Aug. 31-Sept. 11: The King and I on tour at Wolf Trap and Fabulous Fox Theatre - Stars Ronobir Lahiri, Victoria Mallory, Raul Aranas, Ali Ewoldt, Josh Dela Cruz, Jee Hyun Lim and Raphael Aranas, Helmed by Baayork Lee

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s multiple Tony-winning classic The King and I is on a tour starring Ronobir Lahiri as The King of Siam and Victoria Mallory as Anna, helmed by Baayork Lee, with choreography by Susan Kikuchi and Jerome Robbins, in a three city tour.

The King and I tour presented by Theater of the Stars, kicked off at The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, VA. on August 28, 2012, for three performances. From August 31st – September 2, the show will have five performances at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, VA., before heading to the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA., September 5 – 11.

Based on the real life adventures of the English widow Anna Leonowens, and the best-selling 1944 novel, Anna and the King of Siamby Margaret Landon, The King and I is a fascinating tale about a clash of customs and finding love in spite of our differences.

Set in the 1860’s in Bangkok, The King and I is the timeless love story between a powerful and stubborn king and a determined governess named Anna. The show features opulent settings, a beautiful story of honor and forgiveness, and is filled with memorable songs such as “Hello Young Lovers,” “I Whistle A Happy Tune,” “Shall We Dance?” and “Getting To Know You.”

Raul Aranas as The Kralahome and Raphael Aranas as Prince Chulalongkorn. (Photo courtesy of Raul Aranas)

Ali Ewoldt

The King and I cast includes Raul Aranas as The Kralahome and his son Raphael Aranas as Prince Chulalongkorn, Josh Dela Cruz as Lun Tha, Ali Ewoldt as Tuptim, Jee Hyun Lim as Lady Thiang, John Antony as Captain Orton, Andrew Cheng as Simon of Legree, Andy Danh as The Interpreter, Carl Kimbrough as Louis Leonowens, Cassey K. Kivnick as Uncle Thomas, Chase McGrath as Louis Leonowens, Azumi Milligan as Little Eva, Rumi Oyama as Angel George, Yuki Ozeki as Topsy and Jessica Wu as Eliza. The cast also features Stephanie Card, Amy Chiang, Thang Dao, Yuka Fukuda-Lahiri, JP Moraga, Julien Marcus De Guzman, Ariela Morgenstern, Manna Nichols and Rommel Pierre O’Choa.

Baayork Lee (Photo by Lia Chang)

Baayork Lee made her professional stage debut in the original Broadway production of The King and I at age 5, and has performed in dozens of Broadway shows where she created the roles Miss Wong in Promises, Promises and the role of Connie in A Chorus Line. As Michael Bennett’s assistant choreographer on A Chorus Line, she has directed many national and international companies. Her directing credits are: The King and Iand Bombay Dreams (National tours), R&H’s Cinderella (NYC Opera), Barnum(Australia), Carmen Jones (Kennedy Center, Starring -Vanessa Williams, Conductor – Placido Domingo ), Porgy and Bess and Jesus Christ Superstar(European tour), Gypsy (Signature Theater, Virginia) and A New Brain. Her choreography credits are include Mack and Mabel (Shaw Festival), Arena Stage, Washington, DC: Cocoanuts, Camelot, Damn Yankees, Helen Hayes nomination for Animal Crackers and South Pacific; Washington Opera, Kennedy Center: Goya (Placido Domingo-Tenor), Sly (José Carreras- Tenor), The Merry Widow, Tsars Bride, and The Pearl Fishers are just a few. She is the co-author of the book On the Line: The Creation of A Chorus Line and is the recipient of the 2003 Asian Woman Warrior Award for Lifetime Achievement from Columbia College in Chicago. She founded her new company, NATIONAL ASIAN ARTIST PROJECT (NAAP)naaproject.org to shine the spotlight on Asian theater artists across the country.

Susan Kikuchi was a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company from 1978-1984 and has served as Director of both the Martha Graham Ensemble and the Martha Graham School. She has re-staged many Graham works often in collaboration with Yuriko for the Joffrey Ballet and Boston Conservatory. On the Broadway stage, Ms. Kikuchi was Supervisor of Jerome Robbins’ choreography (“The Small House of Uncle Thomas” ballet) and Dance Captain for The King and I at the Neil Simon Theater. She was also soloist and Dance Captain in The King and I with Yul Brynner. Other Broadway credits include Pacific Overtures, Flower Drum Song, South Pacific, and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway.

The team of Richard Rodgers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (librettist/lyricist) was the most consistently fruitful and successful partnership in American musical theatre. In addition to The King and I, their musicals include Oklahoma!, Carousel,Allegro, Flower Drum Song,South Pacific, Me and Juliet, Pipe Dream, and The Sound of Music. The original 1951 production of The King and I received five Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 1956 movie adaptation won five Academy Awards.

“Theater of the Stars is extremely delighted to produce a gorgeous production of The King and I that will feature incredibly talented actors and 28 local children from Atlanta” states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. “’Audiences of all ages will be enchanted by this magnificent Rodgers & Hammerstein musical when it plays a special one-week engagement at the fabulous Fox Theatre.”

In Atlanta, Kylie Blank, Courtney Clewell, Camden Croucher, Abby Goldberg, Sara Goldberg, Ana Laura Grullon, Benjamin Harding, Eli Hutchinson, Sarah Grace Hutchinson, Tayler LaNett Jackson, Thomas C.D. Jackson, Chosen Jacobs, Elise Jones, Marilee Karinshak, Camille Lamkin, Logan Patrick McHugh, Rosslyn Milne, Max River Roberts, Nicholas Sanders, Thomas Shoup, Lexi Skinner, Madison Stampfl, Emerson Steele, Conner Street, Jonah Verdon, Camille Warlick and Payten Williams will play the Royal Children.

August 31st-September 2
Wolf Trap
1645 Trap Road
Vienna, VA.
Friday, August 31 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 1 at 2:00pm and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 2 at 2:00p pm and 8:00 pm.
Tickets range from $20-$80. Click here for tickets.

September 5 – 11
Fabulous Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree Street Northeast
Atlanta, GA
(404) 881-2100
Wednesday, September 5 at 8 p.m.
Thursday, September 6 at 8 p.m.
Friday, September 7 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, September 8 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, September 9 at 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 11 at 8 p.m.
Tickets range from $25 – $65 and are on sale now athttp://www.foxatltix.com/ or by calling 855-ATL-TIXX (855-285-8499). The general public can purchase 50% off discount tickets for the Wednesday, September 5 performance by using the code “AJC” when ordering. Special group rates for 10 or more are available by calling 404-881-2000, emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or online atwww.foxtheatre.org/groupsales.aspx.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.