Musicals need to start making proshots on dvd. That would allow people worldwide to see the shows without stupid critics, and get a constant revenue if it cant stay onstage. The anti proshot stance is hurting their own industry
That's a reason why i love starkid so much. They know they've gotten as big as they are because of the internet, so they make proshots of every single one of their musicals for us europeans and cheapskates
Im uh.. "Pro"proshot as well, because I live all the way here in south east asia with absolutely no reason, time, and budget to just casually fly to the west for a broadway/westend show and fly back. Do they have like a statement on WHY they are adamant about the whole anti-proshot thing?
Entirely agree. There’s clearly an audience for it since bootlegs get thousands of views so might as well find a way to profit off of that. They need to get off of their elitist high horse and find ways to make theatre more accessible if they want to help the industry. Maybe that will also save us from more movie adaptations that won’t do well nor do justice to the original material and don’t showcase the insane talents that work their butts off to perform at that level 8 times a week
Problem is, there are a few roadblocks to why this is often harder than just oh, people wanna see it, let’s make it. Number one, money. It is *expensive* to create a pro-shot. A musical has to be profitable enough for them to actually afford to do the pro-shot. The people behind Hamilton actually used their own personal money they earned from creating Hamilton to fund the pro-shot. Not every musical has that luxury. Number two- contracts and unions. Releasing a pro-shot involves screen unions and their contracts, not the same ones as used in theatre unions. Therefore, you have to go through arranging all the legalities we’re seeing with the strike now with how do those involved get paid, what do residuals for everyone look like if it’s something like Hamilton streaming on Disney+, etc. It’s a *lot* to coordinate between the stage and screen unions. All we can do is hope that people will show up and make those pro-shots hits, so more successes of pro-shots like Hamilton will show potential investors that there *is* a market for them so they’re willing to take the chance to make them happen. I believe the success of Hamilton is why we’re getting the upcoming ones of Waitress and Six, etc., and so on, and hopefully we can keep that trend going!!!
Kong only broke twice in Melbourne in the original run, and the show I saw was the 2nd one (where the cables got twisted just before intermission), which was 2 weeks before it closed. We were all given tickets to another show. Still have the flyer we were given. Ended up getting tickets for 2nd last show before it closed. One of the worst musicals I have seen, with the most amazing lighting and visuals ever. The puppet was incredible!
Same, i saw it melbourne as well. The music and the acting were so forgettable i dont remember any of it. But i do remember King Kong, nothing will ever make forget that
I saw King Kong in Melbourne and fortunately when I saw it, there were no issues with the puppet but my mum said that she spoke to someone who received tickets due to issues. But yeah the only good thing was King Kong whereas the rest of the show was forgettable.
“Everyone wanted to see the puppet”… humans love a good puppet. On set of The Mandalorian season 1, Werner Herzog apparently took the directors/producers aside & said something to that effect, remarking how everyone on set reacted to the puppet Grogu (Baby Yoda) & how they shouldn’t cover it up with cgi. We love a convincing puppet!! Also I fully now believe the Foxwoods is cursed.
I like watching the curtain call for this show, just for when the puppet comes down and the tech crew walks forward for the bow. Something about that just makes me cry.
“A musical can’t survive on spectacle alone”. Your arguments on emotional investment for the audience is so spot on. I would also say this applies equally well to the film and television industry which sometimes put way more effort into spectacle than into stories and characters people care about. 😔
I didn’t see King Kong, but my grandparents did. They raved about it. Insisted I had to go. Told me seeing Dear Evan Hansen (one of my favorite shows, which I’d had yet to see) instead was a mistake. They still talk about how amazing it was. I’m sure a lot of it had to do with the puppet, but I’ll never forget how excited it made them.
I followed along with this shows development for years and was so stoked to finally see it on Broadway. Is it a great show? No. Is it a great spectacle? I think so.
The King Kong puppet is one of the GREATEST things I've ever seen in a theatre!!!! I saw the Broadway run a couple years ago and my jaw literally dropped.
I got to see an old DVD of a dress rehearsal for this show, and I really am glad you're covering this. The show was a letdown, but I was still fascinated by the Kong setup. The work that went into it was a LOT.
I am so Jelly you saw that DVD. It's a shame the show was more of a hit. Someone I knew saw it said the actors were good it was the book/songs that were a let down but that the puppet was amazing
I never really recognized just how impressive and beautiful the Kong puppet is. Like, I knew it was impressive and a lot of hard work went into it, but I never felt that interested. But something about seeing the way live performers were weaved into the puppet's life made me recognize how incredible it is. Having one of the performers go up on Kong's back and then jump down to make the puppet's arm go up is one of those things that is just...pure theatrical magic. And now I can't help but wonder what this story would've looked like if it was a straight play. There's an argument to be made that it wouldn't have been able to garner enough hype and funding to make it far, but...I don't know. Would've left a much easier job for the playwright as well, so that they could go into deeper and nuanced themes.
I saw the musical and the puppet was so good it's the only version of King Kong where the gorilla falls in love with Anne and I thought 'he could do better.'
There's this video I once saw of a giant silverback gorilla carrying and playing with a tiny little bushbaby. You see this giant gently and carefully holding this tiny little monkey and making sure the other gorillas don't bother him, and then later on he takes him to a tree and prompts him to leave. I dunno, but I always imagined King Kong's behaviour the blond lady as that, just caring and protecting this tiny delicate creature.
I want to see Kong so badly, for the same reasons I wanted to go see life of Pi. Life of Pi is such a thrilling read which is basically impossible to properly script for the stage but I'M THERE FOR THE PUPPETS. I knew it wasn't going to be the best story/songwriting but I'm there for the spectacle. I want to see that giant kong puppet so badly! I hope it comes back to broadway. Her lullaby song is actually really touching too.
Also, if anyone’s wondering about the cartoon Kong from the intro, there was an animated King Kong musical from the ‘90s that had Jodie Benson as Anne Darrow, Dudley Moore in his last film role as Carl Denham, and songs by the Sherman Brothers.
There was also an animated King Kong series on Saturday mornings, which I loved. I remember a 3' toy that came w/ several of the charaters from the show. It had limited articulation and looked grand...but I couldn't see the characters on Kong's shoulder. My Dad did one of the baddest things to upgrade it. He got a 2" magnet that would atract the staples in an industrial unit. Worked perfectly.
I saw the Melbourne show twice and still look at the program. The original soundtrack was so very cool and I was really disappointed that it didn't take off. The fight between King Kong and the massive serpent was phenomenal to watch and there was true terror when you could hear King Kong thundering closer in the darkness only to have the lights dimly come on and see him towering over the audience. Amazing video!!
I ushered on this show and we were forbidden from discussing the show or expressing opinion about it because EVERYONE knew that it was a dud. Production knew. Front of house knew. Patrons would come out at intermission bewildered that the show made it to the stage. Reaction from everyone was brutal - and righfully so.
I actually saw part of the puppet the other day! They had it’s head at a puppet exhibition as well as some of the Walking with Dinosaurs animatronics, I didn’t realise they were made by the same people
So glad it started in Melbourne. Saw it twice. Took my uncle second time he hates musicals but loved this. It was mind blowing. It was so epic on stage with the strobe lights and fog the fight for with the python was amazing. Made me cry just like the Jackson film. So sad yall missed it coz critics didn't "get it"
I flew to New York to see this show because of the puppet, and I LOVE musicals, but I remember nothing about it except the puppet looming over the crowd. I don't think I've ever left a show and not added at least one song to my Spotify playlist. But this one just left me with a jacket and a keychain made of the rope "used on the puppet." On the other hand, the puppet was beautiful. The size of it was awe inspiring. The face was expressive. And I went in to the show after doing my research, so it was cool to see the tech in action.
I saw this right before it opened! The puppet and puppeteers were amazing to watch. And his eyes and face were so soulful. Music, lyrics, story, not so good.
I love giant puppets and this video was made for me. Thank you Brendon. I have not seen the King Kong musical, but I have seen the Walking With Dinosaurs arena show twice. I love the contrast between the great care and elaborate engineering and artistry that went into making this Kong puppet, directly contrasted with the fiasco that is the recently-released Skull Island: Rise of Kong game.
I have so, so much respect for the puppeteers. What insane skill and strength you need to have to pull off an illusion like that!! I can’t imagine the hours it took to figure that out
As a theater buff who lives nowhere near New York and a Kong stan since I first saw the 1977 movie, I am still crushed about never seeing this puppet in action live. 😢
Nice to see some interest for the Old King Kong musical. As an addendum, Tilder's desire to make a perfectly realistic Kong without the aid of CG effects did eventually happen in the form of the animatronic Kong in the Skull Island attraction at Universal Studios. It's quite the impressive creature
I was lucky enough to see this show while it was on Broadway - all because I joined the BroadwayRoulette thing, lol. I remember not really having any expectations, not having really seen anything about this musical beforehand. I was blown away by the impressive puppetry that was involved, and the passion I could see from the cast and crew. From what I understand, I saw it when it was a month away from closing. It was sad to me because the theater was not even half full, but the few people that did see it were audibly gasping, and ooh-ing and aah-ing at the puppet. Was it my favorite musical that I saw that year? No. But that puppet.... wow.
I saw it back in 2019 and actually really enjoyed it for what it was. I was about 6 rows back, and seeing Kong come up to the lip of the stage was thrilling.
Once again, I say: Bravo to you for an exceptional video! This perfect blend of documentary, commentary, and humor makes your channel one of my favorites 🖤
The hubris of Australian rich people is the stuff of legend, and sometimes it intersects with the realm of mass entertainment. At least King Kong wasn’t brought to us by a mining magnate like Clive Palmer.
Love giant monster fiction, love the kaiju sweetie King Kong, and I love your musical-based documentaries! Needless to say, this was a welcomed Saturday morning surprise!
Is there a recording of the show available? I'm looking forward to seeing Starlight Express in London next year but taking into consideration how expensive and difficult to operate Kong was, there is no hope they will do it again. I think that even if the music or the story were not the best, the way they animated the puppet is spectacular. I would not care about anything else, 5 stars for amazing puppetry.
I am so glad that I saw this show. It was special and cannot be conveyed without seeing it in person. The real problem I have is with the story. It is such a sad story about animal abuse and exploitation that it is hard to watch.🥺
it feels like a catch-22. unless you have near budgetless funding, something in the show is doomed to fail. its kinda sad to see so many shows end up ruined because they had to be rushed, or they couldnt afford to maintain it, or some kind of interpersonal conflict left the team dysfunctional.
It's kinda funny how many artists they threw at this show trying to make it work. As a puppet show, it's clearly epic, but as a piece of theater, it has no unifying story or strong creative vision.
King Kong would have absolutely killed it in Las Vegas where a resort could shoulder the cost and the audience wouldn't be so critical of it. The most important thing about theater is to know who your audience is.
Once again, incredible work my friend! When I saw that you were covering King Kong, I was pumped because I don't remember much of the story of how the musical got to Broadway. You did a great job!
I thought this video was about that Giant Kong animatronic they made for the movie premiere that caught fire but this, this is so much more interesting
Bravo on that last line! I was definitely enraptured by the clips you included of the puppet, but I see your point that there needs to be a hook and emotional core beyond when the puppet is onstage
I’m pestering you to write a review on how many musicals does the Tarzan franchise have. The one we all know and love is based on the memetic first Disney Tarzan movie. There’s also three Israeli ones as well.
We got to see King Kong in it's original Melbourne run here in Australia and look the "musical" wasn't great, but boy that puppet is still the most impressive thing we have ever seen on stage!
Did you know there's a whole installation in the Empire State Building about King Kong? You can pose in Kong's fist, it's pretty cool. Speaking on the 2020 Tony Awards... any chance of tackling the Lightning Thief musical?
I think King Kong would’ve worked better as a live arena show like Walking with Dinosaurs. They could even reuse the dinosaurs from that show for King Kong!
My uncle was in this show!!! Although I understand the issues with the plot and the score, it really was spectacular. We got to tour backstage. I do community theater, and knew just enough to be blown away. My favorite moment was getting to meet the wig makers. The lead actress wears several wigs (maybe 5). When they changed the script the wig makers would have to make new pieces, all hand-tied custom wigs. In one version, she was a blonde in the second act, so they had all these unused gorgeous wigs that never got to be used. You only showed a quick clip of the snake puppet, but I distinctly remember being shown it's controls. Instead of being in the booth, it was a set of monitors backstage. Also, when not in use, Kong is just floating above the stage, which was super funny to see. The cast and crew were all lovely, and it was the first show I ever saw on broadway. It holds such a special place in my heart, and I'm so grateful you talked about this show!
I actually missed this by days as I had been intrigued by the commercial with the puppet and said what the heck I want to see it live even if the reviews are not good but couldn't get tickets before it closed. The more I find out about this the more I wish I'd seen it. This documentary really brought that home.
I got to see this show live. The show had to stop mid act because they were having issues with the puppet, took quite a while to get him fixed up again
I'm so glad I saw it and feel like I had the best seat in the house: 5th row center. The spectacle, the visuals, the puppet were all amazing. Everything else? Meh. There was one song that I kinda liked, but quickly forgot it. I did win a poster/window card from Audience Rewards, so there's that.
It’s so weird to see pictures of the Broadway Theater set up normally. The only time I’ve been there was for Here Lies Love and it’s basically unrecognizable
Me NOT seeing this musical is my Roman Empire. My wallet skipped this musical when it came out and then I got really into Kaiju during COVID and now I regret not going when it was on Broadway (pre-covid)!
I saw King Kong on Broadway after getting TKTS reduced costs. I'm a huge fan of Peter Jackson's Kong, so I was excited by the prospect of a stage version. The animatronic/puppets did not disappoint at all. It was fantastical, with a terrific sense of movement and scale. The book and songs, not so much. It's a shame the actual musical part of the musical was so bleh. Not bad enough to draw boos, but not good enough to match with the other aspects of production.
If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can submit a claim in 8 clicks or less without having to leave your couch. To start your claim, visit: www.forthepeople.com/WaitInTheWings Question of the day: What's your favorite BIG musical set piece?
I saw this the day after it opened. I enjoyed the puppets and some of the staging. The boat scene where the whole theater felt like it was moving was great, but a little too long as you could hear people getting nauseous. The leads were miscast, sadly. Eric Lochtefeld was great as"Lumpy." He had a decent side story arc and you actually felt for his character. The Kong scenes were great especially when he stood on his hind legs and was eye to eye with the balcony.
I saw this show 3 times and enjoyed the heck out of it. But honestly I went into it with literally zero expectations. The first time I saw it, my seat was directly next to the voodoo booth and I could just hear the actors inside the booth before the Kong sounds came out of the speakers. That might have been The Thing that completely endeared me to the show. I loved that puppet. Do I remember a single melody or snippet of lyrics? Nope. Utterly forgettable show but so flippin fun to watch.
I will never understand why they didn't just produce King Kong as a play. There is almost no need for it to be a musical and that way they could have better developed the story without also needing to worry about all the musical components
I tremendously appreciate and enjoy your channel… Beatlemania was my first Broadway show and your story on it was Electric! I would love to see one on The Wiz Keep up the Fantastic content and Inshallah and Peace…
Musicals need to start making proshots on dvd. That would allow people worldwide to see the shows without stupid critics, and get a constant revenue if it cant stay onstage. The anti proshot stance is hurting their own industry
That's a reason why i love starkid so much. They know they've gotten as big as they are because of the internet, so they make proshots of every single one of their musicals for us europeans and cheapskates
Im uh.. "Pro"proshot as well, because I live all the way here in south east asia with absolutely no reason, time, and budget to just casually fly to the west for a broadway/westend show and fly back.
Do they have like a statement on WHY they are adamant about the whole anti-proshot thing?
Entirely agree. There’s clearly an audience for it since bootlegs get thousands of views so might as well find a way to profit off of that. They need to get off of their elitist high horse and find ways to make theatre more accessible if they want to help the industry. Maybe that will also save us from more movie adaptations that won’t do well nor do justice to the original material and don’t showcase the insane talents that work their butts off to perform at that level 8 times a week
Problem is, there are a few roadblocks to why this is often harder than just oh, people wanna see it, let’s make it. Number one, money. It is *expensive* to create a pro-shot. A musical has to be profitable enough for them to actually afford to do the pro-shot. The people behind Hamilton actually used their own personal money they earned from creating Hamilton to fund the pro-shot. Not every musical has that luxury. Number two- contracts and unions. Releasing a pro-shot involves screen unions and their contracts, not the same ones as used in theatre unions. Therefore, you have to go through arranging all the legalities we’re seeing with the strike now with how do those involved get paid, what do residuals for everyone look like if it’s something like Hamilton streaming on Disney+, etc. It’s a *lot* to coordinate between the stage and screen unions. All we can do is hope that people will show up and make those pro-shots hits, so more successes of pro-shots like Hamilton will show potential investors that there *is* a market for them so they’re willing to take the chance to make them happen. I believe the success of Hamilton is why we’re getting the upcoming ones of Waitress and Six, etc., and so on, and hopefully we can keep that trend going!!!
I think that of musicals became normalized to have pro shots, then live theatre would die, I support bootleggers more than people that want pro shots.
Kong only broke twice in Melbourne in the original run, and the show I saw was the 2nd one (where the cables got twisted just before intermission), which was 2 weeks before it closed. We were all given tickets to another show. Still have the flyer we were given. Ended up getting tickets for 2nd last show before it closed. One of the worst musicals I have seen, with the most amazing lighting and visuals ever. The puppet was incredible!
Same, i saw it melbourne as well. The music and the acting were so forgettable i dont remember any of it. But i do remember King Kong, nothing will ever make forget that
I saw King Kong in Melbourne and fortunately when I saw it, there were no issues with the puppet but my mum said that she spoke to someone who received tickets due to issues. But yeah the only good thing was King Kong whereas the rest of the show was forgettable.
“Everyone wanted to see the puppet”… humans love a good puppet. On set of The Mandalorian season 1, Werner Herzog apparently took the directors/producers aside & said something to that effect, remarking how everyone on set reacted to the puppet Grogu (Baby Yoda) & how they shouldn’t cover it up with cgi. We love a convincing puppet!! Also I fully now believe the Foxwoods is cursed.
I remember how some directors just liked to hold the puppet like a baby lol
I like watching the curtain call for this show, just for when the puppet comes down and the tech crew walks forward for the bow. Something about that just makes me cry.
"as a former executive producer for andrew lloyd weber's really useful group, pavlovic was used to working with dinosaurs" BRUTAL sklfjhlsdfjds
“A musical can’t survive on spectacle alone”. Your arguments on emotional investment for the audience is so spot on. I would also say this applies equally well to the film and television industry which sometimes put way more effort into spectacle than into stories and characters people care about. 😔
I didn’t see King Kong, but my grandparents did. They raved about it. Insisted I had to go. Told me seeing Dear Evan Hansen (one of my favorite shows, which I’d had yet to see) instead was a mistake. They still talk about how amazing it was. I’m sure a lot of it had to do with the puppet, but I’ll never forget how excited it made them.
I followed along with this shows development for years and was so stoked to finally see it on Broadway.
Is it a great show? No. Is it a great spectacle? I think so.
"...the world's biggest beanie baby..." Epic!! This documentary is fantastic!
Our boi Brendon jumped down a skyscraper and hurt his leg really bad for us, we should really appreciate that Morgan & Morgan bit. 😤
Who needs stuntmen?
I grew up in Orlando (back in the day Morgan and Morgan had different partner names, but they still blanket with ads). So I kind of find this strange.
The King Kong puppet is one of the GREATEST things I've ever seen in a theatre!!!! I saw the Broadway run a couple years ago and my jaw literally dropped.
Man, I'd pay good money to see Kong take on that horrifying Teacher puppet from "The Wall" stage show.🙃
I got to see an old DVD of a dress rehearsal for this show, and I really am glad you're covering this. The show was a letdown, but I was still fascinated by the Kong setup. The work that went into it was a LOT.
I am so Jelly you saw that DVD. It's a shame the show was more of a hit. Someone I knew saw it said the actors were good it was the book/songs that were a let down but that the puppet was amazing
“Peplovich was used to working with dinosaurs” THE WAY I GAGGED
Same! But I nearly missed it the first time 😂
I never really recognized just how impressive and beautiful the Kong puppet is. Like, I knew it was impressive and a lot of hard work went into it, but I never felt that interested. But something about seeing the way live performers were weaved into the puppet's life made me recognize how incredible it is. Having one of the performers go up on Kong's back and then jump down to make the puppet's arm go up is one of those things that is just...pure theatrical magic.
And now I can't help but wonder what this story would've looked like if it was a straight play. There's an argument to be made that it wouldn't have been able to garner enough hype and funding to make it far, but...I don't know. Would've left a much easier job for the playwright as well, so that they could go into deeper and nuanced themes.
I saw the musical and the puppet was so good it's the only version of King Kong where the gorilla falls in love with Anne and I thought 'he could do better.'
Oh my god, this has got to be one of the coolest videos you've done. I LOVE puppetry and practical effects as an art form.
There's this video I once saw of a giant silverback gorilla carrying and playing with a tiny little bushbaby. You see this giant gently and carefully holding this tiny little monkey and making sure the other gorillas don't bother him, and then later on he takes him to a tree and prompts him to leave.
I dunno, but I always imagined King Kong's behaviour the blond lady as that, just caring and protecting this tiny delicate creature.
8:21 "As a former executive producer for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Pavlovic was used to working with dinosaurs" holy shit
I want to see Kong so badly, for the same reasons I wanted to go see life of Pi. Life of Pi is such a thrilling read which is basically impossible to properly script for the stage but I'M THERE FOR THE PUPPETS. I knew it wasn't going to be the best story/songwriting but I'm there for the spectacle. I want to see that giant kong puppet so badly! I hope it comes back to broadway. Her lullaby song is actually really touching too.
I missed these long deep dives. The pieces are ok, but the long rabbit hole video essays are amazing
Also, if anyone’s wondering about the cartoon Kong from the intro, there was an animated King Kong musical from the ‘90s that had Jodie Benson as Anne Darrow, Dudley Moore in his last film role as Carl Denham, and songs by the Sherman Brothers.
There was also an animated King Kong series on Saturday mornings, which I loved. I remember a 3' toy that came w/ several of the charaters from the show. It had limited articulation and looked grand...but I couldn't see the characters on Kong's shoulder. My Dad did one of the baddest things to upgrade it. He got a 2" magnet that would atract the staples in an industrial unit. Worked perfectly.
Dudley Moore and the Sherman brothers is enough for me to say yes please ❤
Shade at ALW about Carmen being "used to working with dinosaurs"
Best ad read in the history of TH-cam. Pure cinema.
I saw the Melbourne show twice and still look at the program. The original soundtrack was so very cool and I was really disappointed that it didn't take off. The fight between King Kong and the massive serpent was phenomenal to watch and there was true terror when you could hear King Kong thundering closer in the darkness only to have the lights dimly come on and see him towering over the audience. Amazing video!!
this show was a spectacle to see live. i feel so lucky i had the opportunity, i was in awe the entire time kong was onstage
I ushered on this show and we were forbidden from discussing the show or expressing opinion about it because EVERYONE knew that it was a dud. Production knew. Front of house knew. Patrons would come out at intermission bewildered that the show made it to the stage. Reaction from everyone was brutal - and righfully so.
4:18 "Monster lizards"
Komodos: *laying down staring into space*
I actually saw part of the puppet the other day! They had it’s head at a puppet exhibition as well as some of the Walking with Dinosaurs animatronics, I didn’t realise they were made by the same people
Ngl I usually skip past ad reads, buts that was hella cute. Loved the old timey tilt to everything
So glad it started in Melbourne. Saw it twice. Took my uncle second time he hates musicals but loved this. It was mind blowing. It was so epic on stage with the strobe lights and fog the fight for with the python was amazing. Made me cry just like the Jackson film. So sad yall missed it coz critics didn't "get it"
I flew to New York to see this show because of the puppet, and I LOVE musicals, but I remember nothing about it except the puppet looming over the crowd. I don't think I've ever left a show and not added at least one song to my Spotify playlist. But this one just left me with a jacket and a keychain made of the rope "used on the puppet." On the other hand, the puppet was beautiful. The size of it was awe inspiring. The face was expressive. And I went in to the show after doing my research, so it was cool to see the tech in action.
I saw this right before it opened! The puppet and puppeteers were amazing to watch. And his eyes and face were so soulful. Music, lyrics, story, not so good.
I had no idea that same people who made Kong made Moulin Rouge?!?! Make it make sense!
I've seen every version of king kong for almost 40 years. Not once did I think it was racist.
I love giant puppets and this video was made for me. Thank you Brendon. I have not seen the King Kong musical, but I have seen the Walking With Dinosaurs arena show twice. I love the contrast between the great care and elaborate engineering and artistry that went into making this Kong puppet, directly contrasted with the fiasco that is the recently-released Skull Island: Rise of Kong game.
I have so, so much respect for the puppeteers. What insane skill and strength you need to have to pull off an illusion like that!! I can’t imagine the hours it took to figure that out
Even the short clips you show here look amazing, I would have loved to see this live!
As a theater buff who lives nowhere near New York and a Kong stan since I first saw the 1977 movie, I am still crushed about never seeing this puppet in action live. 😢
Wait, it was a jukebox musical technically??
Nice to see some interest for the Old King Kong musical. As an addendum, Tilder's desire to make a perfectly realistic Kong without the aid of CG effects did eventually happen in the form of the animatronic Kong in the Skull Island attraction at Universal Studios. It's quite the impressive creature
You should've seen the "Kongfrontation" ride that was where the mummy ride is now it was amaaaaazing( he had 🍌 breath!😊)
I was lucky enough to see this show while it was on Broadway - all because I joined the BroadwayRoulette thing, lol. I remember not really having any expectations, not having really seen anything about this musical beforehand. I was blown away by the impressive puppetry that was involved, and the passion I could see from the cast and crew. From what I understand, I saw it when it was a month away from closing. It was sad to me because the theater was not even half full, but the few people that did see it were audibly gasping, and ooh-ing and aah-ing at the puppet. Was it my favorite musical that I saw that year? No. But that puppet.... wow.
I saw it back in 2019 and actually really enjoyed it for what it was. I was about 6 rows back, and seeing Kong come up to the lip of the stage was thrilling.
Once again, I say: Bravo to you for an exceptional video! This perfect blend of documentary, commentary, and humor makes your channel one of my favorites 🖤
The hubris of Australian rich people is the stuff of legend, and sometimes it intersects with the realm of mass entertainment. At least King Kong wasn’t brought to us by a mining magnate like Clive Palmer.
I like how you intertwine the stories of the development of the first King Kong movie with that of the puppet for the Broadway show :)
I love the editing of this ad!
I subscribed for the dinosaur joke about Webber.
Love giant monster fiction, love the kaiju sweetie King Kong, and I love your musical-based documentaries! Needless to say, this was a welcomed Saturday morning surprise!
King Kong, the musical, was amazing from start to finish. I loved it & wish I could've gone more than once.
Is there a recording of the show available? I'm looking forward to seeing Starlight Express in London next year but taking into consideration how expensive and difficult to operate Kong was, there is no hope they will do it again. I think that even if the music or the story were not the best, the way they animated the puppet is spectacular. I would not care about anything else, 5 stars for amazing puppetry.
2:28 I love how dude fell from the Empire State building yet only has brusied shin like Peter Griffin!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
6:38 Surprise Fascape cameo! Love that show.
You know, Global Creatures also did the How to Train Your Dragon live arena show, to much better results than Kong
Coolest puppet ever!
I am so glad that I saw this show. It was special and cannot be conveyed without seeing it in person. The real problem I have is with the story. It is such a sad story about animal abuse and exploitation that it is hard to watch.🥺
it feels like a catch-22. unless you have near budgetless funding, something in the show is doomed to fail. its kinda sad to see so many shows end up ruined because they had to be rushed, or they couldnt afford to maintain it, or some kind of interpersonal conflict left the team dysfunctional.
It's kinda funny how many artists they threw at this show trying to make it work. As a puppet show, it's clearly epic, but as a piece of theater, it has no unifying story or strong creative vision.
King Kong would have absolutely killed it in Las Vegas where a resort could shoulder the cost and the audience wouldn't be so critical of it. The most important thing about theater is to know who your audience is.
Once again, incredible work my friend! When I saw that you were covering King Kong, I was pumped because I don't remember much of the story of how the musical got to Broadway. You did a great job!
Thanks Chase!!!
I thought this video was about that Giant Kong animatronic they made for the movie premiere that caught fire but this, this is so much more interesting
Bravo on that last line! I was definitely enraptured by the clips you included of the puppet, but I see your point that there needs to be a hook and emotional core beyond when the puppet is onstage
I’m pestering you to write a review on how many musicals does the Tarzan franchise have. The one we all know and love is based on the memetic first Disney Tarzan movie. There’s also three Israeli ones as well.
i LOVED walking with dinosaurs! i went to it as a kid and it was an obsession for YEARS
I saw this on Broadway in a near empty theater. I got rush seats and was right down front. The puppet is the only thing worth remembering.
We got to see King Kong in it's original Melbourne run here in Australia and look the "musical" wasn't great, but boy that puppet is still the most impressive thing we have ever seen on stage!
Did you know there's a whole installation in the Empire State Building about King Kong? You can pose in Kong's fist, it's pretty cool. Speaking on the 2020 Tony Awards... any chance of tackling the Lightning Thief musical?
I think King Kong would’ve worked better as a live arena show like Walking with Dinosaurs. They could even reuse the dinosaurs from that show for King Kong!
My uncle was in this show!!! Although I understand the issues with the plot and the score, it really was spectacular. We got to tour backstage. I do community theater, and knew just enough to be blown away. My favorite moment was getting to meet the wig makers. The lead actress wears several wigs (maybe 5). When they changed the script the wig makers would have to make new pieces, all hand-tied custom wigs. In one version, she was a blonde in the second act, so they had all these unused gorgeous wigs that never got to be used.
You only showed a quick clip of the snake puppet, but I distinctly remember being shown it's controls. Instead of being in the booth, it was a set of monitors backstage. Also, when not in use, Kong is just floating above the stage, which was super funny to see. The cast and crew were all lovely, and it was the first show I ever saw on broadway. It holds such a special place in my heart, and I'm so grateful you talked about this show!
I actually missed this by days as I had been intrigued by the commercial with the puppet and said what the heck I want to see it live even if the reviews are not good but couldn't get tickets before it closed. The more I find out about this the more I wish I'd seen it. This documentary really brought that home.
I got to see this show live. The show had to stop mid act because they were having issues with the puppet, took quite a while to get him fixed up again
that ad wins ALL the TONYs!
I'm so glad I saw it and feel like I had the best seat in the house: 5th row center. The spectacle, the visuals, the puppet were all amazing. Everything else? Meh. There was one song that I kinda liked, but quickly forgot it. I did win a poster/window card from Audience Rewards, so there's that.
Watched this show on broadway and although the music was forgettable as hell, I was giddy child looking at the Kong puppet live in person.
The LOUD laugh I let out when you compared Andrew Lloyd Webber to a dinosaur
Musicals and dai-kaiju: my two favorite topics. 🥰
Oh, that ad was so iconic.
It’s so weird to see pictures of the Broadway Theater set up normally. The only time I’ve been there was for Here Lies Love and it’s basically unrecognizable
King Kong is a Classic Movie! We used to went to the Walking with Dinosaurs shows at MSG in the late 2000’s.
the subtle alw shade has me rolling
Me NOT seeing this musical is my Roman Empire. My wallet skipped this musical when it came out and then I got really into Kaiju during COVID and now I regret not going when it was on Broadway (pre-covid)!
I saw King Kong on Broadway after getting TKTS reduced costs. I'm a huge fan of Peter Jackson's Kong, so I was excited by the prospect of a stage version. The animatronic/puppets did not disappoint at all. It was fantastical, with a terrific sense of movement and scale. The book and songs, not so much. It's a shame the actual musical part of the musical was so bleh. Not bad enough to draw boos, but not good enough to match with the other aspects of production.
Once a year I find a hidden gem channel, this was one.
THE WORLD MUST EMBRACE PUPPETS ONCE AGAIN
I watched it in Melbourne, i remember mildly enjoying the show, my nephew loved the puppet
Great script! Good job team. Hats off to your editing and sound production. Nicely balanced. I am subscribing.
Look, man, just let me know when we get a Godzilla musical with a life-size, fire breathing, city destroying Godzilla puppet.
"The spectacle made audiences curious, but everything else made them care."
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Question of the day: What's your favorite BIG musical set piece?
Does “Bebe Neuwirth on an almost bare stage in CHICAGO” count? 😃
Sand worm in beetlejuice for sure. Have you seen how cute it is?!?
the Hadestown hole
I'm gonna second Bebe Neuwirth, but add Ann Reinking. Hot Honey Rag with the two of them, THAT was a set piece.
Norma Desmond's mansion (original production)
every piece of info i learn felt like a punch in the face
I saw this the day after it opened. I enjoyed the puppets and some of the staging. The boat scene where the whole theater felt like it was moving was great, but a little too long as you could hear people getting nauseous. The leads were miscast, sadly. Eric Lochtefeld was great as"Lumpy." He had a decent side story arc and you actually felt for his character. The Kong scenes were great especially when he stood on his hind legs and was eye to eye with the balcony.
I was hoping there would be some report about what they did with that giant puppet. Is it in storage someplace? Was it given a burial at sea?
Moulin Rouge! is just La Boheme the jukebox musical.
La Boheme is an eternal story that has continued to delight audiences for almost 130 years.
I wish this had been filmed because I'd love to have seen it!
It’s kind of giving Reptar on Ice and I’m not mad about it.
Yay, i got my request. Thank you!!!!!!!
Still better than the recent Kong video game
It Was Spectacle That Killed The Beast
I saw this show 3 times and enjoyed the heck out of it. But honestly I went into it with literally zero expectations.
The first time I saw it, my seat was directly next to the voodoo booth and I could just hear the actors inside the booth before the Kong sounds came out of the speakers. That might have been The Thing that completely endeared me to the show. I loved that puppet.
Do I remember a single melody or snippet of lyrics? Nope. Utterly forgettable show but so flippin fun to watch.
I will never understand why they didn't just produce King Kong as a play. There is almost no need for it to be a musical and that way they could have better developed the story without also needing to worry about all the musical components
I tremendously appreciate and enjoy your channel… Beatlemania was my first Broadway show and your story on it was Electric! I would love to see one on The Wiz Keep up the Fantastic content and Inshallah and Peace…