Andy Lau whom always wish to be in a musical could have his dreams come true next year!
The Mandarin version of Broadway musical King and I is scheduled to be staged at Tsim Sha Tsui's Hong Kong Cultural Centre for 15 shows. The male lead had been confirmed to be Andy and he had confirmed that he had contacts with the organiser to check if his schedule could meet their schedule.
The story of King and I narrates "Mrs. Anna Leonowens and her son Louis arrive in Bangkok, where she has contracted to teach English to the children of the royal household. She threatens to leave when the house she had been promised is not available, but falls in love with the children. A new slave, a gift of a vassal king, translates "Uncle Tom's Cabin" into a Siamese ballet, expressing her unhappiness at being with the King. She attempts to escape with her lover. Anna and the King fall in love, but her British upbringing inhibits her from joining his harem. She is just about to leave Siam when she hears of the King's imminent death, and returns to help his son, her favorite pupil, rule his people." (IMDb - Earth's Biggest Movie Database)
The musical was first performed in 1951, Yul Brynner whom is the actor whom shave his head to play the king, become a superstar from an unknown. He was also the male lead in 1956 movie version of the musical.
In 1999, Chow Yun Fat and Jodie Foster collaborated in an adaption of the musical in the movie, Anna and the King.
In fact, Chow Yun Fat was also invited by the Broadway producer to perform in the musical when it was staged in New York but he reject the invitation as it need one year of preparation. If Andy accept the offer, it would take at least 1-2 years to read the scripts, rehearse and perform.
When asked if he would shave his head for the performance? He says: "The king character does not have a bald head, it's just Yul Brynner who shave his head, I playing the king and not Yul Brynner." With regards to the female lead, there's plan of an audition for a newcomer with singing and dancing background.
news from: Apple Daily News
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