It is 1862 in Siam when an English widow, Anna Leonowens, arrives with
her young son 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, eventually, respect one another in a
truly unique love story. Along with the dazzling score, the incomparable
Jerome Robbins ballet
The Small House of Uncle Thomas is one of the all-time marvels of the musical stage.°The King and I° opened on Broadway on March 29, 1951. The musical
is based on a 1944 novel by Margaret Landon, °Anna and the
King of Siam°, which in turn was adapted from the real-life
reminiscences of Anna Leonowens, as recounted in her own books, °The English Governess at the Siamese Court° and °The Romance of the
Harem°.