King Kong - the Music Theatre Event

Everyone knows and loves King Kong. He is a fictional huge movie star, a gorilla-like monster who first featured in the 1933 movie "King Kong", then reprised in the 1976 and 2005 remakes of the movie. King Kong has appeared in books, comics, cartoon series, theme park rides, video games and of course on thousands of T-shirts.

Sometimes a popular stage musical is made into a hit movie, as in the case of Grease and The Sound of Music. Sometimes a movie has been turned into a hit stage show. This is the case with King Kong who has been brought to life on stage in a spectacular new stage musical. In fact, it is more than just a stage show, it is a theatrical event.

The multi-million dollar stage production of King Kong had its world premiere in Melbourne in June 2013. Each week there are 3 matinee and 5 evening performances that bring the legend of King Kong to life on stage in the resplendent  Regent Theatre. It is interesting to note that this historical theatre started its life in 1929 as a grand picture palace. This makes the Regent Theatre the appropriate venue to stage King Kong, considering King Kong's origin as a movie.

King Kong

King Kong is set in bustling 1933 New York and the mysterious Skull Island. It tells the story of three major characters - film maker and entrepreneur Carl Denham, blonde aspiring actress Ann Darrow, and the ships first mate Jack Driscoll. Carl discovers Anne and wants to turn her into a Hollywood movie star. He goes to Skull Island to capture King Kong and take him back to Broadway to exhibit him as the eighth wonder of the world. Jack falls in love with Ann.

Esther Hannaford playes as Ann Darrow, Chris Ryan as Jack Driscoll, and Adam Lyon as Carl Denham. These are great people for their roles, who create the life of their particular character particularly well.

However the major star of the show is not a person, but King Kong. King Kong is a huge creation - is more than 6 meters high, weighs 1.1 tonne, has 300 metres of electrical wiring that is controlled by a team of live puppeteers and an elaborate animatronic set-up. 

Global Premiere

King Kong combines romance, adventure, drama, and suspense all in the one brilliant stage musical. I was fortunate to see King Kong last night sitting in the Dress Circle of the full Regent Theatre. I was blown away with the sheer spectacle of the production. The cast of more than 50 people were amazing. The dancing, singing, orchestra, circus skills, costumes, stage-craft and lighting effects were all stunning.

I felt that in some ways King Kong showed more emotions in his facial, body and hand movements than the live actors did. Even though King Kong was a monstrous huge puppet, he had more life-like qualities than some of the actors. There is an empathy that built up with King Kong and the situation he is in. This is a credit due to the skills of his makers and operators.

The songs in King Kong were a mixture of modernised musical standards such as I Wanna Be Loved By You, Brother Can You Spare A Dime, and Get Happy. Other songs were new compositions by people such as Guy Garvey, Sarah McLachlan, The Avalanches, 3D, and Marius de Vries. Sing songs were jazzy and toe-tapping, while others were subdued and thoughtful that fitted in with the particular scene.

The dancing is slick and polished, a credit to the all dancers who give there all during the dance sequences.

Ann Darrow & King Kong

It was the actual staging of King Kong that impressed me the most. The set consisted largely of a blackened stage with large girders that emerged at appropriate times. The stage floor lowered and raised, and trapdoors opened to reveal and hide props and actors. The scenery was largely created by the use of various lighting effects - strobe lights, spotlights, LED Screen and light projections. These created the various scenes, weather they were the haunting Skull Island or bustling New York City. The overall visual appearance of everything on the stage is stunning and delights the eyes and sets the mood for King Kong. The sound and lighting makes King Kong stand above any other musical - it is a music theatre event, not just a musical - it is a theatre spectacular in the grandest sense.

I am the odd one out in a theatrical family. My wife plays in a band and orchestra, one daughter is a singing teacher, our other daughter is a dancing teacher, and our son is in his second year of a Bachelor of Arts, Design for Theatre & Television (Sound and Lighting Design) at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. I am the seated theatre appreciator. My wife would have loved to see King King for its stirring music, my daughter for the powerful singing, my other daughter for the energetic dancing, and my son for the amazing lighting and sound effects.  If we only lived in Melbourne rather than in four scattered cities around NSW I would gladly take them all to see King Kong, as I know they would appreciate the mastery of their particular skill interest in this wonderful production. I appreciated all the components that made King Kong the music theatre event it is.

Jack Driscoll, Ann Darrow & Carl Denham,

At the 2013 Helpman Awards King Kong won awards for the Best Costume Design, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Best Sound Design, Outstanding Theatrical Achievement. This last award was given for the "design, creation and operation of King Kong – the creature." It was felt that the "ground breaking Australian creation, the first of its kind in the world, was worthy of individual recognition".

The Melbourne production of King Kong will be its only Australian showing before it moves on to other countries. I strongly suggest that if you have not already seen King Kong that you book your seats now before the production run finishes at the end of December. You will be glad that you have seen this amazing dazzling theatre event.

For More Information 

Website: http://kingkongliveonstage.com
Performance Times: Tuesday – 7pm; Wednesday – 1pm & 8pm; Thursday – 8pm; Friday – 8pm; 
Saturday – 2pm & 8pm; Sunday – 3pm
Performance: 2 hours and 30 minutes including interval
Tickets: $55 - $145