[Jaded Mandarin]

I am looking to expand my collection of cast recordings, but am on a limited budget and can only afford one recording of each show - so I was wondering which recording of "The King & I" the people here at Musicals.net think is the best - and which one they think I should avoid like the plauge....

[The infamous Opera Ghost]

i dont know who is who but i think you should either go with the original cast recording or the most recent one

[ByeByeBirdieFan89]

Definetly the 77 revival cast, with Bryner and Towers. Its the complete score expect its missing "Uncle toms cabin", a few reprises, and some underscoring. The great part is..it includes "Western People Funny", which is rarely used in a professinal production. The singing is just fantastic, definetly has one of the best Tuptims. U needa get this one.

The movie version, and the Barbara Cook version are also great!

[GungaDin]

No, the studio recording w/ Julie Andrews and Ben Kingsley is the MOST complete.

[ByeByeBirdieFan89]

Nope! The Julie Andrews studio cast does NOT include "Western People Funny", and is missing many reprises, and plus does not include "The Royal Bangkok Academy" like the 77 album does.

[GungaDin]

OK, I stand corrected. I somehow thought that was a quite complete recording.

[MusicFan]

I recommend the Broadway revival cast recording, which is particularly notable for a sublime performance of `I have Dreamed'. It also has the colourful new orchestrations and fine performances from Donna Murphy and the supporting cast. Superior to its West End counterpart which featured a miscast Elaine Paige.

[Norma Desmond]

The Julie Andrews version is more in key with the film orchestrations and presentation. The Constance Towers version is fab (June Angela is probably the defintive Tuptim) though personally I'd go for the Donna Murphy version.

PS - the original London cast (with Herbert Lom and Valerie Hobson) has just been released on CD with selections from GOLDEN CITY. Visit www.footlight.com for more info about it!

[Salome]

The two i recommend are the OBC with Gertie and the 1977 revival with Brynner and Toers...Towers is far from an Ideal Anna ..but its brynners best performance as King. And its the most complete recording.

Lawrence and Donna Murphy are IMO the finest anna's.

I own all the versions mentioned and each has strong points. Christopher Lee is indeed a fine King..but Masterson is a dreadully over operatic Anna.

Phillips is too youthful for King...

Cook is a credible anna and Bikel a comeprnt King.

Herbert Lom does a Yul Brynner imitation and Hobson is a delight.

Andrews and Kingsley fare rather well...but As much as I love Martin Sheen..why is he doing Kralaholme?

[GlamorousGriz]

I'm going to saw the Julie Andrews one. It's definately not the most complete, but I'm a die-hard Julie Andrews fan, so I recommend anything with Julie.

[jcstar]

I'd go with the Brynner/Nixon record. Then again, anything with Yul on it is a must have for any King and I collection.

Andy.

[Salome]

Dont forget the Lincoln Center revival cast starring Darren McGavin and Rise Stevens.

[mantarnia]

If you want a complete recording of the score. Then the christopher lee 2cd version is the only one that has everything included as at the time of the original production.

[Salome]

Lee's is complete except for the ballet..and I dont belive it has the children's Puzzlement reprise.

the Brynner/Towers version has the reprise along with the King's "So Big A World' speech.

[mantarnia]

[Kragey]

I like Gertrude, so of course I was biased in my voting. But at any rate, look for the most complete recording available. I know the Uncle Tom's Cabin scene can be hard to find.

[pete1974]

What I noticed in the OBC (1951) CD was that no one knew that they were perfoming a classic, so they didn't "relish" it, they just "performed" it. That's the trouble I have with most revivals, They're over-produced and over sung. Also Gertrude Lawrence was an actress first and a singer second and you can tell.

[Tom]

Go with the 77 version.

I made a special mix cd using the 77 revival and Uncle Tom's Cabin from the original cast recording of "Jerome Robbin's Broadway". That way I have all the major tunes.

[Salome]

[Yip1982]

Have any one of you thought about recommending the 2000 London revival recording with Elaine Paige as Anna and Jason Scott Lee as the King? It's a beautiful, sumptuous recording, marvellously sung. An added bonus is that it includes the Uncle Tom's Cabin that the Decca and RCA Brynner recordings lack.

[Yip1982]

[quote="Tom"]Go with the 77 version.

I made a special mix cd using the 77 revival and Uncle Tom's Cabin from the original cast recording of "Jerome Robbin's Broadway". That way I have all the major tunes.[/quote]

That was wonderful of you, knowing that the Jerome Robbins version of "Small House" could fit very well into the Brynner/Towers disc. I've tried that myself and I feel just as pleased with the results as you do.

[Salome]

[santtu]

I've got 3 recordings of this show and my favorite is definitely the Julie Andrews & Ben Kingsley studio recording! Best orchestrations and really good performances.

This recording includes the best version of "Something Wonderful" ever made - Marilyn Horne sings it beautifully and the arrangement is just so damn gorgeous, just like the song, which I think is the most beautiful musical melody ever written.

Donna Murphy & Lou Diamond Phillips (Broadway revival) is more complete than Andrews/Kingsley and Murphy's performance is even better than Andrews's, but somehow I just get the feeling that something is missing from this one... "Something Wonderful" is very bland, too fast tempo.

Elaine Paige recording (London revival) is also very good, but Paige's performance is not that great. Though she sings extremely well, her singing is a bit colourless and stale - I saw her on stage in this role and that came across even more clearly in the theatre, her Anna was a bit 'cold' and distant, not really a mother type at all. But the recording is otherwise ok.

So I'd go with the Andrews/Kingsley version or Murphy/Phillips recording.