Theater News

Australian King Kong Musical to Receive Complete Creative Overhaul

A Tony-winning team is being brought on to craft a new version of the show for Broadway.

A scene from the Melbourne stage production of King Kong.
A scene from the Melbourne stage production of King Kong.
(© Belinda Strodder )

John Rando, the Tony Award-winning director of Urinetown and the new revival of On the Town, is in negotiations to direct the new King Kong musical, which is still aiming for Broadway, according to published reports. Rando, who is currently directing a workshop of the new musical version of The Honeymooners, would lead the overhaul of King Kong, which received harsh reviews upon its Australian premiere last year.

That overhaul includes a new book penned by Tony winner Marsha Norman (The Bridges of Madison County), replacing the original by Craig Lucas. The score consisted of classic songs like "I Wanna Be Loved by You" and "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," as well as new and existing material by artists including Sarah McLachlan, Robert Del Naja, Justice, and Guy Garvey.

The centerpiece of King Kong was the 20-foot-tall Kong puppet itself. Carmen Pavlovic of the company Global Creatres serves as producer. The musical is based on the classic film and by the Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace novella of the same name, which tells the story of a massive gorilla in captivity and the woman with whom the ape falls in love.

King Kong was initially planned to open on Broadway this year at the Lyric Theatre, where Rando's revival of On the Town is currently running. No timeline for the revised King Kong has been announced.