Erik Lochtefeld

Erik Lochtefeld & more complete the cast of King Kong on Broadway

The Broadway premiere of King Kong begins performances at the Broadway Theatre on October 5, 2018.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Prodcuers Carmen Pavlovic (Global Creatures) and Roy Furman have announced complete casting for the long-awaited Broadway premiere of King Kong, which is set to officially open at the Broadway Theatre on November 8, 2018, following previews from October 5. Joining previously announced principals Christiani Pitts, currently starring as Jane in A Bronx Tale on Broadway, as Ann Darrow and Eric William Morris as Carl Denham, will be Broadway alum Erik Lochtefeld, who takes on the role of Lumpy in the production. 

Mr. Lochtefeld's previous Broadway credits include Misery and Metamorphoses and his off-Broadway credits include Primary Stages' A Walk with Mr. Heifetz, Roundabout's Napoli, Brooklyn, Playwrights Horizons' The Light Years, MCC Theater's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center of New York City, WP Theater's Row After Row, and the Public Theater's February House.

Ensemble members for King Kong include Ashley AndrewsMike BaergaRhaamel Burke-MissouriChloe CampbellLeroy ChurchPeter ChursinJovan DansberryBradley DeanCasey GarvinChristopher GrantLauren Yalango GrantKhadija GriffithJon HocheGabriel HymanCurt JamesJames T. LaneMarty LawsonJonathan MacMillanDanny MillerBrittany Marcell MonachinoJennifer NobleKristen OeiEliza OhmanRoberto OlveraKayla Davion RobertsonJacquez Andre SimsAkron WatsonJacob WilliamsWarren Yang and David Yijae.

The Broadway premiere of King Kong features a book by Olivier & Tony 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

Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock exclusive New York theatre updates!

Special offers, reviews and release dates for the best shows in town.

You can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy