Broadway Show Analysis

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A second notoriously racist Broadway show born in the “Golden Age” of theatre is Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s musical, The King and I. However, this show is not notorious for appropriating black American culture, but rather Asian culture in Siam. The King and I differs from Show Boat, however, because it is based on a true story. In The King and I, a Welsh, widowed school teacher is brought in by the King of Siam to tutor his children. There is a clashing of personalities between the governess, Anna, and the King, but they eventually they seen through each other’s differences and fall in love. The show also touches on issues of slavery in Siam and includes a sub plot involving a young slave girl named who is to be a gift to the King who falls in love with a young, male scholar. …show more content…
It is apparent that neither had visited the region of the world and made very general assumptions about the people and their unique and fascinating culture. Instead, they took a very generalized, or “American” worldview of how life is in Siam, or modern day Thailand, and created a show around it. Obviously when Rodgers and Hammerstein were creating this now famous and well known show, they did not intend for it to be as offensive as it is considered now. Rather they wanted to create a musical that could feature an exotic, far away land that would be appealing to Americans. However, in the year 2015, the King and I should now be considered offensive to modern day audiences. The culture appropriation taking place is not anything to be taken lightly, but people are able to look past it to enjoy a “Golden Age”

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