"Rusty goes Disney"-TARZAN 4/28/06- 8pm

[RustyJusty830]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 2:04am

I just wanted to share some of my thoughts with you all.
I saw the show this past Friday night and was incredibly excited for Disney's newest theatrical endeavor. I jumped on line for student rush at about 3 pm, just in time for my boyfriend and I to snag the last two seats (which they started selling at 6pm). Quite an intense procedure for rush- I'm guessing it's gaining popularity. Got to the theatre at a quarter to and took my seats-first row, house right on the aisle, very nice view...Hardly obstructed. And so my experience began:

The technical aspect:
AMAZING. Some of the best technical stuff I've ever seen on Broadway. Loved the concept. From the start, even the curtain impressed me. I very much enjoyed the way the audience is jolted into the opening without any sort of pre-show announcement. The lightning flashes and you're off! The opening shipwreck lives up to all the hype it's been getting on the boards. Such a unique idea and nothing like I would have expected. The green vine-like backdrop with holes for the apes serves as a perfect addition to the high energy stunts. The flying was done very well- It was interesting to actually SEE the hooks and ropes. I thought it fit very well with the overall concept of the show. The lighting is excellent providing some superb effects that keep the show exciting. Highlights include Jane's first number with the flowers and insects which was visuallly stunning. The spider web towards the end of the song made for a fantastic effect. The flying from the rear mezz. is highly effective and provides opporunities for mid-show applause in places including Tarzan's entrance which made my enthusiastic audience want to jump to their feet. The sound blew me away. Loud and intense, blasted through tons of speakers, just the way I love for a show to sound. Really liked the use of the sinking middle portion of the stage for settings including a river, ect. Total eye candy that should not be missed. A round of applause for truly fabulous technical effects.

The Costumes and Wigs:
Overall, I was very impressed. I thought the wigs were wonderful. Very authentic looking- Could hardly see the lace on any of them. The design of the apes' costumes really seemed to work for me. The tattered string-like cloth served as an interesting abstract interpretation of the creatures. The ape-do's were all very unique and fun, with Terk in a blue spiked style and Kala in tiny french twists branching out into perky braids. Very appropriate and lovely styles were employed for Jane and Tarzan's signature locks looked awesome. Jane's outfits were great and absolutely loved how her hoop skirt was incorporated in creating the spider web. Thought that the splattered paint on Tarzan and his fellow apes worked well with the theme of "family" and also just looked pretty darn cool. Very delightful things going on in the design deaprtment here. Perhaps a Tony nod?

The cast:
Great performances. With the material that was given to them, I thought the talented ensemble did extremely well.

Josh Strickland was a winning Tarzan. His looks suit the part wonderfully. Appreciated the more toned and lean swimmer's build rather than a muscle man. Thought the hairy chest and stomach were very realistic and sexy. His soaring tenor voice gave me chills and never failed to impress. His acting for the most part was pretty good. Handled the stunts incredibly well making them look seamless and effortless. He tended to drop out of the given circumstances, often making him appear weak in some moments. However, overall a winning performance.

Jenn Gambatese offered a perfect Jane. Her physical character choices were dead on and added levels and color to what some might call a very one-dimensional role. Really nailed all of the vocal demands and didn't fail to impress with a strong and controlled belt. I'm sure she'll only find more depth with the role as she progresses in previews and regular performances. Excellent work by this talented lady.

Merle Dandridge and Shuler Hensley were as good as can be expected in the some what thankless roles of Kala and Kerchak, respectively. Dandridge's performance was grounded and passionate providing the warmth that one imagines a mother must possess. Her voice is gorgeous. I only wish she had more of a medium to showcase her talented vocals. Hensley's role was considerably underwritten and it's a shame that such a great actor is somewhat wasted. He does have some strong moments and gives a stern and commanding performance, but in the end is swallowed up by this monotonous role.

Chester Gregory II is a powerhouse. That's all that can be said. I've been a fan since Hairspray. This guy has got vocal chops that will send you jumping out of your seat. His singing is, in elementary terms, FIERCE. He really seems to have alot of fun with the role and has some great acting moments. His choices are committed and therefore get the laughs that they deserve. I believe TARZAN gives this fresh talent a chance to shine.

Tim Jerome was surprisingly good in the role of Professor Porter which I anticipated to be a sort of throw away. He worked well with Jenn and was rather likeable.

Mr. Clayton is played quite skillfully by Donnie Keshawarz. He makes for a very successful classic Disney villain and has just the right amount of charm to pull off the evil side of the character.

The ensemble needs to be commended over and over again for their enthusiasm and high energy performances. Obviously, each member has made clear choices and created a unique character, even when acting as apes. They sound beautiful in group numbers and really stand out anytime they are on stage. Their physicality is remarkable and really highlights their tremendous talents. Bravo.

And a special shout out to my fellow schoolmate, Daniel Manche, who offered a showstopping Young Tarzan. Terrific voice and impressive acting from such a young boy. He nailed the physical stunts and wowed the audience with all that he was capable of. I predict we'll be seeing alot more of this talented child.

Okay, and now on to some negative points:
The book and score are probably the show's biggest downfall. The book is often awkward, causing the scenes to feel long as if the pacing is wrong and choppy. Some scenes are unnecessary and poorly written. Much of the dialogue between Kala and Kerchak seems strange and misplaced. The book does not provide any depth for the characters and doesn't seem to help develop their traits or the overall plot for that matter. Still, some moments work rather well but seem to be overshadowed by the book's flaws. Still, I don't completely balme the creative team. The book cannot be too complicated as it must be reachable to a wide range of audiences including young children. So, taking that aspect into consideration, I believe that the writers did relatively well with creating a stage-story that must be able to be taken in by theatre go-ers of all ages. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the original Phil Collins music and it sounds better than ever in its new home on Broadway. And there are some great new standout numbers written for the show. Loved new music such as "Who Better Than Me?", "Waiting For This Moment", and "For the First Time". However, other new songs seemed to hinder the plot and simply weren't very memorable or special. I think that alot of this is still being worked on and alot of these flaws and kinks can be worked out. And regardless of its rough points, TARZAN has great potential.

To sum it up, a fantastic night spent at the theatre. I had tons of fun and think Disney has gone right in many ways with this project. It's a great show and I very much enjoyed myself. I hope that people can look past the flaws and accept the fact that it is Disney, which translates to having to appeal to a very wide demographic. Even looking past the negatives, alot of magic happens on stage at the Richard Rodgers. A definite must-see on every list! And I certainly hope that many folks to come can swing into the spirit of TARZAN as I did on friday night.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 2:49am

I like how you used some acting terms and stuff. Very cool.

The book and score are the worst part. Isn't that sorta the whole like basis of a show? lol. Doesn't sound good.

[liotte]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 3:26am

Thanks for your review!

I saw the show tonight and love all the changes they have made.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 4:23am

I thought that was a GREAT review...very detailed, and it really gave me a better sense of what the show is like and what are its strengths and weaknesses. I'm also really glad to hear someone say they really liked some of the new music...I'm not as hard to please as most people as far as theatre goes, and your words are encouraging.

It seems many people have found the book to be quite flawed and often boring...does anyone think people involved in Tarzan are seeing these message boards or somehow receiving that feed back?
It has been said so many times here that I feel like SURELY the writing team realizes that the book is considered a weak link...and I know they're const

antly working on it, but TICK TOCK TICK TOCK. May 10th is quickly approaching. Why don't they just make the major book changes they need to make?! (I know, it's not that simple...but still....the people have spoken, fix the damn book!!)

[Practically Perfect]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 8:37am

So pleased you enjoyed it - I saw the third preview at the end of March, and it sounds as if the show has got a lot tighter. Can't wait to see it again in June! I know a lot of people don't like the show, but I think it's got a lot of great things to offer.

Mary P x

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 9:26am

Thanks for the thoughtful and well written review.

I am most excited to hear about Chester in particular. I've been waiting to hear more on his performance--thanks for giving it!

[liotte]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 2:03pm

I think Chester has had the most changes to his role than anyone else in the show. His dialogue, choreography, entrances, songs, everything has changed for him, and he does an excellent job!

The whole show has gotten so much tighter, and is much better than it was in the first couple of weeks (and I still loved it then too).

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 2:08pm

How anyone can think this set is good is beyond me. Perfect for the stunts? I didn't see any stunts.

[liotte]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 2:55pm

Oh look! A negative comment about Tarzan from Munk! I was beginning to worry when this thread had been around for more than 12 hours without a comment from him. Now we just need YankeeFan007 to come say something bad too and the thread will be complete.

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 3:11pm

Thanks for the feedback on Chester Liotte. SOOO talented, and I can't wait to see this show!

[liotte]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 6:42pm

No problem. I'd be happy to give more detailed reviews of the changes and the show in general if people want, but since I've done it so much, I didn't know if people still wanted more info.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 7:04pm

liotte, i honestly can't hear enough about Tarzan...so post away, if you have anything you wanna say or discuss.

But I would like your opinion on my previous post. If so many people seem to sight the book as the biggest problem, do you think the producers of the show realize this needs to be fixed?

[liotte]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 7:07pm

I think the producers are trying to keep the show about the same as the movie, which the book follows pretty closely. I think it would help to have a couple more "action" scenes in the show, but at this point, they aren't going to add any more. They are working on tightening the show, which they have definitely done. It has totally changed since the beginning and is much better.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 7:15pm

Something bad too.

There, the thread is complete.

[RustyJusty830]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 7:46pm

Thanks for the compliments and responses everyone! To sort of add on to what Liotte is saying, to a certain extent, the book must remain true to the original Disney movie, which probably about 95 precent of the audience has seen. Its does well at certain points and sometimes falls flat, but overall, accomplishes its job in allowing all patrons to absorb it. Great or brilliant theatrical writing? Not exactly. Still, I expect I will visiting again because I very much enjoyed and liked the show.

Updated On: 4/30/06 at 07:46 PM

[YankeeGal#24]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 8:08pm

Yes liotte! Whatever your insights and thoughts are on the changes, or the show in general are eagerly awaited, at least by me!

[liotte]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 10:20pm

Yankee007, that made me laugh! We may not see eye to eye on the show, but I appreciate the smile :)

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 10:43pm

well, I enjoy the movie script, so that's reassuring. I find Jane and her father's characters to be pretty hilarious in the movie, with their funny one-liners and British accents. Would you say they translate about the same to stage?

[liotte]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 10:47pm

No, I think it's better in the movie than on stage. I don't even think that Jane and Mr. Porter need to have British accents or be from England, they could have been from America and it would have been fine.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 10:47pm

Any time, liotte.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:07pm

I thought that they should've changed the book to make Jane and Porter from America. The whole british accent ruined Jenn's performance for me.