At an early performance ofKing Kong, the standing ovation went to the 2,000-pound puppet.
Seeing the puppet in person knocked away those fears.
So hes becoming a very fluid part of the storytelling.
Credit: Joan Marcus
In some versions ofKong, a crew traverses Skull Island to bring back the gargantuan beast.
The puppet went through years of workshopping to become one of the most ambitious creatures realized on stage.
you’re able to climb on him, you’re able to dance on him.
Joan Marcus
And what we wanted to do was relieve him of that subservience.
Meanwhile, New Yorks Broadway Theatre stayed dark for months while the design team transplanted Kongs intricate pulley system.
Even the human cast didnt see their headliner until the first day of rehearsals.
McOnie was amazed by his troupes reaction.
It was important for me that we included Kong in the official meet-and-greet, he says.
So he was part of the circle we stood in.
Now the world gets to meet him, which McOnie admits is a high-pressure situation.
Were essentially doing our out-of-town try-outs now, McOnie says, noting the requirements of the puppet.
After all, not every theater knows how to handle such a beast.
This show has become such a fluid response to the audience to feedback, the clarity thats needed.
Over three days, three scenes were reworked and brand-new versions of songs were already composed.
None of us have slept much, McOnie admitted last month.
We wont get much for the next three weeks.
Which means Kong wont either.
