KING KONG - Previews- Page 4

[Dan6]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:11pm

Okay, here goes.

The good:

The puppet, the puppet, the puppet.  It's almost insulting to call it a puppet...it's the most emotive, moving, REAL performance in the show. It is also possibly the best piece of technical stagecraft I have ever seen. Watching the operators fly around on their cables as they bring it to life is thrilling; watching its extraordinarily expressive face and eyes is breathtaking; watching it lean out over the front rows before rearing up to full height is jaw-dropping. Kong justly received the final curtain call, and a well-deserved standing ovation. Some of the related stagecraft, including use of projections, is also very effective.

The bad:

Pretty much everything else.

Oh, the costumes are lovely, and the choreography is energetic and athletic (if at times weirdly placed), and the performers are in fine voice and try to do their best with the material they are given.  But Jack Thorne's book makes his script of Cursed Child (hated the book, loved the production) look like Pulitzer material. Cliches everywhere, clunky exposition, "jokes" that fall dead, and a complete absence of real character development or pathos. The songs are unmemorable...any one or more of them could be deleted and I probably wouldn't notice on a second viewing...and often end oddly and abruptly. And the lyrics are generally painful ("I watched you fall out of the sky/I am not prepared to say goodbye" - really?). 

Am I glad I saw it and sprang for a premium seat? Actually yes...that's how effective the technical wizardry is, and I'll remember it for a long time. I just wish it were all in service of a better show.    

[Dan6]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:13pm

Dancingthrulife2 said: "Please let me know how much stage time the dinosaurs get!"

None.

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:15pm

Dan6 said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "Please let me know how much stage time the dinosaurs get!"

None. "

Aw man I was looking foward to puppet battles

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:15pm

Is Full Moon Lullaby in the show? 

[joanntom]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:19pm

Smeds2 said: "joanntom said: "So far it seems that there's one carry over song from Melbourne."

Was it the Full Moon Lullaby one? At the time back in 2013, that was the closest one to being the "breakout" song."

Yes, -- she said that it was integrated beautifully. And said that She also sings a new song to him in act 2 that rivals it.  No other notes other than Act 2 was a bit tighter, But, still needs some cuts. She felt like she got her moneys worth

[Dan6]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:23pm

WldKingdomHM said: "Is Full Moon Lullaby in the show?"

Yes. Definitely one of the better songs, though I confess I was watching the puppet during it. 

[Dan6]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:24pm

Bwayfan292 said: "Dan6 said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "Please let me know how much stage time the dinosaurs get!"

None. "

Aw man I was looking foward to puppet battles"

There’s a good puppet battle between Kong and a python. 

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:25pm

Dan6 said: "Bwayfan292 said: "Dan6 said: "Dancingthrulife2 said: "Please let me know how much stage time the dinosaurs get!"

None. "

Aw man I was looking foward to puppet battles"

There’s a good puppet battle between Kong and a python."

YES!!!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:26pm

Well, at least they have the puppet. 

And giving full credit where it’s due, the puppet is pretty awesome to watch and it does have an amazing entrance. It also gives the most expressive performance of the whole cast, which is both impressive and sad. But is one really amazing puppet enough to hang an entire two and half hour musical on? Duh, no! 

Where to even start with the rest. The score is junk. At least 2/3 (maybe more) of the music is just underscoring. There are barely any actual numbers; hell, there are barely even an actual characters! Like literally. Basically only three characters are given any dialogue/solo singing lines, and there’s not much for the audience to hold onto in that department. The structure really reminded me of Paramour (not a compliment)- give a few actors some songs and plot, but we’ll really expect the cirque stunts/Kong puppet to carry the show. 

The show is ostensibly set in 1931, but there’s very little supporting evidence to back this up. The choreography is beyond over-choreographed. The opening number felt like Newsies performed by electro shock therapy patients. The opening of act two is an embarrassing Hamilton rip off where the lead attempts to rap and the female chorus comes out as rhinestone cheerleaders with pom-poms. It’s as bad as it sounds. And the worst part is the tone is terribly off in act two from what was presented in act one. It turns campy for a bit and the lead actor goes from douchey to downright evil villain. 

The audience reaction was pretty funny. Whenever Kong wasn’t on stage it was like crickets, but whenever Kong moved a muscle they went, pardon the expression, apesh!t crazy. Maybe this will run for a bit, although I can’t imagine the weekly running cost is manageable. 

The Ferryman was a helluva lot more epic than King Kong, and that had a one room set in a poor, Irish farmhouse! Yes, the puppet is cool and should either receive a special Tony or win best set? Costumes? But I just paid $59 to see a puppet. Next!

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:32pm

Yikes.....


Thanks for the review, Whizzer.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:35pm

Mmmmm wonderful preview review as always Whizzer. Been waiting on it all night.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:46pm

Hasn’t this show been in development for like a decade? It seems like there have been countless productions, workshops and creative teams attached over the years, including the likes of Craig Lucas, Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown, and yet this is what they finally decide to serve up to us? 

King Kong is written like a jukebox musical, but instead of hanging a book on a pre-existing catalogue of songs, an entire show has been built out from a special effect. 

[Dan6]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:50pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "The opening number felt like Newsies performed by electro shock therapy patients.”

YES! Perfect. 
 

 

[Smeds2]

Posted: 10/5/18 at 11:55pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "Hasn’t this show been in development for like a decade? It seems like there have been countless productions, workshops and creative teams attached over the years, including the likes of Craig Lucas, Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown, and yet this is what they finally decide to serve up to us?

King Kong is written like a jukebox musical, but instead of hanging a book on a pre-existing catalogue of songs, an entire show has been built out from a special effect."

After how poorly everything other than the puppet was received in Australia, I'm shocked they decided to not do a radical overhaul in the style of the show for a Broadway run. From what I'm reading, it sounds like its pretty much stayed exactly the same. I don't blame JRB for dropping out of the project if this was the show they were asking him to write for. And in Melbourne it felt jukebox-y too, with so many contributors to the score and songs (a la Spongebob Squarepants). I have it on good authority that there will be some substantial alterations during the previews, but now I'm wondering whether that'll be enough to save it.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:07am

Here's the question I always love to ask. Is there time (or desire from the creative team) to change what's needed before opening night? And if so, what are most necessary changes? 

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:13am

Scarlet Leigh said: "Mmmmm wonderful preview review as always Whizzer. Been waiting on it all night."

Me too!

Still can't wait to see it though! Now off to bed.

 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:17am

Wick3 said: "Just saw this youtube video more about Ann and it looks like this show will focus more on Ann's perspective.

Well, first of all I've been burned too many times to just believe a Broadway show when the cast/creatives say that it's going to be different and feminist and empowering and not problematic and written with a new perspective in light of the Women's March, #metoo, etc.

Secondly, why this show? I mean God bless if they can make it work but the text as it is isn't exactly crying out for a feminist reading. Taking the leap from damsel/almost a lamp to fully realized strong female character is a big jump.

"

 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:34am

Whizzer is the theatre scene where Kong breaks free, still played off stage, with the actors describing the carnage?

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 12:59am

I hate labelling a theatre as a "flophouse" because the business of Broadway is such a crapshoot, but.... The Broadway Theatre has attracted an awful lot of big flops. Since the original Miss Saigon closed in 2001, its only 2 hit musicals were the original Color Purple and Promises/Promises.

The 5 theatres with 1700+ seats (Gershwin, Bway, New Am, Palace, Minskoff) just feel too vast nowadays. In a business that has become driven by supply-and-demand/dynamic pricing, I bet the producers and theatre owners would love to kill 4-6 rows/150-200 seats at the back of those mezzanines (unless you happen to be The Lion King or Wicked).

[MX888]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 2:14am

[John Adams]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 2:56am

This show is so incredibly frustrating. It's bad. REAALLLY BAD. period. BAD. (well... except for the monkey puppet.) I mean really... Look at Whizzer's review. He's pretty well respected on this board (at the very least by me). But Whizzer's not alone. Dan6 also says (after recognizing that the monkey puppet is pretty cool), "The bad: Pretty much everything else."

It seemed really obvious from the getgo, based on the media of its Australian run, and the very, very desperate attempts to attach itself to some kind of "relevance" to the #metoo movement, as well as the YouTube promo videos, and the more-than-obvious attempts to replicate other successful Broadway composers like Linn-Manuel Miranda (which was noticed by other posters, besides me) that this show has NOTHING (beyond the monkey-puppet) to make it worth spending Broadway prices to see.

If money is to be made (and isn't that what this is all about?), please take your very good ideas (regarding Kong only) to where they will be the most fiscally fruitful: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS in ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 2:59am

After everyones initial reviews, I have a feeling this is going to be like spiderman. A great show in terms of technical theatre, but overall a really horrible show.

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 3:05am

John Adams said: "Look at Whizzer's review. He's pretty well respected on this board (at the very least by me). But Whizzer's not alone. Dan6 also says (after recognizing that the monkey puppet is pretty cool), "The bad:Pretty much everything else."

John Adams, were you at last night's preview?  If so, anything specific you can go into about what you liked and disliked about the performance itself?  

Anyone else actually see the show yet?  Keep the reviews and details flowing in.  

Updated On: 10/6/18 at 03:05 AM

[John Adams]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 3:23am

Warbucks2 said: "John Adams said: "Look at Whizzer's review. He's pretty well respected on this board (at the very least by me). But Whizzer's not alone. Dan6 also says (after recognizing that the monkey puppet is pretty cool), "The bad:Pretty much everything else."

John Adams, were you at last night's preview? If so, anything specific you can go into about what you liked and disliked aboutthe performance itself?"

No, Daddy. But I acknowledge that you're right to question my response because I wasn't physically in attendance.

However... There's been quite a bit of video available online, and as I implied, I have a great deal of respect for Whizzer in particular (who was there). I will not discredit Whizzer or his first-hand observations by claiming that he might be "echoing" me, but what he described was very similar to what I also pointed out in previous posts (based on video released by the production). For me, I feel he confirmed what I'd already suspected and believed might be true, based on my following of the Australian production, and the more recently released videos.

Still, I would hold no objection if you feel that my opinions might be discounted because I have not been in attendance for a preview performance. That is true.

I feel that my observations are relevant because they have only been focused on what the production has output online. I appreciate the commentary from folks like Whizzer and Dan6's because (as people who were actually in the seats) seem to confirm what I suspected.

[John Adams]

Posted: 10/6/18 at 4:03am

PS: Daddy Warbucks

Total fantasy on my part...

If there's any chance that you ARE a Daddy Warbucks, and might subliminally be proffering an option for paying my expenses to see the show... COUNT ME IN!