In the clip, “I Have Dreamed,” filmed at the Rose Center Theater, the characters Lun Tha (Salazar) and Tuptim (Nguyen) sing of how they have dreamt of their true love blossoming once they’ve attained their freedom, as they prepare to escape from the King’s palace.
Enjoying the musical content? Consider making a $5 donation to the Rose Center Theater to help us continue to provide you with more musical moments. Or subscribe today to stay up to date on all Rose Center Theater musicals!
Comments