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Tarzan (musical)
Encyclopedia
Tarzan: The Musical is based on the Disney film of the same name
and the story by Edgar Rice Burroughs
. Music and lyrics are written by Phil Collins
, with a book by David Henry Hwang
.
as the Adult Tarzan, Adam Pascal
as Tarzan Storyteller and Laura Bell Bundy
as Jane.
The musical began previews on Broadway
on March 24, 2006, and officially opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre
on May 10,making it the only Disney Theatrical production without an out-of-town tryout. Bob Crowley
designed the sets and costumes and directed the original Broadway production; choreography was by Meryl Tankard and lighting by Natasha Katz
. Danton Burroughs, grandson of Edgar Rice Burroughs, attended the opening night party, as did Phil Collins. The production was nominated for a Tony award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Natasha Katz).
Due to poor ticket sales, the show closed on July 8, 2007 after 35 previews and 486 performances.
, with a few minor changes. Terk, who was a female in the film, is a male in the musical. The major character of Tantor
the elephant is completely cut from the musical.
, who wrote five songs for the 1999 film
, wrote nine new songs for the stage version.
Act I
Act II
as Tarzan (winner of the show "Wie Wordt Tarzan?") and Chantal Janzen
as Jane. on May 24, 2009 the show closed to make way for the Dutch Production of Mary Poppins
.
, on February 16, 2008, and closed in 2009.
, at the Neue Flora Theater on October 19, 2008. It originally starred Anton Zetterholm and Elisabeth Hübert who won the roles of Tarzan and Jane on the German casting show "Ich Tarzan, Du Jane". A German cast recording has been released.
, presented the regional premiere of the show from June 7-October 15, 2010, playing three shows a week. The theatre was the first equity theatre to produce the musical since it closed. The show starred James Royce Edwards as Tarzan and Summer Broyhill as Jane.
produced the regional premiere of the newly licensed version from June 8 through June 18, 2011.
, Beverly, Massachusetts
has a production scheduled, to run from July 12, 2011 through July 24, 2011.
Tarzan (1999 film)
Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
and the story by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
. Music and lyrics are written by Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, with a book by David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is an American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S.He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University...
.
Production
A workshop was held in 2004, with Daniel Manche as the Child Tarzan, Matthew MorrisonMatthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
as the Adult Tarzan, Adam Pascal
Adam Pascal
Adam Pascal is an American actor and singer known for his performance as Roger Davis in the original cast of Jonathan Larson's musical Rent on Broadway 1996, the 2005 movie version of the musical, and the Broadway Tour of Rent in 2009...
as Tarzan Storyteller and Laura Bell Bundy
Laura Bell Bundy
Laura Ashley Bell Bundy is an American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway roles, both starring and supporting, as well as in television and film. Her best known Broadway roles are the original Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray and the original Elle Woods in the musical...
as Jane.
The musical began previews on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
on March 24, 2006, and officially opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre
Richard Rodgers Theatre
The Richard Rodgers Theatre, is a Broadway theater in New York City, built by Irwin Chanin in 1925. When it was first opened, it was called Chanin's 46th Street Theatre. Chanin almost immediately leased it to the Shuberts, who bought the building outright in 1931 and renamed it the 46th Street...
on May 10,making it the only Disney Theatrical production without an out-of-town tryout. Bob Crowley
Bob Crowley
Bob Crowley is a theatre director, scenic and costume designer.Born in Cork, Ireland, he is the brother of director John Crowley...
designed the sets and costumes and directed the original Broadway production; choreography was by Meryl Tankard and lighting by Natasha Katz
Natasha Katz
Natasha Katz is a lighting designer for the theatre, dance, and opera. She was educated at Oberlin College and did an internship with Roger Morgan....
. Danton Burroughs, grandson of Edgar Rice Burroughs, attended the opening night party, as did Phil Collins. The production was nominated for a Tony award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Natasha Katz).
Due to poor ticket sales, the show closed on July 8, 2007 after 35 previews and 486 performances.
Plot
The musical follows the plot of the Disney filmTarzan (1999 film)
Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
, with a few minor changes. Terk, who was a female in the film, is a male in the musical. The major character of Tantor
Tantor
Tantor is a generic name for elephants in Mangani, the fictional language of the great apes in the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs...
the elephant is completely cut from the musical.
Act 1
Off of the West African coast, a young English couple and their newborn son barely survive a shipwreck and land in Africa. They construct a tree house for their son before being killed by a leopard. In the African Jungle, Kerchak, the leader of a tribe of gorillas admires his new infant son with his mate, Kala ("Two Worlds"). The leopard suddenly appears and kidnaps the newborn baby gorilla. Kala goes off to find her son but finds the human boy instead and names him Tarzan. She mothers him and raises him despite Kerchak's refusal to treat Tarzan as his son ("You'll Be In My Heart"). Tarzan cannot keep up with the tribe and Kerchak views him as a threat. Tarzan is befriended by the lighthearted Terk, a young gorilla who teaches him the ways of the gorillas ("Who Better Than Me"). Kerchak finds Tarzan constructing a spear and he exiles him from the gorilla tribe ("No Other Way"). Kala worries for him and goes off to find him. She discovers him despairing by the water's edge ("I Need To Know"). Kala tells him that even though they look different, underneath the skin, they are just the same. Years pass and the young boy grows into a young man, athletic and resourceful ("Son of Man"). Kala tries to convince Kerchak to accept Tarzan ("Sure As Sun Turns To Moon"). Kerchak won't change his mind until Tarzan kills the leopard that has been terrorizing the tribe. Suddenly, gunshots are heard throughout the jungle, causing the tribe to scatter, but Tarzan investigates. Deep in the jungle, Jane Porter, a young English naturalist, is overwhelmed by the thrillingly diverse jungle life ("Waiting For This Moment"). While exploring, she is attacked by a giant spider but is rescued by Tarzan. Tarzan and Jane carefully assess each other as they realize their similar qualities ("Different").Act 2
At the Porter expedition site, Terk and the other gorillas do some redecorating ("Trashin' The Camp"). Jane returns to the site with Tarzan, and she is thrilled by the tribe of gorillas. Kerchak arrives and scares the gorillas off. Jane tries to convince her father, Professor Porter, and their guide, Clayton that she discovered a wild man and a tribe of apes. Kerchak forbids contact with the humans but Tarzan and Jane grow to love each other and Jane tells her father more about the wild ape man ("Like No Man I've Ever Seen"). Clayton becomes jealous of their love. Jane tries to teach Tarzan more about humans and human life ("Strangers Like Me"), as she tries to cope with her emotions ("For The First Time"). She tries to tell her father to stop the plans of killing the gorillas but Clayton refuses and tricks Tarzan into taking the humans to the gorilla nesting grounds. Tarzan asks Terk to help him by keeping Kerchak away, and Terk agrees ("Who Better Than Me (Reprise)"). Kerchak arrives anyway, scattering the humans and demanding that Tarzan choose who he is. Kala shows Tarzan the treehouse his parents built and he discovers all of their belongings ("Everything That I Am"). He decides to go to England with Jane and live as a human and he tells Kala his decision ("You'll Be In My Heart (Reprise)"). Clayton kills Kerchak and the tribe convinces Tarzan that they need him to stay ("Sure As Sun Turns To Moon (Reprise)"). Jane agrees to stay with Tarzan in the jungle ("Two Worlds (Reprise)").Musical numbers
Phil CollinsPhil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, who wrote five songs for the 1999 film
Tarzan (1999 film)
Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
, wrote nine new songs for the stage version.
Act I
- "Two Worlds" – Voice of Tarzan and Ensemble
- "You'll Be In My Heart" – Kala and Ensemble
- "Jungle Funk" – Ensemble
- "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 and Ensemble
- "Sure As Sun Turns to Moon" – Kala and Kerchak
- "Waiting for This Moment" – Jane and Ensemble
- "Different (Part 1 & 2)" – Tarzan
Act II
- "Trashin' the Camp" – Terk and Ensemble
- "Like No Man I've Ever Seen" – Jane and Professor Porter
- "Strangers Like Me" – Tarzan and Jane
- "For the First Time" – Jane and Tarzan
- "Who Better Than Me? (Reprise)" – Terk and Tarzan
- "I Need to Know (Reprise)" – Young Tarzan
- "Everything That I Am" – Tarzan and Kala
- "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
Original Broadway cast
- Josh StricklandJosh StricklandJoshua Strickland is an American singer and actor from Charleston, South Carolina. He attended high school at the Charleston County School of the Arts and graduated from Middleton High School in Charleston. He attended the College of Charleston, where he studied voice with Deanna McBroom...
as Tarzan - Jennifer GambateseJennifer GambateseJennifer "Gamby" Gambatese is an American actress and singer. She is gaining recognition by performing on stage, and even starring in Broadway productions. Gambatese has performed in the popular musical production of Disney's Tarzan.-Early life:...
as Jane - Shuler HensleyShuler Hensley-Early life:Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley, Jr., is a former Georgia Tech football star, retired civil engineer and former state senator. His mother, Iris Antley Hensley, was a ballerina and the...
as Kerchak - Merle DandridgeMerle DandridgeMerle Dandridge is an American actress who was born in Okinawa, Japan. Her father was an African-American US serviceman from Memphis and her mother was a local Okinawan of Korean and Japanese descent. Dandridge is primarily a stage actress, but has had several roles in television...
as Kala - Chester Gregory IIChester GregoryChester Gregory is an award-winning Broadway actor and musician.-Broadway roles:*Sister Act as Eddie*Dreamgirls as James "Thunder" Early *Hairspray as Seaweed*Tarzan as Terk*The Jackie Wilson Story as Jackie Wilson...
as Terk - Tim Jerome as Professor Porter
- Donnie Keshawarz as Clayton
- Daniel MancheDaniel MancheDaniel Manche is a child actor from Alabama who moved to New York City, and currently lives in North Jersey. He portrayed the role of J.J...
/ Alex Rutherford as Young Tarzan
Broadway Cast replacement history
- Dylan Riley SnyderDylan Riley SnyderDylan Riley Snyder is an American film, television and musical theatre performer. Beginning his acting career in community theatre at the age of five, Snyder is known for his acting, singing, and dancing abilities, starring as "Young Tarzan" in the 2006 Broadway musical, Tarzan, as "Timmy" in the...
replaced Daniel Manche as first alternate Young Tarzan on September 15, 2006. - Rob EvanRob EvanRob Evan is a singer and actor, best known as a lead performer in numerous Broadway musicals, a performer in national and international tours of musical productions, and a featured vocalist on several music albums.-Personal:...
replaced Shuler Hensley as Kerchak on March 28, 2007. - J. Bradley Bowers was cast as Young Tarzan in June, 2007 to replace Alex Rutherford. However, it was announced on June 23, 2007 that the show would close on July 8, 2007, so Bowers, Rutherford, and Snyder alternated in the role of Young Tarzan for the last 2 weeks of the show.
Differences from the film and musical
- The character of Tantor the elephant is cut from the musical.
- Instead of scaring the elephants off to make Kerchak angry, Tarzan fashions a spear making Kerchak think he intends to hurt the gorillas.
- Terk is male and an adult in the entire musical.
- Jane is attacked by a giant spider before being rescued by Tarzan and wasn't chased by baboons like in the film.
- Clayton is American in the musical instead of British like in the film
- Clayton seems to have more of a romantic attraction for Jane.
The Netherlands (2007–2009)
The first international production of the show opened on April 15, 2007, in The Netherlands, Scheveningen. Phil Collins was present at the opening night. The original cast featured Ron LinkRon Link
Ron Link may refer to:* Ron Link * Ron Link...
as Tarzan (winner of the show "Wie Wordt Tarzan?") and Chantal Janzen
Chantal Janzen
Chantal Janzen is a Dutch actress and musical star. She starred in The Preacher, Full Moon Party and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and presented Idols....
as Jane. on May 24, 2009 the show closed to make way for the Dutch Production of Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins is a series of children's books written by P. L. Travers and originally illustrated by Mary Shepard. The books centre on a magical English nanny, Mary Poppins. She is blown by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London and into the Banks' household to care for their...
.
Kristianstad (2008–2009)
The second international production, and the first independent production (not to be produced by Disney) opened in Kristianstad, SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, on February 16, 2008, and closed in 2009.
Hamburg (2008–present)
The third international production opened in Hamburg, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, at the Neue Flora Theater on October 19, 2008. It originally starred Anton Zetterholm and Elisabeth Hübert who won the roles of Tarzan and Jane on the German casting show "Ich Tarzan, Du Jane". A German cast recording has been released.
US Tour (Canceled)
A revamped tour version had previously been announced to debut in January 2009 in Atlanta, and was planned to feature the same music and book, with direction and choreography by Lynne Taylor-Corbett. The tour has since been canceled.Utah (2010)
The Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins, UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, presented the regional premiere of the show from June 7-October 15, 2010, playing three shows a week. The theatre was the first equity theatre to produce the musical since it closed. The show starred James Royce Edwards as Tarzan and Summer Broyhill as Jane.
Indiana (2011)
The Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, IndianaWarsaw, Indiana
Warsaw is a city in and the county seat of Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. Cradled among Winona Lake, Pike Lake, Hidden Lake and Center Lake, Warsaw is nicknamed "Lake City," though other cities in the surrounding area are also referred to by that nickname...
produced the regional premiere of the newly licensed version from June 8 through June 18, 2011.
Massachusetts (2011)
The North Shore Music TheatreNorth Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre is the largest operating regional theater in New England. It is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and is one of the few remaining theatre-in-the-round stages left in the United States.-History:...
, Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
has a production scheduled, to run from July 12, 2011 through July 24, 2011.
San Jose, California (December 2011)
Marquee Productions, a division of the award winning Children's Musical Theater San Jose, will bring Disney's Tarzan to the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose, December 2-11, 2011, directed and choreographed by the organization's Artistic Director, Kevin R. Hauge, and assistant choreographed by Shannon Self.Awards and nominations
| Award | Outcome | |
| John Kraaijkamp Musical Award | ||
| Beste grote musical (Best big musical) | Won in 2008 | |
| Beste vrouwelijke hoofdrol in een grote musical (Best female lead in a big musical)(Chantal Janzen Chantal Janzen Chantal Janzen is a Dutch actress and musical star. She starred in The Preacher, Full Moon Party and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and presented Idols.... as Jane Jane -Music:* Jane * Jane *Jane , an album by Jane McDonald* "Jane" * "Jane", a song by Ben Folds Five from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner... ) |
Nominated | |
| Beste Mannelijke Bijrol in een Grote Musical (Best supporting actor in a big musical) (Clayton Peroti as Tark) | Won in 2007 | |
| Beste Creatieve Prestatie (Best creative prestation) (Sergio Trujillo) | Nominated | |
| Beste Inhoudelijke Prestatie (Best Performance Content) (Martine Bijl) | Nominated | |
| Beste Inhoudelijke Prestatie (Best Performance Content) (Phil Collins Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist.... ) |
Nominated | |
| Beste Ontwerper (Best designer) (Pichón Baldinu) | Nominated | |
| Beste Ontwerper (Best designer) (Bob Crowley) | Nominated | |
| Nashuatec Musical Award voor Aanstormend Talent (Musical Award for upcoming talent) (Ron Link as Tarzan Tarzan Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer... ) |
Won in 2007 | |