Review: 'King Kong' is the mess that roared

GREEN Mr. McOnie has certainly made them work frantically. During the musical numbers, which feel implacable, the ensemble presents itself as a troop of over-excited mimes playing charades. But here's my question: Is there anything, besides the two or three expressions of Kong, that you liked?

BRANTLEY Not really. I hoped to be able to count on a higher camp factor. When poor Ann is taken to Kong's lair and does nonsense about her housekeeping and bachelor training, I longed for the reincarnation of Madeline Kahn, who made such a wonderful hay with similar material in Jeune Frankenstein.

GREEN The camp here is all accidental. The jungle of Skull Island looks like green spaghetti with balls of phlegm. (The scenographer and stage designer is Peter England.) But the oppression of the music and the over-intensity of the staging never allow you to laugh, and therefore enjoy the ridiculous story.

BRANTLEY D & # 39; agreement. By the way, if you look at the accounts of the Australian incarnation of five years ago, which contained a book by Craig Lucas, there were several other characters, including a love interest for Ann. In this version, there are actually three central human characters: Ann, looking for an agency; the chauvinist, wicked Carl, and (oh, my dear) his grumpy assistant, slow-witted and heart-wrenching, Lumpy (Erik Lochtefeld).

GREEN The crowd of previous writers dismissed during the development of the musical dodged a ball here. But Mr. Lochtefeld actually succeeds in giving a sincere and human-sized performance, even if most of what he has to say is maudlin hogwash.

BRANTLEY Yes, even the screams lacked eloquence. Fay Wray, the star of the original, is best remembered for her screams of terror when she was in the hands of the big guy. But our intrepid Ann is unable to cry out in fear. Instead, she roars and this is what draws her soulmate Kong towards her. Unfortunately, I did not hear much of Katy Perry's power in Mrs. Pitts' scream.