Tarzan 5-5-06- Page 2

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:03am

its nice to hear your reviews, liotte, as the show comes closer and closer to opening! you make me really anxious to see this!
and i love jenn sooo much! shes soo sweet! have you talked to her a lot at the stage door? if you do, i envy you! :) haha. i love her...

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:04am

I'm sorry, what does it mean when a show "FREEZES"?
I just wanted to know.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:04am

I'm sorry, what does it mean when a show "FREEZES"?
I just wanted to know.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 9:15am

"freezing" a show means it cannot and will not be changed anymore, like during previews you change what doesnt work in the show, and when you "freeze" it, theres no more changes and critics can come

thats what i think it is, but dont quote me on it

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:42am

Ick! I hate singing curtain calls. They have the ability to completely ruin a show for me.

[PK2]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 10:47am

I don't mind the singing curtain call. It can be fun for comedy musical show.

However, I do hate the siging curtain call that the performers try and presure the audiences to stand up.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:08am

Tarzan and Phil Collins are a disease.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:08am

Thank you, my husband.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:10am

Of this we agree darling. Singing gorillas make me want to puke.

[pdjennings]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 11:30am

To those who've been: With all this talk about blocked views, etc ... what ARE good seats for this show? I see listings for Orch Row "C"... saying "partial view", yet Row "L" will say "full view". Is that because you'd have to (in theory) look 'up and back' from a closer row?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:15pm

I was front mezz and the view was, unfortunately, perfect.

As I said in my review, you have the beautiful chandelier to stare at when you get bored. The mezz is a plus.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 12:40pm

Legend has it when Ethel Merman got tired of rehearsing one of her shows, She LOUDLY exclaimed:
"Call Me Birdseye!
This Show is FROZEN!!!"
(for you youngsters, BIRDSEYE made Frozen Food and Dinners.)

[liotte]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 1:49pm

I was in Row A of the rear mezz, and the view was great. I prefer to sit in the front row though because I like to see facial expressions. But I think the middle of the orchestra or front mezz is best for this show if you want a good seat and overall view. I'd guess the row C partial view is because it is on the side, whereas from anywhere in row L, you can see the whole stage.

[gboogie]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 1:54pm

I work at Tarzan and, from what I've heard the guests say, the seats in the VERY last few rows of the orch. are partial view.

I've seen the show from all over the theatre and I have to say that front - middle orch. and all of the mezz has the best views. Just avoid the very back of the orch.

That's just my opinion. :)

[liotte]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:09am

Back from Tarzan!

Lots more little changes, and the curtain call went back Jane and Tarzan just walking on in the end. Boring. But it was taking too long the other way.

Niki Scalera went on as Jane tonight, she was excellent! Her voice is beautiful and she does a great job in the role. Glad to see the role of Jane in such capable hands!

[gboogie]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:17am

Tonight was wonderful!

Talked with some of the techies and they said that Niki wasn't even completely ready. She had never rehearsed on stage or with props or anything. She was flawless!

This show just keeps getting better and better. Lots of little changes tonight. I think it's coming along quite nicely!

[anne3]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:28am

And anyone have any idea if Josh has any days where he will be calling out?
Updated On: 4/19/06 at 12:28 AM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:29am

Is Jen Gambatese ill? I'm seeing it Friday and really want to see the full cast. Thanks!

[gboogie]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:31am

She'll be back on Friday. She's just out for tonight and tomorrow.

[liotte]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:35am

Sorry, fixed the date. I looked at the current date on my computer, not realizing that it was after midnight already.

[anne3]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:35am

Totally understandable. I've made the same mistake.

[liotte]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:43am

Oh yeah, this change happened in the middle of last week, but I just saw it tonight for the first time-
Terk now swings around on stage and sings Son Of Man during the projection scene. Of all the characters, Terk was changed the most. His dialogue with Young Tarzan is totally different, he's had Trashin the Camp changed multiple times, etc.

[gboogie]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:48am

Lots of little changes tonight. Lighting, staging, and "Son of Man" lyrics. Oh, and a new play-out. It's so much fun!

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:20pm

I was at last night's performance as well, and after having read multiple opinions on the show I went in with mixed expectations.

Basically, what everyone has been saying is dead-on. The opening sequence with the shipwreck is AMAZING. The "slow-mo" feel of them swimming back up to the surface, the sound and light effects...my mouth was hanging open (hate to say it, because I thought "Titanic the Musical" was horrendous, but the change of perspective while they're washed ashore, then they stand and walk towards land reminded me of "Titanic"). Then, the abrupt switch into the green car-wash-esque jungle vines all over the stage combined with the opening drums and Mr. Strickland's gorgeous voice singing "Two Worlds" while the setting was established...it was a solid, compelling opening.

Then the rest of the show happened. It had its flaws...the pacing, length, and overall direction of the show NEED TO BE FIXED. For example, Kerchik's and Kala's little "love duet" that happened right after Adult Tarzan lowers himself onstage from the rear of the house...WTF? We were just introduced to the main character of this musical - he looks great, he sounds great, he was given a kick-ass entrance (during one of my personal favorite songs from the movie) - then CUT. Here comes a totally misplaced love song between his gorilla "parents" that seems to serve no purpose. Jane's entrance follows shortly after, she's given a sweet song to sing - but it draaaaaaged on. The audience can only handle so much "hey, look at us, we're swinging from ropes dressed as butterflies" until they're stifling yawns and checking their Playbills to see how many songs are left until intermission.

The second act was similar - kids were squirming, audience responses were scattered (hardly any truly "funny" moments or "gasp" moments...the biggest reactions were when the gun went off and when Tarzan emerged dressed in his father's old clothes, as a real "man" man). The conflict - bad guys who want to kill gorillas and take Tarzan back to civilization for $$$ - was improperly placed and undefined until the middle of Act Two. Kerchik is killed, no one seems to care except Kala (and a small cluster of female gorillas), he's given a small "farewell" song she sings (almost bordering on cheesy), and then is lowered into the ground. Tarzan takes his place as leader of the pack and Jane winds up staying...just like the movie, but the action up to it leaves us wondering "who cares?"

I don't blame the performers - Josh Strickland, in my opinion, was excellent. His physicality/movement of Tarzan was dead-on, his voice was angelic, and his appearance was perfect. Gambatese wasn't in, but her understudy (name escapes me) was darling. Beautiful voice and a lovely actress. Shuler and Merle weren't as memorable as I had hoped - great voices and great acting talent, but I felt like they were being stifled somehow by the material they had to work with (it seemed, at times, like Shuler was given the direction to be as "James Earl Jones-esque" as possible). The chap who played Young Tarzan was adorable. The actor playing Terk (sorry, again, names are not my forte) is, I'm sure, an extremely talented guy, and he's given some great songs to sing...but again, his character is so one-dimensional, it seemed like he was the "token kooky best friend" who popped in and out when deemed necessary.

Those are some of my thoughts. I'm a huge fan of the 1999 animated version of the movie (yes, I was 18 when it came out but still loved it). I own the soundtrack recording and love Phil Collins's music. The flying was impressive, but nearly 3 hours of seeing it was superfluous, as were some of the songs and scenes. It needs a lot of work. Visual stimulation can only go so far - you need a thought-provoking storyline (the movie did much better in stressing the idea of "two worlds/one family"), gripping characters, and staging that doesn't seem like it's taking them nine years to finish one song.

I was impressed at times, but Disney should have invested their money in adapting a different movie into a stage musical - didn't they learn anything from "Beauty and the Beast?" Give us a "Sleeping Beauty" or "Aladdin" or something relatively easier to manipulate onto a Broadway stage.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/19/06 at 12:48pm

I have pretty much decided to wait until this show tours and see it then. I have seen Lion King (Seeing it again in Denver in Oct.) and I have seen Beauty and the Beast. Did not like Beauty. After the show I was looking for the moving sidewalk to take me to the next attraction. Sounds like Tarzan might end up being the same.