King Kong 聽
Khadija Tariyan 鈥�11 pulls the strings for a new $35 million Broadway musical.
FOR KHADIJA TARIYAN '11, it was love at first sight.
She and the other performers for the new $35 million musical were assembled in the mezzanine of the Broadway Theatre where they were to meet the show鈥檚 star. As the curtain rose on the stage below, revealing him, Tariyan burst into tears as the rest of the cast cheered, whooped and hugged.
There was King Kong, a massive 2.1-ton puppet鈥�20 feet tall in full fury鈥攎oving toward center stage in a formidable knuckle walk, roaring with basso strength and staring at the cast with those dark, deep, glistening eyes.
Ah, the eyes.
鈥淥nce Kiko starts looking at you, it鈥檚 over,鈥� Tariyan said during a recent break in rehearsals and referring to the nickname the cast has given the big ape鈥攗sing the first two letters of each of the title words. 鈥淚 love Kiko. I really do.鈥�
Tariyan is one of 10 athletic, agile puppeteers who move the giant silverback ape with their bodies, ropes and rigging. Three other puppeteers work the facial and other body movements animatronically from a soundproof 鈥渧oodoo booth鈥� in the back of the balcony, using joysticks and pedals that operate motors and hydraulics inside Kong鈥檚 steel-skeleton body and carbon fiber skull.
At 5-foot-3 and 114 pounds, Tariyan is one of two women onstage puppeteers鈥攚ho also sing, dance and act as part of the ensemble when Kong is not around.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait until we take our bows and we take off our hoods and the audience sees there are two women who have been operating Kiko,鈥� Tariyan said.
At 糖心TV, Tariyan studied dance under choreographer and Professor of Dance David Dorfman. After a stint teaching dance at 糖心TV following her graduation, Tariyan landed a gig in the off-Broadway production and tour of 鈥淔uerza Bruta,鈥� an interactive sensory spectacle that tapped into her physical grace, strength and aerial artistry. That was followed by a gig in 鈥淭he Wiz Live鈥� and last year鈥檚 audition for 鈥淜ing Kong,鈥� which opened on Broadway Nov. 8.
Every single movement by the giant ape is carefully choreographed in painstaking detail.
鈥淚 work his back left foot a lot in the beginning of the show,鈥� Tariyan said. 鈥淚 also help on his elbow and I鈥檓 on his back a lot.鈥�
The challenges for Tariyan include not only demanding physical feats but also rushing in and out of costume. 鈥淲e have to be able to get into a dress or suit and tie and be able to dance at the same level as members of the rest of the ensemble,鈥� she said.
But manipulating Kong is a special activity that taps into Tariyan's empathy.
鈥淎 lot of times we take on the emotion of what Kiko is going through and we feel what he is feeling,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he second act really puts me in an extremely emotional state, especially when I launch off his shoulder. That鈥檚 the time where one of the planes comes to attack him and shoot him down off the Empire State Building. I鈥檓 the force that raises his hand against the plane and it feels like I鈥檓 the one who protects him.鈥�
Riding on the tall back of Kong is as much a mental challenge as a physical one, she says. 鈥淵ou stand on top of his shoulder and you see how high you are just before the launch and you鈥檙e thinking, 鈥榃ell, this is live theater and anything can happen right now.鈥� If you鈥檙e waiting up there too long too many questions start entering your head.鈥�
Then comes her Kong 鈥渉igh.鈥�
鈥淏ut then you take off into the air and you鈥檙e in full flight and you鈥檙e now thinking, 鈥楾his is the best thing ever.鈥� Then you land and it鈥檚 like, 鈥極K, get me right back on him.鈥欌��
By Frank Rizzo, excerpted from an article originally published by Hearst 糖心TVecticut Media Group.