The lavish, new production of Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I, starring Stefanie Powers as Anna and Ronobir Lahiri as The King, and directed by Baayork Lee, will make a royal return to the Kentucky Center November 1-6. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Kentucky Center box office, at any Ticketmaster outlet, or can be charged by 
phone by calling 584-7777, 800-775-7777, 361-3100 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com.
Set in the 1860’s in the exotic capital city of Bangkok, THE KING AND I is the timeless love story between a powerful and stubborn king and a determined governess named Anna. Based on the real life adventures of the English widow Anna Leonowens, and the best-selling 1944 novel, “Anna and the King of Siam” by Margaret Landon, THE KING AND I is a fascinating tale about a clash of customs. Over time Anna earns the admiration of the royal family, and eventually she wins the respect of the king himself. Despite their many differences, Anna and The King of Siam fall in love. THE KING AND I 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.”
Stefanie Powers began her career at age 15, dancing briefly for famed choreographer Jerome Robbins. Under contract to Columbia Pictures for five years, she appeared in 15 motion pictures, among them “Experiment in Terror,” “The Interns,” “McClintock!” and “Love Has Many Faces,” before landing her first television series, “The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.” More motion pictures followed, plus dozens of TV guest appearances, over 20 mini-series (“Mistral’s Daughter,” “At Mother’s Request” and “Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun,” among others) and tours in theatrical productions such as UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE, HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, SABRINA, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, OLIVER! and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. Two more television series, “Feather & Father Gang” and the long-running “Hart to Hart” established Powers reputation for glamour and versatility. She toured extensively with “Hart to Hart” co-star Robert Wagner in LOVE LETTERS, including the play’s London West End run, returning to the West End in the musical MATADOR. After completing eight two-hour television movie versions of “Hart to Hart,” she returned to the musical theatre in the first revival of APPLAUSE, the musical version of “All About Eve.” She appeared Off-Broadway in THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES before returning to England to star for the first, but not the last, time as Anna in THE KING AND I. In the fall of 2003, she released her debut CD, ON THE SAME PAGE, a collection of tunes from the classic American songbook era, on which she collaborated with veteran musician/arranger Page Cavanaugh. As much a part of her life as her career is her devotion to animal preservation and protection, which often seems more of a vocation than an avocation. She is co-founder and president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, which was established to continue the late actor’s conservation work in Africa and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Powers resides part time in Kenya, serves on the advisory board of three major zoos, is a fellow of the Los Angeles Zoo and is an advisor to Jaguar North America’s Jaguar Conservation Trust, all as part of her lifetime commitment to conservation for which she has received numerous international awards.
Ronobir Lahiri is from New York City. He was last seen as The King of Siam on the U.K. National Tour opposite Stefanie Powers, and is delighted to be working with her again. He first came to THE KING AND I in 1997, as the understudy to The King in the Broadway production. He also did the first U.S. National Tour, and the West End production in London in 2001.
Musical direction will be provided by Kep Kaeppelar, Scenic Design by Kenneth Foy, Costume Design by Roger Kirk, Lighting Design by John McLain and Sound Design by Abe Jacob.
THE KING AND I plays the Kentucky Center November 1-6, 2005. The performance schedule will be Tuesday through Saturday Evenings at 8 p.m., Saturday Matinee at 2 p.m., Sunday Matinee at 1 p.m., and Sunday Evening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for THE KING AND I are on sale now, are priced at $21.75-$56.75 and are available at the Kentucky Center box office, participating Ticketmaster outlets, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, and by calling 584-7777, 800-775-7777 or 361.3100. For groups of 20 or more, contact the group sales department at 502-584-7469 X 7236. THE KING AND I is a PNC Bank Broadway In Louisville Presentation. For more information, log on to www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
