The King and I with Wine at The Crescent Theatre

Tony Elvin
Sep 6
5 min read

Thanks to everyone that joined us at the Royal Palace for a wonderful evening of fine wine and silver screen song.

We hope you enjoyed an evening in the presence of royalty, The King and I with Wine.

As promised, here is our Palace blog featuring details of the wines we tasted from the King's cellar, our silver screen movie trivia, and our Royal Gallery.

First up, here are our wonderful wines ..

Wines from the Royal Cellar

1) Kingscote English Sparkling NV, Sussex - £18.00 Tesco

Award winning English Sparkling wine from the Kingscote Estate. Whilst this wine retails at £27 directly from Kingscote, you can pick up a bargain at Tesco's. Wish I'd known when that when I placed the order for the King. The reasonable price is due to the production method, this is a Charmat method sparkling wine, just like Prosecco but not as sweet. Dry refreshing notes of elderflower and gooseberry.

2) Monsoon Valley White Blend, Hua Hin, Thailand - £11.45 Frazier Jones Wine Merchants

Blended from indigenous Malaga Blanc and Colombard, unoaked.

Notes of stone fruits, ripe honeydew melon, mango along with hints of green tea. Light and refreshing acidity balanced by a touch of juicy sweetness for a smooth finish. The King enjoys this with Green curries, Seafood salad, Basil chicken, Garlic prawns and Grilled seafood.

3) Monsoon Valley Rosé, Chao Phraya, Thailand - £11.45 Fraziers Jones Wine Merchants

A blend of Colombard, Shiraz and Chenin Blanc grapes from the Chao Phraya Delta, unoaked. The Chao Phraya Delta - located in the central plain of Thailand, encompasses low-lying floodplain formed by the Chao Phraya River, flowing south from its headwaters in northern Thailand to the coast. This reddish pink rosé offers notes of tropical fruits and strawberry on the nose with hints of mango on the palate. Pair with spring roll, fish cakes, seafood & fried chicken.

4) Monsoon Valley Red Blend, Hua Hin, Thailand - £11.49 Frazier Jones Wine Merchants

Blended from Shiraz, Dornfelder and indigenous Pokdum red grapes for extra complexity. Plummy, red fruits aromas lead to a velvety plummy palate with hints of fresh blackcurrant, herbs, and earthy notes. Best enjoyed with Red curries, Weeping tiger, Beef salad, Panang Beef and Chilli pork

5) Showdown Man with an Ax Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA - £12.50 online

From the King of Siam to the King of Grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon. The most widely planted grape in world. The region around Lodi enjoys significant influence from San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers, cooling what is typically a very hot central valley location.

Blackcurrant, wild berry fruits and sweet vanilla on the nose. Rich cassis and black cherry fruit on the palate. A soft, juicy, long finish is framed by American oak. We told the King it was aged in Thai oak!

20 Fun Facts About The King and I (some new stuff and spoilers)

Marlon Brando was briefly considered for the role of the King before Yul Brynner was cast. Classic Movie Hub - CMHovrtur.com
Deborah Kerr’s singing was dubbed by the talented Marni Nixon. Nixon stood next to her, matching her facial expressions and speech rhythms. Classic Movie Hub - CMH Woman's World
Yul Brynner is the only actor to play a lead in both the Broadway and film versions of a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical—and he earned a Tony and an Oscar for the same role. Classic Movie Hub - CMH Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2
Maureen O’Hara was initially cast as Anna because of her singing ability, but Richard Rodgers objected, famously saying, “No pirate queen is going to play my Anna!” Classic Movie Hub - CMHovrtur.com
Deborah Kerr’s elaborate gowns weighed between 30 and 40 pounds, crafted with layers of pleats, hoops, and petticoats. Classic Movie Hub - CMH Woman's World
Filming under hot lights in those heavy costumes caused Kerr to lose over 12 pounds. She jokingly called herself “The melting Miss Kerr.” Woman's World Classic Movie Hub - CMH
The film was banned in Thailand due to historical inaccuracies and perceived disrespect to the monarchy. IMDb Classic Movie Hub - CMH Wikipedia
At one point, studio executives suggested the King be gored by a white elephant instead of falling ill—but Brynner refused and the original ending stayed. IMDbovrtur.com
“Is a Puzzlement” was cut from the film at first, then later added—along with a Bangkok arrival scene—in a $400,000 reshoot. Classic Movie Hub - CMH+1
The art directors spent a staggering $750,000 designing 40 sets—the equivalent of many millions today. Classic Movie Hub - CMH
Some songs—like “My Lord and Master,” “I Have Dreamed,” and “Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?”—were recorded for the soundtrack but cut from the final film. Rodgers & Hammerstein TV Tropes
“I Have Dreamed” does appear faintly as incidental music, but the full version only appears on the soundtrack, sung by others. Wikipedia
In the Broadway production, Gertrude Lawrence originally played Anna—but she died mid-run, having requested that Brynner get star billing. London Theatre Direct TV Tropes
Brynner famously shaved his head for the Broadway role—and maintained that look for the rest of his life. Wikipedia
Terry Saunders, who played Lady Thiang, reprised her Broadway role in the film and sang “Something Wonderful.” Wikipedia+1
The film won five Academy Awards (Best Actor, Costume Design, Art Direction, Score, and Sound) out of nine nominations. Rodgers & Hammerstein Wikipedia
It was the fifth highest-grossing film of 1956, earning around $21 million against a $4.55 million budget. WikipediaFacts.net
The King—the real King Mongkut—had 19 wives and 82 children. And contrary to how the story suggests, Anna and he likely weren't romantically involved. London Theatre Direct
King Mongkut was a scholar fluent in Latin, English, and French—an astronomer who established Siam’s first printing press. London Theatre Direct
On Reddit, fans adore the seamless merge of Kerr’s acting with Nixon’s singing, calling it “likely the most perfect pairing ever accomplished on film.” Reddit