Gertrude Lawrence but when he proved to be unenthused by the suggestion, Lawrence sent the book to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers initially demurred because he felt Lawrence's vocal range was limited and she had a tendency to sing flat. But he realised the story had strong potential, and the two men agreed to write what ultimately became "The King and I". It opened on Broadway in March 1951, and ultimately, Lawrence won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance. Her triumph was short-lived; her health deteriorated rapidly, forcing her to miss numerous performances until
Rex (musical) the early Broadway appearances of actress Glenn Close, her first in a musical. Until the Canadian premiere of "Rex" in 2010, this show was the only Richard Rodgers work since the 1940s not available for performance from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Clive Barnes, reviewing for "The New York Times", wrote that it was "one of the most interminable musicals in years." Andrew Lloyd Webber persuaded his then-wife, Sarah Brightman to record the ballad "Away From You", the only song from the musical that has been separately released. Years after the show closed, and after Rodgers's death, Sheldon Harnick and