The legendary Hollywood monster King Kong, after its first stage production in Melbourne, Australia in 2013, is finally arriving on Broadway. The musical King Kong is set to begin preview performances on October 5, 2018, and we bring you the latest updates on this highly anticipated production.
Bringing King Kong to the stage
The musical King Kong is based on the 1933 film King Kong. The original movie became a worldwide hit and has influenced countless works over the decades, inspiring numerous film remakes, comics, theme park attractions, and now a full scale musical. Although the character is familiar globally, including through the film King Kong vs. Godzilla, audiences have long wondered how such a massive creature could be brought to life onstage.
Although performance dates have been announced, rehearsal footage, staging details, and cast information remain unreleased, leaving much of the Broadway production shrouded in mystery. For now, take a look at footage from the 2013 Melbourne production to see how King Kong first appeared onstage.
As seen in the video, the production recreates the enormous King Kong from the film, using a massive six meter tall, 1.1 ton animatronic figure. The Broadway adaptation, produced by an entirely new creative team, was originally expected to open in New York in 2014 following the Melbourne run.
However, after the 2013 Melbourne production ended, the team decided to delay the Broadway opening in order to refine the animatronic design and bring King Kong’s movements and expressions closer to the original concept. This required significant reengineering and pushed the production back.
Now, the newly upgraded King Kong is ready for Broadway. Produced by Global Creatures, the show features world class animatronics combined with skilled puppetry, where multiple performers work together to control Kong’s lifelike movements. The blend of advanced robotics and human performance promises a visually stunning and emotionally expressive portrayal.
Latest production staff information
The Broadway version of King Kong has not yet announced its cast, but several members of the creative team have been revealed.
Book by Jack Thorne
The book is written by Jack Thorne, a celebrated writer whose work spans musicals, television, radio, and film. He wrote the script for the 2017 West End production of A Christmas Carol and gained widespread recognition for co writing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He is also involved in the script revisions for the upcoming 2019 Star Wars: Episode IX, making him one of the most in demand writers today.
Produced by Roy Furman
The producer, Roy Furman, is known for backing numerous Tony Award winning shows. He has produced around ninety musicals to date, including major hits such as Hello, Dolly!, Dear Evan Hansen, and Cats.
Music by Marius de Vries
The music is composed by British producer Marius de Vries, a multi award winning musician with credits that include work with Madonna and film scores for La La Land and Romeo and Juliet.
How the musical King Kong portrays New York’s history
The original 1933 King Kong film was created during a period of economic uncertainty in the United States following the Great Depression, and that atmosphere is deeply reflected in the story. King Kong was designed to embody the darker mood of the era, yet the musical adaptation portrays both the glamour of New York at the time and the struggles faced by its people.Experiencing King Kong in New York, the very city where the film is set, offers a vivid sense of the era and the dramatic shifts in society during that time.
King Kong performance venue｜Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre, located on 53rd Street along Broadway, opened on December 25, 1924.
It was originally established as B. S. Moss’s Colony by Benjamin Moss, a successful figure in the film industry, and served as a venue for both movies and vaudeville performances.This theater was notably large for its time and became famous as the site of the first ever screening of Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie. It was later purchased in 1930 by the Shubert Organization, one of the largest theater operators in New York, and has since hosted many major Broadway hits.
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