The King and I is one of the greatest musicals of american theater. Richard Rodgers wrote the story and the lyrics and composed the music. The musical opened in 1951 and ran for three years. In the show Yul Brynner played the role of king saim, and Gertude Lawerence starred as Anna opposite Brynner in the original production. The King and I was based off the novel "Anna and the King of Saim" by Margaret Landon. Jerome Robbins created the shows choreography, which has two of the productions highlights.