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Moreover, the leads are not as powerful as one might expect. THE KING AND I is one of the few widely available recordings that allow listeners the chance to hear Gertrude Lawrence--a performer who was celebrated as "the toast of two continents" in an era when such accolades had actual significance. But in truth, Lawrence's gift was a powerful star quality that drew every eye to her--a star quality so powerful that it easily over-rode her rather non-descript and distinctly flat singing voice. And shorn of her actual presence, her voice reads as precisely that: non-descript and distinctly flat. As for Yul Brenner, over time he would make the King his signature role, performing it on the screen and in endless revivals to great acclaim. But in 1951 he was an unknown, and this recording shows him still very insecure in the role.

The supporting cast is very good ("My Lord and Master," "We Kiss In A Shadow," and "Something Wonderful" are truly memorable)--but given the nature of Lawrence's singing voice, Brenner's obvious caution, and the various flaws and limitations of the recording, this is a Broadway soundtrack that is perhaps best left to hardcore fans. To them it is strongly recommened; others, however, would do better to purchase a more recent version.

--GFT (Amazon reviewer)--


Quite a Magic Performance   November 19, 2000
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I developed a spree of searching for Rodgers and Hammerstein's orginal works after watching "Anna and the King" in the Christmas of 1999. The movie (starring Jodi Foster and Chow Yuan Fat) was exquisitely done yet still fell far off from the original work (particularly the score).

This 1951 recording features Yul Brynner, who acted out the part of the King perfectly (and he is NOT too old for this part). Gertrude Lawrenece might not be the best singer; yet her performance is just as praise-worthy. The musical brings about some of the most beautiful pieces from Rodgers and Hammerstein that are comparable to "Sound of Music".


A beautiful score!   August 13, 1999
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

The sound is fair, the score is great! The OVERTURE gets the musical going as it combines several tunes. I WHISTLE A HAPPY TUNE is a pleasant, very simple song that Anna (Gertrude Lawrence) sings. MY LORD AND MASTER is Doretta Morrow's only solo. HELLO YOUNG LOVERS is Anna's advising song. MARCH OF THE SIAMESE CHILDREN is perhaps the finest Broadway song without any vocal music. The King's (Yul Brynner) A PUZZLEMENT is quite humorous. Anna sings the pleasant GETTING TO KNOW YOU to the children. WE KISS IN A SHADOW is a tragic love song about Morrow and Larry Douglas. SHALL I TELL YOU WHAT I THINK OF YOU is Anna's way of talking about the King critically. SOMETHING WONDERFUL is the only number sung by Dorothy Sarnoff; it is quite moving. Morrow and Douglas sing together again in I HAVE DREAMED. SHALL WE DANCE is the climax, in which Anna teaches the King how to dance. All in all, a simple but fun score.


The Last of the Great R&H Dramas   July 26, 2001
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

While Rodgers and Hammerstein went on to collaborate five more times during their career, this was the last of their great musical plays. All that followed "The King and I" could be more easily described as musical comedy. Although its age is evident (none of the early recordings on random labels hold a candle to the Columbia recordings), this really is the recording of choice for any "The King and I" connoisseur. After all, R&H wrote the show for Gertrude Lawrence who came to them with the story. Granted, her voice may not be the loveliest on Earth, but she's got the spunk and attitude necessary for the character. The rest of the cast, including the inimitable Yul Brynner (nice try, Ben Kingsley), is wonderful and the songs are performed at their best. Songs like "I Whistle A Happy Tune," "Hello, Young Lovers," "Getting to Know You" and "Shall We Dance" are sung as well as can be expected by an at-the-end-of-her-life Lawrence. While they are all among the best songs written by R&H, they pale in comparison (in my humble opinion) to the two real winners in this score: the beautiful love duet "I Have Dreamed" and the score's best song "Something Wonderful." The latter song really does sum up the entire relationship between Mrs. Anna and the king and is the true theme of the show. I highly recommend this recording, especially over the abominable 1992 Andrews/Kingsley recording. At least Lawrence still had some spunk when she performed these songs. Andrews had already lost her voice and scooped every lyric. Trust me, they got it right with the original cast!


GERTRUDE LAWRENCE!   June 10, 2002
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

The Original Broadway Cast Album of THE KING AND I (1951) is, in a word, incomparable. Gertrude Lawrence instantly became my heroine after listening to her charming renditions of such songs as I WHISTLE A HAPPY TUNE, GETTING TO KNOW YOU or SHALL WE DANCE. She was a charismatic star of the theater and her unique talents shine brightly in this classic musical play. Of course, Yul Brynner is permanently associated with his role in this play and this recording is a milestone in his career as the King of Siam.
It seems ironic that his only solo song is A PUZZLEMENT. Many notable Rodgers and Hammerstein songs appear on this score. WE KISS IN A SHADOW and SOMETHING WONDERFUL are beautifully performed by supporting performers Larry Douglas, Doretta Morrow and Dorothy Sarnoff. Three songs in the play which were cut from the 1956 movie are MY LORD AND MASTER, I HAVE DREAMED and SHALL I TELL YOU WHAT I THINK OF YOU? This is a great curiosity since the songs so beautifully fit the structure of the play's action and character dilemas.
Quite a lot has been written over time of Gertrude Lawrence's vocal limitations, particularly during the time she performed Anna in 1951-52 on Broadway. As someone who enjoys her singing thoroughly, rest assured that her dynamic "star quality" is not absent from this CD. Even though her pitch is at times unsteady and she sometimes tends to go flat while singing HELLO, YOUNG LOVERS, she is absolutely magnetic with the material and is perhaps one of the finest Annas of all time. Whenever I see Deborah Kerr, whom I admire fondly, in the film version of THE KING AND I, it is as if I see the ghost of Gertie Lawrence. This is because I listened to this CD before I ever saw the movie all the way through; also, the costumes are virtually identical judging by all the photos.
Since this recording is from 1951 the sound quality, though mono, sounds very clean and freshly enhanced for stereo. The oldest is often the best: SOUTH PACIFIC with Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza from 1949 does not exactly sound fresh, but it is still the BEST cast recording you will find of that show. Such is the case with THE KING AND I from 1951. Do get a copy of this CD if you get a chance. You definitely won't be disappointed!