King and I, The, is one of the greatest musicals in the history of the American theater. It was written by the famous team of Richard Rodgers, who composed the music, and Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the story and the lyrics. The musical opened in 1951 and ran for three years. The hit show made a star of Yul Brynner, who played the role of the king of Siam. Gertrude Lawrence starred as Anna opposite Brynner in the original Broadway production.