King Kong, the new Broadway musical based on the classic 1933 Hollywood film, begins previews October 5 at the Broadway Theatre, where it will officially open November 8. King Kong arrives in New York following a 2013 Melbourne world premiere.
The cast is led by Christiani Pitts (A Bronx Tale) as Ann Darrow, Eric William Morris (Mamma Mia!) as Carl Denham, and Erik Lochtefeld (Misery, Metamorphoses) as Lumpy.
The centerpiece of the production is also its titular star: a 20-foot-high, 2,000-pound silverback gorilla that towers over his co-stars, a menacing aggressor whose lifelike face is capable of expressing a breathtaking range of emotion.
Lead producer Carmen Pavlovic enlisted an all-new creative team to ready King Kong for New York audiences. The Broadway creative team boasts Tony- and Olivier Award-winning book writer Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Let the Right One In), Olivier Award-winning director-choreographer Drew McOnie (Strictly Ballroom), and Australian songwriter Eddie Perfect. Perfect joins the show’s original composer and arranger Marius de Vries (Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet).
Read: HOW KING KONG’S WRITERS HAVE REIMAGINED ANN DARROW FOR A NEW AUDIENCE
Flip through the first look photos of the production below:
The production team also includes set and projection designer Peter England, costume designer Roger Kirk, lighting designer Peter Mumford, sound designer Peter Hylenski, aerial and movement director Gavin Robins, and hair designer Tom Watson. David Caddick is music supervisor with casting by Tara Rubin Casting. Johanna McKeon is associate director, and the associate choreographer is Ellenore Scott.
