Rogers and Hammerstein II settled on television director and actor Yul Brynner. In rehearsals, at Yul Brynner's first meeting with costume designer Irene Sharaff, Yul Brynner had only a fringe of curly hair. Yul Brynner asked Sharaff what he was to do about it.When Sharaff told him to shave it, Brynner was horror-struck, refused, convinced he would look terrible.rynner came to dominate his role and the musical, starring in a four-year national tour culminating in his last performance, a special Sunday night show, on June 30, 1985, in honor of Yul Brynner and his 4,625th performance of the role.