Posted: 10/18/18 at 4:51pm
Besides the puppet, everything else is just so boring. It’s not a <<edited by BWW staff>> like BKLYN or SPIDER-MAN. It’s worse than that because it’s all just so unnecessary.
Updated On: 10/18/18 at 04:51 PM
Posted: 10/18/18 at 5:01pm
Jordan Catalano said: "Besides the puppet, everything else is just so boring. It’s not a sh*tshow like BKLYN or SPIDER-MAN. It’s worse than that because it’s all just so unnecessary. "
It got to the point last night where a secondary character stood up to Carl Denham near the end of the show with a very sassy line and most of the audience (at least the mezzanine where I was sitting) all went ooooOOOOOOOOOoooo as if it were a canned studio audience reaction for a sitcom. Everyone was so utterly bored and smacking their heads when kong wasn’t around.
Posted: 10/18/18 at 5:34pm
Mister Matt said: "musikman - Everything you said sounds infinitely better than what I watched happen on stage in Thou Shalt Not."
I tell people to this day, nothing can hold a candle to that show. Tugggggggboattttttt
Posted: 10/18/18 at 11:57pm
Posted: 10/19/18 at 1:00pm
A friend saw it last week. He said poor Kong failed and intermission was extended 30 mins at which point many folks left. Also, he said you have to sit in the first 3 rows to see all of the beast and set which I didn't understand at all.
As for it being an inflatable. It is anything but. Here is the playbill story on how it was built for those who are curious.
http://www.playbill.com/article/timeline-of-a-mega-musicalking-kongs-road-to-broadway
I'm sorry I bought a ticket back in June b/c they're selling for less now. Won't do that again.
Posted: 10/19/18 at 1:57pm
The bit about needing to be in the first three rows is just wrong.
Posted: 10/20/18 at 12:45am
Saw this last Friday night, 10/12. I went in with low expectations after reading these reviews and the reviews from Melbourne. But I bought my ticket a while back for $99, so I was committed. Anyhow, I thought that the spectacle of King Kong was VERY entertaining. The puppet runs, climbs, bellows, cries. Plus there are some cool special effects. The first act didn't seem anything like a musical to me, but the second act had some songs that were sung.
I sat in G1, on the aisle. I actually thought it was too close. I went up to the front mezzanine to check out the view before the show began, and I thought it would be better from up there.
I wasn't bored, the puppet was fun, and I'm not unhappy about having seen it.
Updated On: 10/20/18 at 12:45 AM
Posted: 10/20/18 at 9:40am
I agree with the last review - I went last night and had low expectations and just wanted to see what the deal was with the puppet. Quite frankly, although the music and story was kinda meh, the puppet/spectacle was pretty amazing to me. I thought the ship transition was pretty interesting and the screenwork/visuals was also very well done. It's not going to win any awards but I also wasn't unhappy that I went. Sat in row E in the Front Mezzanine and had a pretty nice view. If you're not paying an exorbitant price, it's probably worth it just to see the puppet and the staging.
Posted: 10/20/18 at 11:46am
The line about having to be in the first few rows is the most ridiculous statement I have seen on this chat board. Serves no purpose other then to lie.
Amazing how many “experts” are here. From set designers, to vocal analysts to choreography, etc….. Opinions are one thing. But not having the expertise to back up what you say is another.
As technically advanced as Kong is breakdowns can occur. It’s in previews, which for the many of you who don’t know, a time period to work out the bugs and fine tune a show. Which is why real professional reviewers are banned during this time.
If you come here to read about it before going then you should stop right now. If you are interested in seeing Kong then go. Keep an open mind and take it for what is presented.
Updated On: 10/20/18 at 11:46 AM
Posted: 10/20/18 at 1:50pm
tjones2 said: "Amazing how many “experts” are here. From set designers, to vocal analysts to choreography, etc….. Opinions are one thing. But not having the expertise to back up what you say is another.
As technically advanced as Kong is breakdowns can occur. It’s in previews, which for the many of you who don’t know, a time period to work out the bugs and fine tune a show. Which is why real professional reviewers are banned during this time.
If you come here to read about it before going then you should stop right now. If you are interested in seeing Kong then go. Keep an open mind and take it for what is presented."
It doesn’t take an “expert” to realize that this show is in terrible shape. And say what you want about the show being in previews... there’s not a long enough preview period in the world to salvage this disaster.
Posted: 10/20/18 at 2:17pm
This show will live or die based on word of mouth. This chat room will have no effect on that. From what I witnessed the two times I have seen it, most people were happy and talking positively.
Posted: 10/20/18 at 2:50pm
Posted: 10/20/18 at 3:10pm
ok but did tjones ever tell us what they does for the production? 
Posted: 10/20/18 at 3:56pm
Of course another factor is the cost. Even if it's popular with tourists, how many tickets, at what price, will they need to turn a profit? What is the weekly nut? (Insert joke about Kong having a high nut).
At some point, someone threw out a figure of $3M/week which sounds ridiculous.
Posted: 10/20/18 at 10:16pm
"tjones2" said, "The line about having to be in the first few rows [to see Kong in entirety] is the most ridiculous statement I have seen on this chat board. Serves no purpose other then to lie.."
I wrote that Jones. I relayed that my friend saw the show and stated that he didn't think the view was as good unless it was the 1st 3 rows. That was NOT A LIE. It was his opinion. I also wrote that I didn't understand why he would say that. I see more shows in a year that there are weeks. Granted, the closer you are, the more cabling you can see up to the ceiling. I never asked him to explain that.
Broadway World is a site for opinions. There are no right or wrong answers. I've not interpreted anyone as what you call, "an Expert." We all view it from our own perspective.
The puppetry was amazing. The choreography was overdone and cluttered w/two many dancers, and from what I could see, there dancing didn't enhance the story as it does in Ham. The orchestra played so loudly it was hard, if not impossible, to understand lyrics. The story dragged. The show was about trapping this animal, the love story, and its destruction. The book and songs need serious editing. I agree w/the writer who said it could be 90 mins and be entertaining, especially for the younger folk.
Great shows get enthusiastic applause after each song or scene (Ham, DEH). This show got a lackluster response to alot, except the ending when the puppet took a curtain call. How can a song be great if no one can understand what is being sung? It looked like a Busby Berkeley takeoff, and IN MY OPINION, it didn't work. And I always thought Busby was a "hoot." The dancers are incredibly athletic and talented, but did the show really need that many of them to convey its point?
There's just too much going on for the brain to accept it all.
I'm not an expert, but damn, that's MY OPINION....and I buy show tickets ALOT. While DEH, Ham, Boys/Band, Great Comet, were worthy of my repeat attendance, this is not unless I'm going just to watch the amazing puppetry. And I don't agree with the writer who said it won't win awards. If it doesn't win the Tony for set design or staging, I don't know what would. That was a feat. Thank you for your time.
Posted: 10/20/18 at 11:10pm
JayElle said: ""tjones2" said, "The line about having to be in the first few rows [to see Kong in entirety]is the most ridiculous statement I have seen on this chat board. Serves no purpose other then to lie.."
I wrote that Jones. I relayed that my friend saw the show and stated that he didn't think the view wasas good unless it was the 1st 3 rows. That was NOT A LIE. It was his opinion. I also wrote that I didn't understand why he would say that. I see more shows in a year that there are weeks. Granted, the closer you are, the more cabling you can see up to the ceiling. I never asked him to explain that.
Broadway World is a site for opinions. There are no right or wrong answers. I've not interpreted anyone as what you call, "an Expert." We all view it from our own perspective.
The puppetry was amazing. The choreography was overdone and cluttered w/two many dancers, and from what I could see, there dancing didn't enhance the story as it does in Ham. The orchestra played so loudly it was hard, if not impossible, to understand lyrics. The story dragged. The show was about trapping this animal, the love story, and its destruction. The book and songs needserious editing. I agree w/the writer who said it could be 90 mins and be entertaining, especially for the younger folk.
Great shows get enthusiastic applause after each song or scene (Ham, DEH). This show got a lackluster response to alot,except the ending when the puppet took a curtain call. How can a song be great if no one can understand what is being sung? It looked like aBusby Berkeley takeoff,and IN MY OPINION, it didn't work. And I always thought Busby was a "hoot." The dancers are incredibly athletic and talented, but did the show really need that many of them to convey its point?
There's just too much going on for the brain to accept it all.
I'm not an expert, but damn, that's MY OPINION....and I buy show tickets ALOT. While DEH, Ham, Boys/Band, Great Comet, were worthy of my repeat attendance, this is not unless I'm going just to watch the amazing puppetry. And I don't agree with the writer who said it won't win awards. If it doesn't win the Tony for set design or staging, I don't know what would. That was a feat. Thank you for your time."
beautifully said jay
Posted: 10/21/18 at 10:18am
At last night's performance, I could tell I was sitting amidst loads of tourists who applauded and "oohed" and "ahhed" when the prow of the ship tipped up and at every projection and special effect. But I'm OK with that; I like seeing people enjoying their evening out. The scenic design, stagecraft and lighting effects were more entertaining than I thought they would be, and probably because I had fairly low expectations, I found myself enjoying the show more than I anticipated. Is it great? No. But the Kong puppet is truly amazing, and the puppeteers work so diligently, evident even from the rear mezz, that they enable much of the magic and enjoyment. Unfortunately, the score is blah, and the second act drags with too many self-searching and redundant numbers sung (though ably) by the heroine.
Someone mentioned that there's no "button" to the show, that the audience couldn't tell for sure when the show had ended. Last night I thought the ending was very clear. Perhaps the show has undergone a few improvements during its preview period. All in all, not really good, but also not bad.
Posted: 10/21/18 at 10:30am
JayElle -
There is a big difference between an opinion and a factual inaccuracy. That a 20 plus foot, 2000 pound creature couldn’t be seen past the 3rd row? All it does is to serve others to think, “Well, if I don’t get in the first 3 rows then I might as well not go”. It is fine to voice an opinion but there are wrong answers when the “opinion” is conveyed as a false fact.
My 9 year old son had no problem for his brain to accept it all nor did the old man sitting next to us. But that’s fine as it is your opinion.
It’s unfortunate that after X amount of previews the music is still too loud drowning the lyrics. I don’t get why the powers that be don’t tone that down. This seems to be common in shows. The sound mixers have either a loss of hearing or they purposely do this for other reasons.
The show would run better if it cut down at least 15 minutes and to come up with a better ending. If they don’t do it by official opening they deserve to get whatever they get. For so much time and effort put in to create King Kong it would be unfortunate if it closed early for these obvious reasons. Tourists do make up one of if not the most revenue stream for Broadway. Perhaps that is their target audience and they feel they need to give them their “monies worth” from the overblown point of view. But if you are going to do that as least do the best job you can. Don’t think they won’t know any better…because they do and they tell others.
While it would be deserving to win or at least be nominated for set design, staging and costume it will probably be snubbed. But hey….you never know.
Posted: 10/21/18 at 12:15pm
tjones2 said: "JayElle-
There is a big difference between an opinion and a factual inaccuracy. That a 20 plus foot, 2000 pound creature couldn’t be seen past the 3rd row? All it does is to serve others to think, “Well, if I don’t get in the first 3 rows then I might as well not go”. It is fine to voice an opinion but there are wrong answers when the “opinion” is conveyed as a false fact."
?Seriously, it's time to let this go. No one stated this as fact.
Posted: 10/21/18 at 4:28pm
According to what is writ here, I feel the monkey should do what it's paid to do, the projectionist kept on the payroll, the leads and ensemble given a long vacation, and the male puppeteers to nightly do the shirtless 'Cell Block Tango [or was it Big Spender?] as done as a one off in Melbourne.
Posted: 10/22/18 at 12:36pm
Fair enough - I guess what wasn't clear was that I was saying that it wasn't going to win any performance/book/music awards - the comment had to do with the mediocre book/songs, etc. I agree the staging and set design was amazing.
That said, I think Spider-Man was nominated its year and somehow lost even these, what I would call "technical" awards, to Once (which was like...a bar), somehow. I think that Tony voters can be a bit snobby when it comes to these award votes, I guess we would see. If the show crashes out and closes quickly, I can see people ignoring it come voting time, despite how elaborate and great the set design was.
Updated On: 10/22/18 at 12:36 PM
Posted: 10/22/18 at 3:43pm
Anyone know of any changes made? I figured with a different preview schedule they'd at least try to make changes?
Posted: 10/22/18 at 4:40pm
Well, I have now seen this thing, and I can attest that the reports on here are totally true: This thing is a bomb of absolutely epic proportions. Almost nothing about this works. They have taken the King Kong story and dumbed it down to a level possibly meant for mentally challenged tthird graders. Rather than parrot what has already been said on here, I will just note that there is a "song" in Act Two called "Broadway Nightmare", and never were truer words printed in a program.
Posted: 10/24/18 at 5:23pm
Posted: 10/25/18 at 4:17pm
Saw King Kong last night. Was most surprised that they used Justice's "Genesis" for Kong's theme, which got a bit repetitive towards the end of the show. I feel like the artistic theme thought it was a good song but did not know what to do with it after. I actually think that "King Kong" as a Justice jukebox musical would be quite something.
The puppet is worth the spectacle, if that's what you're looking for. Most scenes are 10 seconds too long though. The opening number "Queen of New York" is not half bad, there's another song in the middle of act 2 that works, everything else is either forgettable, or the score of an action movie. The scenes without Kong feel empty. The scenes on the island felt the weakest to me, the swamp dancers and the snake were ridiculous.
"King Kong" is a bit more successful at a spectacle-musical than "Spider-Man", but not immensely so. I'd say it's an animatronic action show with occasional elements of musical theatre.
