When Christiani Pitts was hired for “King Kong” on Broadway, she immediately felt the significance of the casting choice. Not only is she the first woman of color to ever take portray Ann Darrow, on stage or screen, she brings to the role a deep passion for the character and the show’s legacy.

Ann Darrow has evolved over the years. Fay Wray first originated her on-screen in 1933, Jodi Benson voiced Ann in a 1998 animated musical, and Naomi Watts took on the role in the 2005 remake. In those versions, Ann was either reduced to homelessness, fell in love with the film director, or was saved by Kong. For the Broadway musical, Pitts helped to bring the character into 2018 as an empowered woman who takes her future into her own hands and saves Kong herself.

Pitts is not a Broadway newbie, having appeared in the original company of “A Bronx Tale.” Her TV and film credits include “Elementary.”

We talked to Pitts about her character’s modern and heroic evolution, how she derives inspiration from her great-grandmother, and her adoration for Cicely Tyson.

“King Kong” is now playing at the Broadway Theatre.

W&H: What’s it like being a woman on Broadway in 2018?

CP: It’s so powerful to be a woman on Broadway, specifically during a time when women have decided to derive their strength and power in a way that hasn’t been done in quite some time.

We’re doing it in our show. I’m the only female principal in the show amongst a bunch of guys, which is really, really powerful.

W&H: Do you feel as though more roles are opening up to you and other women in the age of #MeToo?

CP: I do. People are now looking at scripts with a different perspective. Women have always been powerful but often shut out of the conversation, and now that we’re being included, we are looking at pieces of art with a different set of eyes.

It’s exciting to see roles historically played by men or a certain type of woman being rewritten and at how women are now being portrayed. It’s frustrating on one hand that it’s taken so long, but exciting because there are age-old pieces that have a different feeling now that women are finally being invited to the conversation and getting a seat at the table.

W&H: How does it feel to be the first woman of color playing Ann Darrow in “King Kong” ever?

CP: It’s actually more exciting than I ever anticipated. I was nervous when I got cast because I wasn’t sure how it would be perceived, but I have been overjoyed to hear from people that it’s inspiring them. It’s also making them feel capable of doing things they hadn’t dreamed of for quite some time.

“King Kong” is such an epic story that’s been around for so many years, and it’s the first time the story has a historical twist that changes its circumstances. The circumstances of me being a woman of color change why Ann decides to save Kong. I think that it’s a deeper connection between humans and animals and it really speaks to what it really means to be a woman in captivity. There is a deep meaning to it that I don’t think was explored before. It’s really exciting to add a layer to this already iconic piece.

Pitts in “King Kong”

W&H: What was it like when you found out you were cast in “King Kong” and how do you channel your character every night?

CP: I was so excited when I got cast. I’m such a history buff. I instantly immersed myself in studying famous actors from the 1930s.

My mother told me a story about my great-grandmother, who was around 20 years old around the time of Ann Darrow’s [initial] existence. She was forced to go into an arranged marriage to help benefit the lives of her family. By the time she was 24, she had already been married for eight years. Her husband passed away and left her the money and property that he owned. She had big dreams of leaving the South and going to Chicago to work. Instead, she took the property and sold it to different black families in the area, ultimately creating one of the first black neighborhoods in Sanford, Florida. She both made history and took back her power.

When my mom told me this story, I started to cry and thought of Ann Darrow. She’s a girl with big dreams, who wanted so much more power than she’d been allowed in the South. She came to the city to fulfill her dreams. I began to channel my great-grandmother, wondering if she had the opportunity to come to NYC to be on a Broadway stage and make her dreams come true, what would she say? That’s how I looked at the script. I feel so powerful and emotional every time I go out there because I know I’m doing something that is so much bigger than me.

W&H: What’s it like being in a production of this size and stature?

CP: I tell people that it’s like playing a video game or making a movie because things are moving so quickly. It’s truly at a speed I’m not used to in the theater. Hearing the audience react to some of the big, crazy technical aspects of our show reassures us that what we are doing is worth it. There are some moving pieces on stage that are something out of a Quentin Tarantino film. It’s an adrenaline rush.

W&H: Broadway’s Ann Darrow is a feminist. She’s strong-willed and follows her heart, making her own decision to free Kong at the end of the show. She has so much social resonance and she’s empowering to young women and girls. How much does playing characters with impact mean to you?

CP: It’s extremely important. I realize the more and more that I do this that it’s not just for me — it’s for the enjoyment of other people. I’ve been so blessed by God to [know] what I wanted to do at a young age. For other women out there who feel they are not represented or feel that they can’t do something, it makes my heart burst with joy knowing they can see this character who is an unapologetically badass. She’s so strong and fearless. She’s proof that being a woman on stage in the 1930s doesn’t mean you have to be submissive.

The stories girls and young women share with me at the stage door are just so moving. It reminds me of the power of art and theater, and the importance of speaking up.

W&H: What is your favorite song or moment in the show?

CP: There’s a song called “Last of Our Kind” in the second act after Kong has been shipped to New York City where Ann is in a predicament. She has to sell out in order to not be shipped back onto the street and be homeless. It’s the first and only moment in the show where she succumbs to the life she was always supposed to have.

Ann is supposed to be a quiet woman who doesn’t make a fuss, who doesn’t make noise, who doesn’t make a change, who takes the world which she’s been given. It’s the first time we see her crumble and become the woman her mother and grandmother were — and all the women before them. We see her try to convince Kong that in order for them to get away with dignity, they have to put a smile on their faces and sell out together.

It’s heartbreaking because it’s a beautiful song. Ann is doing something we see women do every day — which is to take so much harshness and pain and put a smile on her face because it’s the only option.

W&H: Who are some of your theatrical or personal inspirations?

CP: My mother is a woman who wears many hats. She’s a woman from the South who’s a teacher, police officer, sister, daughter. She has been one of my biggest role models since I can remember.

As far as acting goes, it’s Cicely Tyson, the new Oscar winner. She’s one of my biggest inspirations in this business. She’s such a queen, and I admire how she has managed to move through this industry with such grace.

W&H: You’ve made appearances in films and television. What’s next for you and what kind of work do you want to do?

CP: After working on Broadway for 20-plus months, I’m thrilled to start creating work that is out of the box. I’ve always written my own work but had limits on it. This show has given me the sense that anything is possible. If I want to bring a giant gorilla to a stage, I can. I will continue to write my own work and get it produced. I have a lot of shows in mind with female cast members, DPs, and producers.  I’m just so excited to take that work to the next level.