Opening May 2, 1977, the first Broadway revival of The King and I featured Yul Brynner reviving his Tony and Academy Award-winning portrayal of the King. Director Yuriko, a member of the original Broadway company, replicated Jerome Robbins’ original choreography. Arriving on Broadway following a tour of the Northeast, the production played 719 performances at the Uris (now Gershwin) Theatre. Clive Barnes of The New York Times called the production “a reminder of what the Broadway musical was like in its Golden Age.” New York’s Daily News hailed it as “a magnificent revival… far and away the most beautiful show in town,” calling Brynner’s reprisal as the King “even better than before” and Constance Towers’ turn as Anna “the finest performance I’ve ever seen [her] give.” When both stars took a short vacation, Angela Lansbury filled in as Anna.