Musical

Together Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein produced eleven musicals. The King and I was one of their most popular. A musical is a drama with singing, music, and spoken dialogue. The songs express the sentiments of one or more characters and may be addressed directly to other characters in the play. For example, Anna sings "Whistle a Happy Tune" in direct address to her son Louis, and Lady Thiang sings "Something Wonderful" to Anna. Sometimes the song is simply an expression of a character's state of mind, as when the King sings "A Puzzlement."

In the case of some musicals, existing songs are worked into a storyline. The lyrics (by Hammerstein) and music (by Rodgers) for The King and I were written specifically for the play, so the songs correspond seamlessly with the narrative. The songs enhance the richness of the action, they are part of the dialogue...