King Kong the Musical

[Daddy Warbucks]

Dave13 said: "King Kong looks like it could be great or a flop."

This was posted on another thread, but thought I'd start a new thread to discuss this upcoming production in more detail as it is getting closer to its fall opening.  This happens to be one of the few shows I'm looking forward to this season.  Dave13, what a perfect way to describe this one.  I couldn't agree more.  I think it could become a spectacle beyond spectacles, or it could struggle and become a great flop.   

I've read that there were some book/music issues in Australia but I've also heard they've made significant improvements to both since then, so I'm interested to see if they can pull this one off.  For me, I can't get over how amazing the puppet looks in this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8YJwRUTK7Y

My early prediction is that this one starts off doing so-so financially (as people think, King Kong the musical?  Really?), but then as people see the puppet first hand word of mouth could start spreading.  How strong that word of mouth becomes is what will make or break the show. 

I feel like tourists want to come to New York and see a spectacle (one reason my friends will still come and see Lion Kong... oops, I mean 'King'... despite my recommendations to see some of the great lower budget shows of incredible artistic quality) and at least from watching the video, I feel like this has the potential to be a spectacle unlike anything we've ever seen on Broadway to date. 

And has anyone caught the irony that King Kong is being brought to a NY theatre and put on display (isn't that the classic story of King Kong and what leads to him ending up on the empire state building?).

[CT2NYC]

Aside from the puppet, which looks pretty damn cool, I really like Marius de Vries' work in films (Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, La La Land), so I'm looking forward to hearing the score.

[rosscoe(au)]

This in Melbourne Australia was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen ( and I saw Cyrano The Musical ) yes the puppet is grand, but after twenty minutes the magic wears off and you are distracted by the puppeteers pulling the strings. 

?I’m fully aware that is a new updated version, but unless something truly stunning and involving happens on that stage this has no hope. 

[rosscoe(au)]

This in Melbourne Australia was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen ( and I saw Cyrano The Musical ) yes the puppet is grand, but after twenty minutes the magic wears off and you are distracted by the puppeteers pulling the strings. 

?I’m fully aware that is a new updated version, but unless something truly stunning and involving happens on that stage this has no hope. 

[perfectliar]

I'm really curious about this one as well. I have to imagine it's an almost completely different production from the one which opened in Australia, considering the director, choreographer, book writer, and songwriter are all new. It looks like the only creative who survived the transition is Marius de Vries, and even then it's not clear what exactly his contribution versus Eddie Perfect will be (the former is credited as "composer & music producer" while the latter is "songwriter" ). And considering it's been five years since Australia, there may be improvements/changes to the design of the puppet, even though the original designer is still credited for the Broadway production.

The short clips that have been released of the rehearsal process/developmental labs are intriguing, and seeing who's in the cast is as well: puppeteers, b-boys, contemporary dancers, acrobats... it should be interesting, at least.

[CaseyBrent41]

The problem is the main attraction is the ape and we've already seen it in promo videos and pictures. If Phantom was only about the chandelier and the material wasn't good (Which sure, debatable, but it has its place) then it wouldn't be as successful as it is, if Les Miz were JUST about the turn table or Miss Saigon the helicopter well that wouldn't keep people going back. 

I think this is a big mistake as a show, because there's only one reason to see it and once that's spoiled there's not much there. 

[mar6411]

You might want to correct the thread title. . . 

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

rosscoe(au) said: "This in Melbourne Australia was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen ( and I saw Cyrano The Musical ) yes the puppet is grand, but after twenty minutes the magic wears off and you are distracted by the puppeteers pulling the strings.

?I’m fully aware that is a new updated version, but unless something truly stunning and involving happens on that stage this has no hope."

My daughter and I sat with an Australian family last summer at the food court at City Kitchen (44th and 8th) and talked about theater. The one thing that I still remember from that brief conversation was a warning to avoid King Kong at all costs..

[perfectliar]

CaseyBrent41 said: "The problem is the main attraction is the ape and we've already seen it in promo videos and pictures. If Phantom was only about the chandelier and the material wasn't good (Which sure, debatable, but it has its place)then it wouldn't be as successful as it is, if Les Miz were JUST about the turn table or Miss Saigon the helicopter well that wouldn't keep people going back.

I think this is a big mistake as a show, because there's only one reason to see it and once that's spoiled there's not much there."

I don't really understand this critique. This isn't the Universal Studios ride where, yes, you spend 10 minutes of your life waiting for a 30 second reveal of the giant ape. It's a musical. Like with the movie, you know you're going to see a giant ape, but you decide whether or not to spend your money and time watching it based on how the ape is used in the story, the special effects, the action sequences, etc. It's the same here: yes, you want to see a huge gorilla puppet on stage, but audiences also understand it's going to be part of a story, musical numbers, etc. People still went to see Spider-Man, even after they'd seen clips of the flying sequences.

[Daddy Warbucks]

mar6411 said: "You might want to correct the thread title. . ."

Done.  Thank-you.

 

[TheSassySam]

I am looking forward to this! I wish Eva Noblezada was with this production like she was in the very early stages

[Daddy Warbucks]

perfectliar said: "CaseyBrent41 said: "The problem is the main attraction is the ape and we've already seen it in promo videos and pictures. If Phantom was only about the chandelier and the material wasn't good (Which sure, debatable, but it has its place)then it wouldn't be as successful as it is, if Les Miz were JUST about the turn table or Miss Saigon the helicopter well that wouldn't keep people going back.

I think this is a big mistake as a show, because there's only one reason to see it and once that's spoiled there's not much there."

I don't really understand this critique. This isn't the Universal Studios ride where, yes, you spend 10 minutes of your life waiting for a 30 second reveal of the giant ape. It's a musical. Like with the movie, you know you're going to see a giant ape, but you decide whether or not to spend your money and time watching it based on how the ape is used in the story, the special effects, the action sequences, etc. It's the same here: yes, you want to see a huge gorilla puppet on stage, but audiences also understand it's going to be part of a story, musical numbers, etc. People still went to see Spider-Man, even after they'd seen clips of the flying sequences."

Great response and I fully agree.  I can't tell you how many shows have done well on Broadway where I feel like the music is forgettable or the plot is thin or boring.  I'm going to get totally slaughtered on this board for saying this, but I felt like Band's Visit had a thin plot and completely forgettable music.  

Usually I'd say a successful Broadway show needs to either nail the music OR the story.  On occasion we see shows that nail both. 

King Kong has the benefit of another factor: spectacle.  We know people will pay money to see spectacle alone (without music or story).  So I think the key to success here is whether King Kong has not only spectacle, but either a solid score OR a solid story.  

[CATSNYrevival]

CaseyBrent41 said: "I think this is a big mistake as a show, because there's only one reason to see it and once that's spoiled there's not much there."

I wouldn’t go that far. Beyond the spectacle the source material does have a beautiful story when it’s told well. Granted, it’s another variation on Beauty and the Beast just as Phantom is. The question is whether or not that story will be told well or just be a mess and get lost amid the spectacle.

[Elegance101]

As of RIGHT NOW, the only thing we care about is the ape. I think what the team is hoping for is that people see it for the ape, think it's actually a good show outside of that, tell everyone they know and then it'll be known as a good show for the ape but also a lot of other things (the story, music, performances, etc.). We obviously have no idea whether or not it'll actually end up being a good show, but I would assume everyone knows the ape isn't the only thing needed to sell the show.

[darquegk]

Curious that Eddie Perfect, a cult figure in Australia but utterly unknown and unproven in the West, wound up attached to two different major musical adaptations this year... here's hoping Beetlejuice turns out well, anyway!

[Fan123]

Staging spoilers perhaps: I read in a recent article (not available for free online) that Kong "will now occupy a world that 'relates to him', in which sets and props also are operated by puppeteers". That wasn't the case in the Australian production.

[JudyDenver]

With King Kong in the might be great or might flop category, is anyone curious enough to buy preview tickets yet?

 

[CT2NYC]

JudyDenver said: "With King Kong in the might be great or might flop category, is anyone curious enough to buy preview tickets yet?"

Yes, I have a ticket for the last day of previews. Also, "might be great or might be terrible" is probably a better distinction, since even a great show can flop.

[uncageg]

I have been hoping for a Broadway production of this musical.

Can't wait.

[StephieElise]

I actually ended up seeing the Melbourne production 3 times during its run. We are friends with Esther Hannaford who played Ann Darrow, but even then were hesitant to see it initially. Esther encouraged us to see it and said it was like nothing else she’d done or seen before. We ended up loving it and almost immediately booked to go back. That time both Esther and the actor playing Carl Denham were out and we still loved it. We were sitting fairly close in the centre of the stalls (i.e. orchestra) and there was a moment when Kong reaches down towards the audience and it was honestly terrifying! We then made a fairly last minute decision to go to the closing show and once again adored it.

There is something truly magical about that puppet and I know both Esther and her understudy Sam felt a true connection with King Kong (and his chief puppeteer Harley). Yes, the show wasn’t perfect, but that connection between Kong and Ann is so special and the puppet itself is just awesome. If I could I would love to see it again on Broadway.