Christiani Pitts & Eric William Morris

Christiani Pitts & Eric William Morris will lead the Broadway cast of King Kong

Performances for the Broadway premiere of King Kong are set to begin at the Broadway Theatre on October 5, 2018.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Prodcuers Carmen Pavlovic (Global Creatures) and Roy Furman have announced that Christiani Pitts, currently starring as Jane in A Bronx Tale on Broadway, will take on the iconic role of Ann Darrow in the long-awaited Broadway premiere of King Kong, whilst Broadway alum Eric William Morris, who has previously appeared on the Great White Way in Coram Boy and as Sky in Mamma Mia!, has been cast as Carl Denham in the production. Additional casting for the production will be announced at a later date.

The producers commented: "When we first saw Christiani Pitts, she blew us away. Christiani embodies everything we aspired to in creating a female protagonist who is relevant in 2018. She is an Ann Darrow for our time - plucky, courageous and the master of her own destiny."

They continued: "Eric William Morris is a dynamite performer who will bring a fresh energy to the character of the shifty film producer Carl Denham. Eric effortlessly brings to life the unique and thrilling character re-imagined so brilliantly by Jack Thorne."

Book writer Jack Thorne added: "This is an epic story but also a really intimate one - about the limits of ambition and the cages we're put in. Thankfully, in Christiani and Eric we've two remarkable talents who'll lead our incredible company beautifully."

King Kong will officially open at the Broadway Theatre on November 8, 2018, following previews from October 5.

The Broadway premiere features a book by Olivier Award winner Jack Thorne, with a score composed by 4-time Grammy Award nominee Marius de Vries and songs by Eddie Perfect. The production is directed and choreographed by Olivier Award winner Drew McOnie and features scenic design by Peter England, creature design by Sonny Tilders, costume design by Roger Kirk, lighting design by Peter Mumford, sound design by Peter Hylenski, and hair design by Tom Watson. In addition, Gavin Robins serves as aerial and King Kong movement director and David Caddick serves as Music Supervisor.

Synopsis: 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 and a maverick filmmaker as they voyage from the bustling streets of 1930s New York to an uncharted island to capture the greatest wonder the world has ever seen. 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.

Authorized by the estate of Merian C. Cooper (creator of 'King Kong' and director of the 1933 film), King Kong staged its world premiere on June 15, 2013 at the Regent Theatre, in Melbourne, Austrailia, following previews from May 28. It was originally scheduled to play a limited run through to July 28, 2013, however after three extensions, it finally closed on February 16, 2014.

The $30 million Melbourne production featured several new songs by Marius de Vries as well as new arrangements for such Broadway standards as "Get Happy," "I Wanna Be Loved By You," and "Brother Can You Spare a Dime."

King Kong Tickets are available now for performances from October 5, 2018 through to April 14, 2019.

Originally published on

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