King Kong to Open on Broadway

The long-anticipated musical of King Kong, itself based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Merian C. Cooper, will finally be coming to Broadway, complete with the titular mammoth ape. Set to open on November 8, 2018 at the Broadway Theatre, the musical will utilize an innovative mix of robotics, puppetry, and stagecraft to bring this character to life. The production will be directed and choreographed by Oliver Award-winner Drew McOnie (In the Heights).

“Based on the 1932 novel, the stage production of King Kong is a contemporary take on the classic tale of beauty and the beast. The story follows a young actress and a maverick filmmaker as they voyage from the bustling streets of 1930s New York to an uncharted island to capture the greatest wonder the world has ever seen. At the center of this 21st-century reimagining: a 20-foot high, 2,000-pound gorilla brought to life by a team of seamlessly integrated artists and technicians. King Kong is a larger-than-life encounter with a legend that’s always been too big to contain.”

King Kong’s book writer Jack Thorne won the 2017 Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is poised to make its Broadway premiere this spring. The musical features a score by composer and music producer Marius de Vries (the films La La Land, Moulin Rouge, and Romeo + Juliet) who is a four-time Grammy nominee. Eddie Perfect (songs) is a Helpmann Award winner and composer and lyricist of the Broadway-bound Beetlejuice, Strictly Ballroom The Musical and Shane Warne The Musical.

The design team for the Broadway production of King Kong will include Peter England (Set and Projection Design), Sonny Tilders (Creature Design), Roger Kirk (Costume Design), Peter Mumford (Lighting Design), Peter Hylenski (Sound Design), Gavin Robins (Aerial and King Kong Movement Director). Casting will be announced at a later date.

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.