The Tony Award-winning director John Rando, who earned critical acclaim last month for staging the Broadway revival of “On the Town,” is in advanced negotiations to direct the new musical “King Kong” that is aiming for Broadway, a spokesman for the “Kong” producer confirmed on Thursday. Mr. Rando is flying this weekend to Australia, where “Kong” was developed and had a tryout run last year, for several days of discussions with the producer about overhauling the show for New York.
“Kong” is seen as potentially the next special effects-driven musical extravaganza on Broadway, given its use of a 20-foot-tall Kong and the elaborate puppetry that maneuvers him across the stage. The puppet and much of the show’s spectacle delighted critics and audiences during the “Kong” world premiere in Melbourne, but the script and score received harsher reviews. The musical’s producer, Carmen Pavlovic of the company Global Creatures, recently hired a new book writer, Marsha Norman (“The Bridges of Madison County,” “The Secret Garden”), to replace Craig Lucas, and has also parted with the original director, Daniel Cramer; she cited “creative differences” in letting both men go.
The spokesman for Ms. Pavlovic, Adrian Bryan-Brown, said there was no timeline for “Kong” coming to Broadway and no other details about its development. An interview request to Ms. Pavlovic was declined. “Kong” had been a possibility for Broadway this season, with Ms. Pavlovic at one point scouting theaters, before she decided to reshape the show.
Mr. Rando, who won the Tony in 2002 for directing the musical “Urinetown,” has been focused this fall on “On the Town,” which is now running at the Lyric Theater — one of the Broadway houses that “Kong” might eventually end up in. Mr. Rando is now directing a developmental workshop of another new musical, “The Honeymooners,” based on the CBS television series. Mr. Rando will direct the world premiere production of “The Honeymooners” at Goodspeed Musicals in September 2015.
A representative for Mr. Rando on Thursday declined an interview request and referred questions about “Kong” to Mr. Bryan-Brown.