Tarzan (musical)
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| Broadway Show | |
 Tarzan musical poster 2006 |
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| Tarzan (musical) | |
|---|---|
| Theatre | Richard Rodgers Theatre |
| Opening night | May 10, 2006 |
| Tony nominations | Best Lighting Design of a Musical |
| Tony awards | none |
| Author(s) | Phil Collins (music and lyrics) David Henry Hwang (book) |
| Director | Bob Crowley |
| Leading original cast members | Josh Strickland Jenn Gambatese Merle Dandridge |
| Closing night | |
Tarzan is a musical based upon the Tarzan stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and more directly on the Disney film of the same name. The music is by Phil Collins, and the book by David Henry Hwang.
It opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway on May 10, 2006.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The musical follows the plot of the Disney film very closely, with few minor changes.
In 1888 off the coast of Africa, a father, his wife, and infant son escape a burning ship and arrive in the unexplored jungles of Africa, where they build themselves a treehouse in which to live ("Two Worlds"). Meanwhile, a gorilla couple named Kerchak and Kala lose their son to a leopard named Sabor. As they move to another nest area, Kala hears an infant crying and follows it back to the treehouse. She investigates the treehouse and discovers that it is ransacked and the parents of the baby dead. As she looks around the treehouse, she notices a trail of large, bloody cat-like pawprints marked across the floor. Frightened, she rears back and finds a recent photograph of the family together. Kala hears more infantile crying and finds the human baby in an overturned basket. Immediately reminded of her own lost child, Kala feels remorse for the baby boy. Suddenly Sabor appears out of nowhere, hungry for human flesh. After a short chase, Kala and the baby escape the treehouse and run into the jungle to rejoin the gorillas. Upon arriving, Kala's mate Kerchak, also the leader of the gorillas, does not like the baby because he is human. Kerchak orders Kala to abandon the child, but Kala protests. Kerchak sympathizes with Kala and allows her to keep the boy, but he makes it clear that the child is hers and not his. Kala names the child Tarzan and treats him as one of her own ("You'll Be in My Heart").
As time passes, Tarzan, now ten years old, tries to fit in with the other gorillas ("Son of Man"). He makes friends with a male gorilla named Turk. Eight years later, Tarzan grows up into an adult and is attacked by Sabor the leopard. Tarzan kills Sabor and earns the respect of Kerchak. Suddenly a gunshot is heard from far away. As the gorillas leave, Tarzan follows the sound and sees three humans: Professor Porter, his daughter Jane, and their hunter guide Clayton. Tarzan saves Jane from a giant man eating spider and tries to communicate with her as he can't speak English. Meanwhile, Terk and some of his gorilla friends stumble upon the campsite of the Professor, Jane, and Clayton. Mesmerized by the many strange human objects, the gorillas begin to destroy the entire camp ("Trashin' the Camp"). Jane and Tarzan return to the camp and find it ransacked by Tarzan's friends. After some introductions, Kerchak angrily appears. Tarzan and the gorillas leave and Prof. Porter and Clayton arrive.
Back in the jungle, Kerchak instructs the gorillas to stay away from the strangers. Tarzan protests, saying that the humans are not dangerous, but Kerchak is unwilling to believe him. Kala tries to make Tarzan understand the danger, but instead Tarzan angrily asks her why she never told him that there were others who look like him.
After some time, Tarzan secretly returns to the camp and is introduced to Prof. Porter and Clayton. Together, the three teach Tarzan about the human world ("Strangers Like Me"). Repeatedly Tarzan is asked about the whereabouts of the gorillas, but he is unwilling to disclose their location because of Kerchak. One day while returning to the campsite, Tarzan sees everything being packed up. He asks Jane what is happening, and she tells him that a boat has come to take the three back to England. Tarzan does not understand why Jane has to leave, but Clayton explains that if he leads them to the gorillas they would not have to leave. Tarzan leads them to Kala and Terk, but Kerchak appears and is hostile to Tarzan and his company. As the others flee, Kerchak scolds Tarzan and he angrily flees. Kala senses the sorrow in Tarzan and decides to show him the treehouse where she found him. There Tarzan finds the picture of his mother, father, and himself as a baby. Now knowing where he must go, Tarzan puts on his father's old formal suit and joins up with Jane.
However, the gorillas are attacked by Clayton and Kerchak is murdered by Clayton's rifle but Tarzan interferes. Tarzan is about to kill Clayton, but Professor Porter tells him not to, that they can handle it a more peaceful way and Tarzan lets him go. Tarzan becomes the leader of the gorillas.
Tarzan says goodbye to Jane and Porter as they board the ship, but Jane decides that she loves him and returns.
The curtain closes with a kiss by Tarzan and Jane.
[edit] Creative Team
- Book by David Henry Hwang
- Adapted from the Screenplay by Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker, and Noni White
- Based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
- Directed by Bob Crowley
- Choreographed by Meryl Tankard
- Aerial Movement by Pichon Baldinu
- Set Design by Bob Crowley
- Costume Design by Bob Crowley
- Lighting Design by Natasha Katz
- Sound Design by John Shivers
[edit] Original Broadway Cast
Principals:
- Josh Strickland as Tarzan
- Jenn Gambatese as Jane
- Rob Evans as Kerchak
- Merle Dandridge as Kala
- Chester Gregory II as Terk
- Timothy Jerome as Professor Porter
- Donnie R. Keshawarz as Clayton
- Alex Rutherford and Daniel Manche as Young Tarzan
Ensemble: Marcus Bellamy, Celina Carvajal, Dwayne Clark, Kearran Giovanni, Michael Hollick, Kara Madrid, Kevin Massey, Anastacia McCleskey, Rika Okamoto, Marlyn Ortiz, John Elliott Oyzon, Andy Pellick, Stefan Raulston, Horace V. Rogers, Sean Samuels, Niki Scalera.
Swings: Veronica deSoyza, Joshua Kobak, Whitney Ostenoski, Angela Phillips, Nick Sanchez, Natalie Silverlieb, J.D. Aubrey Smith, Rachel Stern.
Standbys and Understudies: Standby for Kerchak, Professor Porter - Darrin Baker. Understudy for Tarzan - Joshua Kobak, Nicholas Rodriguez. For Jane - Celina Carvajal, Niki Scalera. For Kerchak - Michael Hollick, Horace V. Rogers. For Kala - Andrea Dora, Natalie Silverlieb. For Terk - Dwayne Clark, Nick Sanchez. For Professor Porter, Clayton - Michael Hollick.
[edit] Broadway Cast Replacement History
- Dylan Riley Snyder replaced Daniel Manche as Young Tarzan on September 15, 2006
Rob Evans Replaced Shuler Hensley on March 26, 2007
[edit] Musical Numbers
[edit] Act One
- Two Worlds - Voice of Tarzan and Ensemble
- You'll Be In My Heart - Kala and Ensemble
- Jungle Funk - Instrumental
- Who Better Than Me? - Young Tarzan and Terk
- No Other Way - Kerchak
- I Need to Know - Young Tarzan
- Son of Man - Terk and Ensemble
- Son of Man (Reprise)-Terk, Tarzan, and Ensemble
- Sure As Sun Turns to Moon - Kala and Kerchak
- Waiting for This Moment - Jane and Ensemble
- Different - Tarzan
[edit] Act Two
- Trashin' the Camp - Terk and Ensemble
- Like No Man I've Ever Seen - Jane and Professor Porter
- Strangers Like Me - Tarzan, Jane, and Ensemble
- For the First Time - Tarzan and Jane
- Who Better Than Me? (Reprise) - Terk
- Everything That I Am - Tarzan, Kala, Young Tarzan, and Ensemble
- You'll Be In My Heart (Reprise) - Tarzan and Kala
- Sure As Sun Turns to Moon (Reprise) - Kala
- Two Worlds (Finale) - Tarzan, Jane, and Ensemble
[edit] Trivia
- This is the fifth Disney movie to be adapted into a Broadway musical. Disney Theatrical also has produced stage versions of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame (musical), and Mary Poppins. A 2007 production of The Little Mermaid is currently being planned.
- Danton Burroughs was present at the opening night of Tarzan. His grandfather is Edgar Rice Burroughs, the original author of Tarzan of the Apes. Ashley Brown and Jacob Young, who star in the stage production of Beauty and the Beast, also attended opening night, as did former Belle, Christy Carlson Romano.
- Phil Collins, who also wrote five songs for the 1999 film, wrote nine new songs for the stage production of Tarzan.
- During previews, Tarzan had an odd schedule, playing only Thursday through Saturday, with occasional performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It has been noted that a similar schedule was used in the West End musical Billy Elliot the Musical
- Natasha Katz was nominated for the 2006 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for her work on Tarzan.
- Tarzan will have its debut in Europe in the Netherlands. The show will have it's premiere on April 15. It will play at the Fortis Circustheater in Scheveningen.There were five candidates left for the role of Tarzan, Ron Link won it at the end in a television show on SBS6. Ron Link was, like Josh Strickland, a finalist of Idols. Jane will be played by Chantal Janzen. Janzen has previously played Belle in Beauty and the Beast.
