• The First Preview
    The King and I  |  Essays

    The First Preview

    Brendan Lemon  |  March 13, 2015

    Sitting in the Vivian Beaumont Theater before curtain, and glancing around at the more than one thousand patrons, I could feel palpable excitement.

  • The King and I  |  Essays

    The Actors Meet the Orchestra

    Brendan Lemon  |  March 9, 2015

    Sitzprobe is the German term, used in opera and musical theater, to describe the first time the entire cast and orchestra sit down together to do the show’s music.

  • Why Bartlett Sher Wanted To Do THE KING AND I
    The King and I  |  Essays

    Why Bartlett Sher Wanted To Do THE KING AND I

    Brendan Lemon  |  March 5, 2015

    "My introduction to the problem that THE KING AND I poses came in college when I studied the relationship between traditional and modern cultures, particularly in regard to women. That theme is what drew me most to this piece."

  • The King and I  |  Essays

    A Few Words About Anna

    Brendan Lemon  |  Feb. 23, 2015

    The cast and creative team of THE KING AND I move later this week from rehearsal rooms to the stage of the Vivian Beaumont, but I find my mind drifting far far away, to the inspiration for the story: Anna Harriette Leonowens.

  • The King and I  |  Essays

    The Lay of the Land

    Brendan Lemon  |  Feb. 11, 2015

    Wandering around rehearsals seven years ago for LCT’s production of SOUTH PACIFIC, I often felt as if I were in a boot camp. With THE KING AND I, another comparison keeps coming to mind: a Hollywood studio.

  • The Ship Sets Sail
    The King and I  |  Essays

    The Ship Sets Sail

    Brendan Lemon  |  Jan. 30, 2015

    LCT’s large rehearsal hall one morning this past week was as crowded as a cross-town bus at rush hour. The occasion was a meet-and-greet prior to the first full-scale rehearsal of THE KING AND I.

  • The King and I  |  Essays

    Catching up with Ted Sperling

    Brendan Lemon  |  Jan. 16, 2015

    Rehearsals of “The King and I” don’t begin until January 29, so you will have to wait until then, or until performances begin on March 12, to learn from me complete specifics about the production. Ted Sperling, however, who is the music director for the staging, gave me an overall clue or two during a conversation the other day.

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