1951: The King and I at the St. James Theatre

"The King and I" was a five time Tony award winning musical when it first played Broadway. The show opened on March 29, 1951 at New York's St. James Theatre and lasted 1,246 performances. Yul Brynner as The King and Gertrude Lawrence as Mrs. Anna were awarded Best Actor and Best Actress Tonys for their performances. Tony Awards were also given to "The King and I" for Best Musical, and to Irene Sharaff for Best Costume Design.

Three notable revivals of "The King and I" were presented on Broadway over the ensuing decades. Yul Brynner reprised his role in two of them. In 1977, he and Constance Towers played 695 performances in a stunning revival at the Uris Theatre. Shortly before his death, Brynner gave theatre-goers one final look at his classic portrayal. His 1981 reprise as The King played the Broadway Theatre and lasted 191 performances. In 1996, a new generation had a go at the story of Anna and the King. Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy starred at the Neil Simon Theatre and went on to give 780 performances. The show was up for eight Tonys and won four, including Best Musical Revival and Best Actress in a musical for Murphy.

"The King and I" is based on the story "Anna and the King" which was written in 1944 by Margaret Landon. The musical is a quasi-biographical story taken from the diaries of school teacher Anna Leonowens, a British tutor who was brought to Siam to teach the children of the royal court. Anna and the King confront one another in a social dynamic that becomes a challenge of pride vs. will. European parliamentary culture and Siam's eastern autocracy achieve cultural compromise with the passing of The King. The next King to ascend the thrown is one of the children taught by Anna.

The music of "The King and I" was written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and the original production was directed by Christopher Renshaw. Jerome Robbins choreographed the show's musical dance sequences.

The film version of "The King and I" came out in 1956 starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. The picture was nominated for nine Oscars and won five, including Best Actor (Brynner) and Best Costume Design (Sharaff).

Something wonderful . . .

A lesser known number from "The King and I" was included in one of Barbra Streisand's earliest studio albums. "My Lord and Master" is featured on Barbra's fourth album, "People" and her rich vocal rendition of the ballad is a delivered in Streisand's typical theatrical style. Despite it being, as Barbra might say, "a dependent victim" song, "My Lord and Master" was a perfect addition to the collection of songs that made up one of her best albums.

When Barbra championed her 1985 album, "The Broadway Album," it was only fitting that several "King and I" ballads were to be included. Heartfelt performances of "We Kiss In A Shadow," "I Have Dreamed" and "Something Wonderful" are included in marvelous medley.

So good was this performance that Warner Bros. borrowed Barbra's medley and included it in in their animated version of 1999's "The King and I" (right). Barbra's vocal performance is heard over the closing credits.

A medley of "Shall We Dance" and "Hello Young Lovers" was recorded by Barbra for possible inclusion on "The Broadway Album." The number features an brisk up-tempo arrangement, but was never released.