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The King and I (1992 studio cast album)

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This article is about the 1992 studio cast album. For other uses, see The King and I (disambiguation).
The King and I
Cast recording by
Julie Andrews
ReleasedOctober 6, 1992
GenreShow tune
LabelPhilips
ProducerJohn Mauceri
Julie Andrews chronology
The Sounds of Christmas
(1990) 		The King and I
(1992) 		Putting It Together
(1993)

The King and I is a studio cast recording of the musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The album was released by Philips Classics in 1992. Conducted by John Mauceri with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the album features Julie Andrews as Anna and Ben Kingsley as the King of Siam. This recording marks the first time Andrews performed the role professionally.[1]

The recording utilizes the orchestrations from the musical's 1956 film adaptation, restoring three songs cut from the movie: "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You", "My Lord and Master", and "I Have Dreamed".[2][3] The supporting cast includes Lea Salonga and Peabo Bryson as Tuptim and Lun Tha, with Marilyn Horne singing "Something Wonderful".[2]

Released on CD, cassette, and vinyl (in Europe only), the album incorporates spoken dialogue from the musical to maintain the dramatic structure of the musical.[3] Its creation was part of a larger celebration of Rodgers and Hammerstein's work, timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of their first collaboration, Oklahoma!.[4]

The project represented a return to musical theater for Julie Andrews, who had been absent from the genre for many years. For Ben Kingsley, it marked a rare foray into musical performance.[1] The album was nominated for a Best Musical Show Album.[5]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyC[6]
Musicals101.comFavorable[7]

William Ruhlmann from AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars and called it "the exception to the many opera-singers-doing-a-musical recreations", praising Andrews' "brilliant" singing and Kingsley's "contemporary, distanced cool". The review also highlighted Mauceri’s orchestral choices.[2]

Linda Sanders from Entertainment Weekly gave the album a C, criticizing its perceived lack of charm. She said Ben Kingsley fails to match Yul Brynner's iconic King, while Julie Andrews plays Anna more like a stern leader than a warm governess. The star-studded cast, she argued, ultimately weakens the magic of the classic musical.[6]

Theatre writer John Kenrick praised the studio cast recording chiefly due to Julie Andrews' "magical" performance as Anna. He also admired John Mauceri's orchestrations with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, particularly their performance of "Shall We Dance", which he felt surpassed the original film version. Kenrick recommended the recording as an indispensable addition to any musical theater collection.[7]

Commercial performance

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The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 at #135 on October 24, 1992,[8] and spent four weeks on the chart.[9] On the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart, it peaked at #1.[10] PolyGram Classics reported initial shipments of 175,000 units.[11] In the UK, the album debuted at #57 on October 10, 1992, and dropped to #72 in its second and final week.[12]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
1."Main Title"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIHollywood Bowl Orchestra (Conductor – John Mauceri)1:32
2."Harbour"Rodgers, Hammerstein IILos Angeles Master Chorale & Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (Conductor – John Mauceri, Music Director – Paul Salamunovich)0:24
3."I Whistle a Happy Tune"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIJulie Andrews2:25
4."Welcome to Bangkok"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIHollywood Bowl Orchestra (Conductor – John Mauceri)2:31
5."My Lord and Master"Rodgers, Hammerstein IILea Salonga2:07
6."March Of The Siamese Children"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIHollywood Bowl Orchestra (Conductor – John Mauceri)3:28
7."Anna Unpacks"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIHollywood Bowl Orchestra (Conductor – John Mauceri)2:39
8."Hello, Young Lovers"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIJulie Andrews3:11
9."Home, Sweet Home"Rodgers, Hammerstein IILos Angeles Master Chorale, Mevina Liufau & Ben Kingsley (Music Director – Paul Salamunovich)1:41
10."A Puzzlement"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIBen Kingsley3:06
11."Getting to Know You"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIJulie Andrews4:41
12."Garden Scene"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIPeabo Bryson, Julie Andrews & Lea Salonga2:43
13."We Kiss in a Shadow"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIPeabo Bryson & Lea Salonga4:33
14."Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIJulie Andrews3:47
15."Something Wonderful"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIMarilyn Horne3:35
16."Temple Scene"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIBen Kingsley & Julie Andrews2:47
17."Banquet Scene"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIRoger Moore, Julie Andrews & Ben Kingsley2:46
18."I Have Dreamed"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIPeabo Bryson & Lea Salonga3:36
19."Song Of The King"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIJulie Andrews & Ben Kingsley2:23
20."Shall We Dance?"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIJulie Andrews & Ben Kingsley4:23
21."Finale Ultimo"Rodgers, Hammerstein IIEdmund Kingsley, Julie Andrews, Ben Kingsley & Mevina Liufau5:44
Total length:1:04:02

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The King and I record.[13]

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for The King and I
Chart (1992) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 57
US Billboard 200[15] 135
US Top Classical Crossover Albums (Billboard)[10] 1

References

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  1. ^ a b Stirling 2007, p. 466-467
  2. ^ a b c d Ruhlmann, William. "The King and I [1992 Studio Cast]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  3. ^ a b Arntz & Wilson 1995, p. 233
  4. ^ Lichtman, Irv (19 September 1992). "Celebrating The Sounds Of Rodgers & Hammerstein" (PDF). Billboard. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  5. ^ "35th Annual Grammy Awards". grammy.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  6. ^ a b Sanders, Linda (20 November 1992). "The King and I". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  7. ^ a b Kenrick, John. "Comparative Cast CD Reviews III". Musicals101.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2002. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Billboard 200" (PDF). Billboard. 24 October 1992. p. 91. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  9. ^ Whitburn 2001, p. 1071
  10. ^ a b "Top Crossover Albums" (PDF). Billboard. 5 December 1992. p. 42. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  11. ^ Mayfield, Geoff (24 October 2025). "Between the bullets" (PDF). Billboard. p. 93. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  12. ^ "The King and I". Official Charts Company. 10 October 1992. Archived from the original on 9 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  13. ^ Rodgers and Hammerstein (1992). The King and I (liner notes). Julie Andrews, Ben Kingsley, Lea Salonga, Peabo Bryson, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, John Mauceri. Philips Records. 438 007-2.
  14. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  15. ^ "The King and I [1992 Studio Cast] - Julie Andrews,Hollywood Bowl Orchestra,John Mauceri | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. 9 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2025.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Arntz, James; Wilson, Thomas S. (1995). Julie Andrews. Two Prudential Plaza, Chicago. Illinois: Contemporary Books, Inc. ISBN 0-8092-3267-7.
  • Stirling, Richard (2007). Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography. London: F. A. Thorpe (Publishing) Anstey, Leicestershire. ISBN 978-1-84782-162-1.
  • Whitburn, Joel (2001). Joel's Whitburns's Top Pop Albums 1955-2001. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-147-0.
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