The King and I
Lou Diamond PhillipsasThe King of Siam
Lou Diamond Phillips made his Broadway debut as the King of Siam in the acclaimed 1996 revival, earning a Tony nomination and the Theatre World Award.
Lou Diamond Phillips made his Broadway debut as the King of Siam in the 1996 revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. Previews began on 19 March 1996, the production opened on 11 April, and Lou remained with the company through 15 June 1997.
Directed by Christopher Renshaw, the revival paired Phillips with Donna Murphy as Anna Leonowens. It became the defining stage engagement of his career and established an interpretation he would revisit in later independent productions.
Lou as The King of Siam
Lou brought charisma, humour and authority to the King of Siam. His Broadway debut earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, a Drama Desk nomination, the Theatre World Award and Outer Critics Circle recognition.
Awards & Recognition
Tony Award
Tony Awards
Best Actor in a Musical · Lou Diamond PhillipsDrama Desk Award
Drama Desk Awards
Outstanding Actor in a Musical · Lou Diamond PhillipsTheatre World Award
Theatre World Awards
Outstanding Broadway debut · Lou Diamond PhillipsOuter Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle
Broadway debut performance · Lou Diamond PhillipsStage productions
1 documented engagement
The King and I
Neil Simon Theatre · New York, New YorkCast
A lasting impact
The production won the Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Revival of a Musical. Lou’s performance remains his defining Broadway role and the foundation of his long association with the King of Siam.
Creative team
- Production companies
- 1996 Broadway revival
- Director
- Christopher Renshaw
- Choreographer
- Lar Lubovitch
- Costume Designer
- Roger Kirk
- Scenic Designer
- Brian Thomson