Korean actor Daniel Dae Kim is set to join the line-up for Tony-winning Broadway revival of "King and I." Meanwhile, Ken Watanbe will be reprising the titular role of the King for a limited time period. As for Kim, he will take over the part and make his debut on the Lincoln Center Theater stage.
According to Variety, Watanabe, who is noted for his work in the movies like 'The Last Samurai,' 'Batman Begins' and 'Inception,' will portray the leading role for March 1 - April 17 run. Previously, he had received a Tony nomination for his performance as the king. After his exit, the role will be played by Jose Llana for two weeks, from April 19 to May 1.
Kim will take over as King of Siam for eight-week stint starting from May 3 and ending on June 26. Kim is known for his roles of Jin Soo-Kwon in "Lost" and Chin Ho Kelly in "Hawaii Five-0."
It is reported that Kim had previously played the role of King of Siam at London's King Albert Hall in 2008. Kim made the big announcement about his act in Broadway revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's "The King and I" through a post on his Instagram account. The caption on the actor's post read: "Looks like I know what I'm doing this summer...."Wanted to let you all know that I'll be making my #Broadway debut in "The King and I" at Lincoln Center this May 3 to June 26. It will be a limited run, so I hope you guys can make it out. It's a truly beautiful production that I'm honored and excited to be a part of. Hope to see you all there! @KingAndIBway @LCTheater #etc #etc #etc."
Kim was congratulated by hundreds of his fans for the big role.
"The King and I" has been hit among the audience and the critics. The musical has received multiple Tony awards. When it opened in 1952, it won five Tonys for Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress, Best Performances by a Featured Actor, Best Scenic Design, and Best Costume Design. It won special Tony award for 1985 Broadway revival. More awards were given to "The King and I" for 1996 and 2015 revival.
A photo posted by Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) on Jan 20, 2016 at 8:59am PST
