A stage production of King Kong will be headed to Broadway in November, with Christiana Pitts taking on the role of Ann Darrow. Check out the first look at the actress below before the production officially opens on November 8th.
Per the press release, “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, Ann Darrow, and a maverick filmmaker, Carl Denham, as they voyage from the bustling streets of 1930s New York to an uncharted island to capture the world’s greatest wonder. 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.
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“Christiani Pitts, following screen legends Fay Wray, Jessica Lange, and Naomi Watts into King Kong’s hand, appears in costume as Ann Darrow in this photograph by Joan Marcus from the new Broadway musical King Kong.
“In addition to Christiani Pitts (A Bronx Tale) the cast is led by Eric William Morris (Mamma Mia!) as Carl Denham, and Erik Lochtefeld (Misery, Metamorphoses) as Lumpy. Written by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) with a score by Marius de Vries (La La Land and Moulin Rouge) and songs by Eddie Perfect (Beetlejuice), King Kong is directed by Drew McOnie (Strictly Ballroom The Musical).”
The play is produced by Global Creatures, the company responsible for delivering the impressive “Walking with Dinosaurs” live experiences. The primate will be brought to life with similar internal components to those prehistoric creatures, in addition to the help of 14 performers.
“He is a completely expressive character with an incredibly wide range of emotions, and I’ve had to step up my game to compete,” actress Pitts told The New York Times. “When we first made eye contact, he roared and I started sobbing — he doesn’t look like he belongs in the space, and that’s the most heartbreaking thing about him.”
The creation is 20 feet tall and weighs 2,000 pounds, comprised of steel, carbon fiber, fiberglass, and a series of inflatable tubes and airbags. On stage, the monster is brought to life with 10 performers, while another four offstage use a variety of computer controls to manipulate the beast’s performance.
Tickets to King Kong are now on sale through Telecharge.com.
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