‘Kong’s Night Out’ @ Richardson Theatre Centre
—Carol M. Rice
Kong’s Night Out is the story of what happened in the hotel room NEXT to the hotel room where Ann Farrow (played in the 1933 classic film by Fay Wray) was whisked out of bed and into the Manhattan night by King Kong. There’s always a backstory, and playwright Jack Neary has put together a ridiculously funny farce, during which every moment is meticulously coordinated with the events depicted in the original King Kong movie.
Fortunately, the audience at Richardson Theatre Centre doesn’t have to know King Kong to enjoy the play, as just enough of the story is told for the wacky events to make sense and for us to know what we’re laughing at. Because laugh, we do!
Myron Siegel is a Broadway producer with a lot of bad luck. He’s about to open his new show, Foxy Felicia, when rival producer Carl Dennam announces HIS new show across the street. No one seems to know what it’s all about, but word on the street is that it’s big. REALLY big.
Myron concocts a plan to find out what the mystery show is all about and discovers that it’s about a monkey. A very LARGE monkey. He also learns that Dennam is sleeping with his wife Bertrille and plans to steal both her and Foxy Felicia away from him, resulting in mistaken identities, chase scenes, deception, and lots of slamming doors. The double entendre is also strong in this one!
Brian Hoffman brings just the right amount of chutzpah to the barely-hanging-on Myron. All the poor guy wants is big hit on Broadway, and it is that unrelenting goal that keeps him going – altering his plans to fit the ever-changing circumstances of the evening. Hoffman is totally believable during all the ups and downs Myron is going through, complete with excellent comic timing.
As Myron’s mother, the former stripper Sally Charmaine, Sue Goodner matches Hoffman at every wisecrack. Goodner is always a joy onstage, and this role perfectly suits her – she gets to cover a wide range of farcical emotions, all displayed beautifully on her rubber face.
Little Willy, Myron’s henchman/bodyguard/tough guy, who just wants to become more educated, is hilariously played by Nathan Beeman. His babyface looks work brilliantly for this role, as Beeman’s youthful appearance belies Little Willy’s obviously extensive experience, making his performance even funnier. His line delivery is absolutely on point.
Myron’s niece Daisy, newly arrived from the sticks of Buffalo, is played with manic glee by Kendra Young. Her over-the-top giggling, boundless energy, and total wonderment at her surroundings are appropriately exhausting (in a good way!), and yet she manages not to come off as completely annoying. Not an easy thing to do with this role.
As the two-timing Bertrille, Emily Fry is positively stunning, and her wishy-washiness about who she wants to hook up with (based on her perception of their bank accounts) is a lot of fun to watch.
Myron’s bitter enemy Carl Dennam is played with a slimy, over-confident swagger by Christopher Dean, who makes us dislike him from the get-go (as he should). Dean and Fry make us believe Bertrille and Dennam definitely deserve each other.
Lloyd Webb plays Myron’s Hungarian nearly-fed-up money man. His performance comes across as a bit too stiff, especially during his attempted seduction of Sally. His accent also causes several laugh lines to fall flat, as it’s occasionally hard to understand him.
As young ingenue Ann Farrow, Elise Stuart brings a much more modern sensibility to the role than did Fay Wray—but as written in Kong’s Night Out, her performance makes complete sense. She clearly has a fabulous time with the role and does a great job, especially in the fight scenes.
As Ann’s none-too-bright fiancé Jack Driskoll, Adam Koch has the blank stare and deadpan delivery down, yet he isn’t afraid to show some emotion when referring to his love, whether being starry-eyed or angrily protective.
Rusty Harding provides not only the radio voices but also the sound design. The music is period appropriate, and his vocals (combined with the static) take one back to the days of old analog radios.
Scenic designer Greg Smith’s exquisite art deco set is simple yet effective – one of the best I’ve seen at RTC – and costume designer Kristin Moore’s striking costumes make the characters look like they stepped right out of the 1930s. Myron’s impeccable black and white tux, Bertrille’s amazing green dress and matching turban with peacock feathers, and Sally’s sequined fringy cape are definite standouts. My only complaint is with the wigs, which stand out primarily because they’re so cheap looking next to those beautiful clothes.
Rachael Lindley has done a bang-up job casting and directing Kong’s Night Out, keeping the pace lively and the action moving. I don’t want to provide any spoilers, but keep your eyes on the center doors for a remarkable visitor during the second act! Really nicely done.
Whether you’re familiar with the King Kong story or not, do yourself a favor and go see Richardson Theatre Centre’s production of Kong’s Night Out.
WHEN: June 5-28, 2026
WHERE: 518 W. Arapaho Road, Suite 113, Richardson TX
WEB: https://www.richardsontheatrecentre.net/
