Sarah McLachlan to Collaborate on Melbourne's KING KONG

Multi-Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan has announced that she will compose music for KING KONG, at Melbourne's Regent Theatre.

"I am writing a song for the new King Kong musical," McLachlan wrote on her Facebook page. The show, set a June 2013 opening night in Melbourne, is rumored to be seeking Broadway as well; in 2010, BroadwayWorld brought you a first look at the titular animatronic gorilla in progress - scroll down to view that photo!

Australian entertainment group Global Creatures had previously announced that King Kong will be produced in co-operation with the estate of "Kong" creator Merian C. Cooper.

Directed by Daniel Kramer, and written by Tony® nominee Craig Lucas, King Kong will have music by BAFTA winner and Grammy® nominee Marius de Vries, with other musical collaborators including MacLachlan and more to be announced.

The creative team also includes Helpmann Award-winner Peter England (Production designer), Sonny Tilders (Creature designer), John O'Connell (Choreographer), Tony® Award-winner Roger Kirk (Costume designer), Olivier Award-winner Peter Mumford (Lighting designer), Gavin Robins (Aerial/Circus director) and Frieder Weiss (projection).

In addition to King Kong, Global Creatures has announced a partnership with Bazmark (the multi-media company founded and owned by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin) to produce a stage musical adaptation of the first movie of Baz Luhrmann's ground-breaking Red Curtain Trilogy, Strictly Ballroom.

KING KONG image from Global Creatures' Creature Theatre Company workshop in Melbourne. Photo credit: Simon Schluter