Time Moves On, but Blondes Still Get in Trouble Some of the scenes are sort of funny, a few of the songs are a bit catchy, and a couple of the setups are kind of amusing in "King Kong," a new musical that's enjoyable enough to watch though not really clever enough to admire. In this free show, part of the SummerStage festival in parks around the city, the three Gold brothers set out to rescue their foundering record label by venturing into the Bronx to find Kong, a mythical musician sure to sell millions of albums. The Golds use their employee, Faye, as bait to capture and bring Kong to Manhattan to put on a concert. Set in 1978, the story includes Ed Koch, boom boxes and rampant crime, and is staged for an outdoor crowd: costumes are colorful, and dance numbers are energetic, while expansive motions and movements can be seen from even the farthest seats. The humor is just as broad, and consistently dependent on stereotypes. The Gold brothers sing about the joys of being Jewish and mention bagels, bar mitzvahs or money in almost every scene. Black characters are invariably street-smart, hip and aggressive. Those caricatures can be fun to toy with, yet for a show that's advertised as being "totally original" and a "spectacle that radically subverts everything" about the classic story, the comedy remains constantly hokey and clichéd. Flatulence is an important part of the plot. The music, too, is conventional. There are surprisingly few urban rhythms (the show is part of SummerStage's This Is Hip Hop series), and most of the songs use familiar rhyme schemes. (The script was written by Alfred Preisser, Randy Weiner and DJ Cold Cut. Wes Matthews is the composer.) It is worth noting that, according to the press materials, the musical was conceived and written in less than a year; such quick preparation makes it somewhat more impressive in retrospect. The cast of 11, directed by Mr. Preisser, is versatile and bouncy, with Rhiannon Hansen, as Faye, and Tracy Jack, as Kong, particularly good. It's no surprise that "King Kong" ends where it begins, delivering jokes and songs that are well worn and moderately effective. There are better shows in the city, of course. But there are also worse ways to spend 90 minutes than outdoors on a summer night.