Tarzan is a musical based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios 1999 film of the same name, with music and lyrics by Phil Collins, and a book by David Henry Hwang. The musical follows Tarzan, who is raised by gorillas in West Africa. He meets Jane, a young English naturalist, and falls in love, unknowing that Jane's entourage plans to kill the gorillas.
The original Broadway production opened in 2006, directed and designed by Bob Crowley with choreography by Meryl Tankard. The production ran for 35 previews and 486 performances. Subsequently, the show has been staged in several other countries and by regional theatres.
Background A workshop was held in 2004, with Daniel Manche as the Child Tarzan, Matthew Morrison as the Adult Tarzan, Adam Pascal as Tarzan Storyteller and Laura Bell Bundy as Jane.Gans, Andrew. Disney's Tarzan Musical Aiming for 2005–2006 Broadway Bow" Playbill.com, May 12, 2005 Pascal's part was cut from the production when it opened on Broadway. The original production began previews on Broadway on March 24, 2006, and officially opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on May 10.Brantley, Ben."'Tarzan' Arrives on Broadway, Airborne"The New York Times, May 11, 2006 Danton Burroughs, grandson of Edgar Rice Burroughs, attended the opening night party, as did Phil Collins."Hail 'Tarzan!' It's a Swinging Celebration for Disney's New Musical" Broadway.com, (May 10), accessed September 4, 2011 The production was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical.
The musical follows the plot of the Disney film, with a few minor changes. Some alterations include the female gorilla Terk being changed to male for the musical, while Tantor the elephant is absent completely.
Plot Act 1 Off 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 named Sabor. In the African Jungle, Kerchak, the leader of a tribe of gorillas admires his new infant son with his mate, Kala ("Two Worlds"). Sabor 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").
As a young child, Tarzan finds that he cannot keep up with the tribe, while Kerchak views him as a threat. Despite this, Tarzan is befriended by the lighthearted Terk, a young gorilla who teaches him the ways of the gorillas ("Who Better Than Me"). However, Kerchak finds Tarzan constructing a spear, and assuming he intends to hurt the gorillas, he holds Kala accountable ("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, reigniting Tarzan's desire to become the best ape ever.
Years pass, and Tarzan grows into a young man, athletic and resourceful ("Son of Man"), accepted by many of the gorillas as one of their own, except for Kerchak. Kala tries to convince Kerchak to accept Tarzan ("Sure As Sun Turns To Moon"). Kerchak won't change his mind until Tarzan kills Sabor to avenge his parents and prevent him from terrorizing the tribe any longer. Suddenly, gunshots are heard throughout the jungle, causing the tribe to scatter while Tarzan investigates what scared them away. 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 discover the site and all of its unique features, and 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"). Tarzan soon visits the humans and becomes properly acquainted with them, especially Jane, though Clayton becomes jealous of their love.
Jane tries to teach Tarzan more about humans and human life, while Tarzan shows her his jungle world, too ("Strangers Like Me"); all the while, Jane tries to cope with her emotions ("For The First Time"). She tries to tell her father to stop Clayton's plans of killing the gorillas, but Clayton, wanting to achieve his goal, 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)"). As Tarzan shows the humans his gorilla family, Kerchak arrives anyway, scattering the humans and demanding that Tarzan choose who he is. Realizing her son is torn between his loyalty to his gorilla family and his need to be with humans, 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)").
Tarzan approaches Jane and Porter, announcing his intention to leave the jungle and be with Jane. At the same time, however, Clayton seizes the opportunity to capture the gorillas once and for all, and manages to shoot Kerchak, fatally wounding the gorilla leader. Tarzan rushes back at the sound of the gunshot and fights Clayton, nearly killing him until Porter convinces him to spare his life so they can handle Clayton in a less violent way; Clayton is soon arrested and sent back to the ship to await punishment back in England for his actions. Tarzan rushes to Kerchak, but he has already died from his wounds, and Kala and Tarzan mourn for Kerchak's demise ("Sure As Sun Turns To Moon (Reprise)").
At the beach, Jane and Porter are about to leave on their ship to return to England, until Jane realizes that she loves Tarzan and, with Porter's blessing, decides to stay with him in the jungle. Tarzan, having become the new leader of the gorillas, arrives to say goodbye to them, until Jane returns, and they share a kiss. Tarzan and Jane swing off towards their new home, planning to spend the rest of their lives together ("Two Worlds (Reprise)").
Notable casts CharactersOriginal Broadway Cast 2006 The Hague 2007 Hamburg 2008 Stuttgart 2013 Oberhausen 2016 Stuttgart 2023Hamburg 2025 TarzanJosh Strickland Ron Link Anton Zetterholm Alexander KlawsGian Marco Schiaretti Alexander Klaws Terence van der LooPhilipp Büttner Jane PorterJennifer Gambatese Chantal Janzen Elisabeth Hübert Merle Hoch Tessa Sunniva van Tol Vajèn van den BoschAbla Aloui KerchakShuler HensleyJeroen Phaff Andreas Lichtenberger Patrick Stanke Dániel RákászDániel Rákász KalaMerle DandridgeChaira Borderslee Melanie Ortner Sabrina Weckerlin Sidonie SmithKerry Jean TerkChester Gregory IIClayton Peroti Rommel Singson Emanuele Caserta Massimiliano Pironti Elindo AvastiaElindo Avastia Professor PorterTim JeromeHans Ligtvoet Japheth MyersJonas Paulus ClaytonDonnie KeshawarzLéon Roeven Rudi Reschke Patrick Imhof Ludo van der WinkelLuciano Mercoli Young TarzanDaniel Manche
Alex Rutherford Ellena Geibel Jannik Semmelhaack Matthis Lernhart Julian Cremer Tino Jasper
Broadway Cast Replacements Young Tarzan: Dylan Riley Snyder, J. Bradley Bowers Kerchak: Rob Evan
Musical numbers Phil Collins, who wrote five songs for the 1999 film, wrote nine new songs for the stage version.
Act I "Two Worlds" – Tarzan, Mother, Father, Kala, Kerchak, 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, Kala, Tarzan, 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 and Jane
Act II "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" – Jane and Tarzan "Who Better Than Me? (Reprise)" – Terk and Tarzan "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 and Tarzan "Two Worlds (Finale)" – Tarzan, Jane, and Ensemble
Original cast recording The Broadway cast album, entitled Tarzan: The Broadway Musical – Original Broadway Cast Recording, was released on June 27, 2006, produced by Mark Mancina. Allmusic explains: "Phil Collins, who wrote music and lyrics for the five songs in the 1999 Tarzan movie, wrote an additional nine for the Broadway show".Tarzan allmusic.com Phil Collins sings a bonus track "Everything That I Am" at the end of the album. The album includes "all four of the 'old' Tarzan songs (Two Worlds, You'll Be In My Heart, Son Of Man and Strangers Like Me)". genesis-news.com The album entered the Billboard Cast Album chart at No. 3.
Allmusic gave the album a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, stating: "Collins seems to understand that theater lyrics, perhaps even more than pop-song lyrics, need to be concise to get dramatic points across quickly and clearly. What he doesn't seem to realize is that that doesn't mean they should be little more than a string of platitudes, clichés, and contemporary slang. ... It's a shame; his words are as bad as his music is good". The review notes that much of the cast perform the songs as Adult Contemporary numbers as opposed to Broadway songs, and concludes by saying that "as a musical work Tarzan represents a lost opportunity to make a good pop musical." Genesis.com notes that rather than being a strict Collins album, "it is a concept album with music that has to work within the parameters of a Broadway musical".
Productions
Original Broadway Production
Tarzan opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on May 10, 2006, after starting previews on March 24, making it the only Disney Theatrical production without an out-of-town tryout. It closed on July 8, 2007, after 35 previews and 486 performances due to poor ticket sales. The production was directed by Bob Crowley and was choreographed was by Meryl Tankard. The show featured aerial design by Pichón Baldinu, scenic and costume design by Crowley, and lighting design by Natasha Katz.Listing ibdb.com, accessed April 4, 2014 The cast starred Josh Strickland as Tarzan, Jennifer Gambatese as Jane Porter, Shuler Hensley as Kerchak, Merle Dandridge as Kala, Chester Gregory II as Terk, Tim Jerome as Professor Porter, and Donnie Keshawarz as Clayton. The production received mixed reviews and a Tony Award nomination for Best Lighting Design.
Dylan Riley Snyder replaced Daniel Manche as first alternate Young Tarzan on September 15, 2006. Rob Evan replaced Shuler Hensley as Kerchak on March 28, 2007. J. Bradley Bowers was cast as Young Tarzan in March 2007 to replace Alex Rutherford. However, it was later announced that the show would close on July 8, 2007, so Bowers, Rutherford, and Snyder alternated in the role of Young Tarzan for the remainder of the show.
International Productions