Kong Lives (thanks to some truly remarkable actors)
Recently, my son and I embarked on a journey to see the great King Kong on Broadway (@KingKongBway). We weren’t sure if it would be a cheap animatronic gimmick or another tired attempt to relive the Kong story we’ve heard countless times before. As a member of his high school stage crew, my son was somewhat skeptical as well.
Nothing could have prepared us for what we witnessed.
The crew and @DrewMcOnie brought the performance to a new level. It started before we even witnessed Kong, with the crew bringing the ship to live with motions and movements making it feel like we were on the Atlantic Ocean. Fast forward to Kong himself. The visibility of the stagehands makes the audience truly marvel at what it takes to produce this Broadway show. There’s no green screen, special effects or artificial intelligence, this is an orchestra of individuals working symbiotically to show Kong’s passion and human attributes that make us side with him as the protagonist. Although he never mutters a single word, the performers make him more human than some of the actors themselves, and deliver an emotional quality not often seen in such performances.
There is an @CBSNews article does a great job depicting exactly how it all works. In addition, one of the stars - @TheEricWMorris – is from our town and was pretty amazing as Carol Denham. Our local paper wrote a great article on him.
If you’re looking for a flat out cool experience on Broadway, this is the show for you.