Show Synopsis:
Anna Leonowens and her son Louis go to Siam so Anna can tutor the children of the King, but find themselves confined to their rooms for many weeks and without a house. Although the King wants to modernize Siam, he initially objects to some of Anna's teachings and they argue, but then she helps him prepare for the arrival of a British envoy. Although the introductions do not go as planned, the envoy, Sir Edward, is understanding of cultural differences, and he dances with Anna, who he was in love with long ago. Meanwhile, Tuptim, a slave girl who is meant to be the latest wife of the polygamous King, plots escape with her true love Lun Tha, and they confide in Anna. After they leave, the King and Anna clash over the situation, and when Anna tries to explain English courtship to the King, they end up dancing and realizing that they are in love with each other. The captured Tuptim should be whipped for punishment but the King cannot whip her in Anna's presence, and when Lun Tha is found dead, Tuptim swears to kill herself. The situation makes Anna want to leave Siam, but as she is preparing to leave, the King aks her to come to his deathbed. They reconcile and Anna agrees to stay in Siam and help his son Chulalongkorn rule the kingdom.
Character:
Anna Leonowens, a strongwilled widowed middle-aged schoolteacher; intelligent and stubborn.
Song Context:
The King's many wives ask Anna about the aspects of her life that are truly foreign to them, including romance. Anna tells them about her youth and marriage to her husband Tom. She believes that everybody deserves a chance to be with the one they truly love.
Fun Facts:
1) Anna Leonowens was a real person who tutored the children of Mongkut, King of Siam.
2) The primary of purpose of this song was to inform the audience on Anna's past and why she found herself traveling to Siam with her young son.
3) Musical theatre historians Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik describe Gertrude Lawrence, the actress who originated the role of Anna, as having "a multi-faceted personality, on stage and off, steely when necessary and yet incredibly vulnerable."
"When I think of Tom.
I think of a night,
When the earth smelled of summer
And the sky was streaked with white,
The soft mist of England
Was sleeping on a hill.
I remember this,
And I always will...
There are new lovers now
On the same silent hill,
Looking on the same blue sea.
And I know Tom and I are a part of them all --
And they're all a part of Tom an me.
Hello young lovers, whoever you are,
I hope your troubles are few.
All my good wishes go with you tonight,
I've been in love like you.
Be brave, young lovers, and follow your star,
Be brave and faithful and true,
Cling very close to each other tonight.
I've been in love like you.
I know how it feels to have wings on your heels,
And to fly down the street in a trance.
You fly down a street on the chance that you meet,
And you meet -- not really by chance.
Don't cry young lovers, whatever you do,
Don't cry because I'm alone;
All of my memories are happy tonight,
I've had a love of my own.
I've had a love of my own, like yours-
I've had a love of my own.
Be brave, young lovers, and follow your star,
Be brave and faithful and true,
Cling very close to each other tonight.
I've been in love like you.
I know how it feels to have wings on your heels,
And to fly down the street in a trance.
You fly down a street on the chance that you meet,
And you meet -- not really by chance.
Don't cry young lovers, whatever you do,
Don't cry because I'm alone;
All of my memories are happy tonight,
I've had a love of my own.
I've had a love of my own, like yours-
I've had a love of my own."