King Kong – Live On Stage, or simply King Kong, is a musical with music by Marius de Vries, lyrics by Michael Mitnick and Craig Lucas, a book by Lucas and additional musical and lyrical contributions by 3D, Sarah McLachlan, Guy Garvey, Justice and The Avalanches. It is based on the 1933 film of the same name and is produced by Global Creatures, who designed the six-metre animatronic silverback title character. Under the direction of Daniel Kramer, the musical is choreographed by John O’Connell. The world premiere opening night gala on 15 June 2013at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia , following previews from 28 May 2013.

According to producer Carmen Pavlovic of Global Creatures told The Times that she anticipates launching a second production of King Kong in 2014, with a third to follow in 2015. Plans have been announced to bring the show to the United States, England, South Korea, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands, among other markets.A Broadway production is being planned, and according to press notes, “the musical’s Broadway arrival depends on the availability of a Broadway theatre with enough backstage space to accommodate the elaborate production.”

Video Bank

Casts

• Esther Hannaford as Ann Darrow
• Chris Ryan as Jack Driscoll
• Adam Lyon as Carl Denham
• Queenie van de Zandt as Cassandra† / High Priestess
• Richard Piper as Captain Engelhorn / Chief of Police

 

Kong

The title role is the largest puppet ever created for the stage, and requires many on-stage and off-stage operators to control him for every show. According to press notes, “A group of 35 on-stage and off-stage puppeteers work to manipulate the large-scale puppet. Several puppeteers are positioned on swinging trapezes and others launch themselves as counterweights off the puppet’s shoulders to raise Kong’s massive arms as he runs and swipes at planes during the performance”. According to producers, the character is “an imposing, stylized silverback of exaggerated proportions…a highly sophisticated animatronic/marionette hybrid that will be controlled by the integration of hydraulics, automation and the manual manipulation from a team of puppeteer/aerialists (‘The King’s Men’) on stage, and off.”

Stills Bank

Music (Note: incomplete)

Act I “Rise Prologue” – Carl Denham “Hunting Season/Sweethearts On Parade/Prophecy 1/Brother Can You Spare A Dime/What’s It Gonna Take?/I Wanna Be Loved By You” – Carl Denham, Ann Darrow & Ensemble “Colossus” – Carl Denham (m. 3D) “Special FX” – Ann Darrow & Female Ensemble “Perfect” – Jack Driscoll “Full Moon Lullaby” – Ann Darrow

Act II “Hunting Season” – Carl Denham & Ensemble “In the Face of Forever” – Jack Driscoll “What’s It Gonna Take?” – Ann Darrow (m./l. Sarah McLachlan) “Get Happy” – Female Ensemble (m./l. The Avalanches) “The Greatest Show On Earth” – Carl Denham “A Simple Prayer” – Ann Darrow “Rise” – Cassandra

Stills Bank

 

Development

The musical took five years of planning and over five months of rehearsals. Director Daniel Kramer said in a statement that it took “three years of auditions and workshops” before performances began. He added, “It’s tempting to focus on the spectacle of King Kong himself. But it is only through the humanity of the life around him – the people of New York City, the comic megalomania of filmmaker Carl Denham, the stubborn opposition of first mate Jack Driscoll, and the grace, beauty and power of our leading lady, Ann Darrow – that he truly takes life.”

The musical, according to press notes, “has gone back to the source – the novella of the original film by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace – in this world-first adaptation as a large-scale musical. Featuring a cast of 49 actors, singers, dancers, circus performers and puppeteers; a crew of 76; and arguably the most technologically advanced puppet in the world – a one-tonne, six-metre giant silverback – King Kong will be an epic and dazzlingly original theatrical experience.”

Reception

Kong opened on 15 June 2013 to mixed reviews. The majority of critics lauded the visuals and the cast, but reacted negatively to the music, book and lyrics.

• Aussie Theatre wrote, “It’s spectacular. Visually and technically, this is theatre that we haven’t seen before”, but went on to say, “The story isn’t there. There’s a plot based on assuming the audience know King Kong’s film story, but it’s filled with illogical leaps, clunky dialogue and the melodrama of unearned emotion. It feels like it was written around the spectacle.” In terms of the score, it wrote, “The music is forgettable. It’s not boring, but it doesn’t move the story, show character or add much more than a beat for the spectacle that it’s supporting”, claiming that “the most successful number is Ann’s lullaby to Kong on Skull Island.”
• Australian Stage reviewed the show similarly, writing “The storyline does suffer from a lack of character development and an over-use of musical numbers that are sometimes more razzle-dazzle than relevant to the actual story.” It also reacted negatively to the original character Cassandra, writing “…adding [her] was another unnecessary idea. With little to do and dressed in a costume that seemed more relevant to Wicked, one was left bewildered by her presence, although Queenie van de Zandt produced another strong performance in the role.”
• In a 3 1/2 star review, The Sunday Morning Herald believed the show to “[impress] on many levels”, adding, “if it falls short, it’s because our expectations are so sky high. As such, it is a showcase for a technology’s potential and also its limitations. It is a novel, intermittently powerful but synthetic spectacle that seeks to be more.”

 

Awards and Nominations

Original Melbourne Production

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result
2013	Helpmann Awards[11]	Best New Australian Work		Nominated
		Best Female Actor in a Musical	Esther Hannaford	Nominated
		Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical	Chris Ryan	Nominated
		Best Original Score	Marius de Vries (original music), Michael Mitnick and Richard Thomas (additional lyrics), featuring Songs and Original Compositions by 3D, Guy Garvey, Sarah McLachlan, Justice and The Avalanches	Nominated
		Best Costume Design	Roger Kirk	Won
		Best Scenic Design	Peter England	Won
		Best Lighting Design	Peter Mumford	Won
		Best Best Sound Design	Peter Hylenski	Won
		Outstanding Theatrical Achievement *		Won

• The award for Outstanding Theatrical Achievement was created by the Industry Awards Panel and Helpmann Awards Administration Committee for the “design, creation and operation of King Kong – the creature.” The panel and administration felt that the “ground breaking Australian creation, the first of its kind in the world, was worthy of individual recognition.”

 

Company

 

Lincoln Barros Charles Bartley Damien Bermingham Amy Berrisford James Brown Amy Campbell Sophie Carter Angelique Cassimatis Will Centurion Andrew Cook Steve Coupe Adam Davis Samantha Leigh Dodemaide Harley Durst Simon Fairweather Josh Feldschuh Brett Franzi Samantha Hagen Ross Hannaford Melanie Hawkins Danni Hegarty Sam Hooper Loren Hunter

Nathan Jones Nathan Kell Travis Khan Russell Leonard Leah Lim Sam Marks Hayley Martin Scott McConnell Danny Miller Tracie Morley Glen Oliver Brent Osborne Chris Ostrenski Troy Phillips Joshua Robson Mike Snow Maxwell Trengove Romina Villafranca Dean Vince Leigh-Anne Vizer Jacob Williams Tayo Wilson

Creative Team

 

Carmen Pavlovic Producer Daniel Kramer Director Craig Lucas Book Marius de Vries Composer and Arranger Michael Mitnick Additional Lyrics John O’Connell Choreographer Peter England Production Designer

Sonny Tilders Creature Designer Roger Kirk Costume Designer Peter Mumford Lighting Designer Peter Hylenski Sound Designer Frieder Weiss Projection Designer Gavin Robins Aerial/Circus Director