Stage turns into African jungle for ‘Tarzan’
If on the first day of Christmas, you don’t find a partridge in your pear tree, Stage Center is offering to assist by letting you substitute an ape-man.
The local troupe opened its complete third season with “Tarzan,” a stage musical based on the Disney animated film which was adapted from the classic “Tarzan of the Apes” by Edgar Rice Burroughs. This version features the familiar Phil Collins movie soundtrack plus some additional music written just for the stage, according to Stage Center Artistic Director Jared Watson. The book was penned by Tony winner David Henry Hwang.
Watson has lined up a cast of 22 actors who are bringing the African jungle to the stage of the Emmett Hook Center at First United Methodist Church. The production opened Dec. 5 and will continue at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 and 13 and with two shows at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 14.
The tale tells the story of an infant boy shipwrecked on the shores of West Africa and eventually orphaned. He is taken in and raised by a band of gorillas. An expedition encounters the tribe after Tarzan matures, and he encounters animals like himself for the first time, including Jane Porter, who will become an important part of Tarzan’s future.
Stage Center’s production stars Zac Rowe as Tarzan, Madison Gilcrease as Jane, Barbara Holmes as Kala, the she-ape, and Cordara Newson as Kerchak, the leader of the apes. Nolan Budgewater is Turk, David Bieler is Professor Porter, Luke Sexton plays the chauvinist Clayton, and Robert Lawrence is the young Tarzan. Making up the tribe and the rest of the cast are Michelle Alexander, Madeline Bradford, Emma Busi, Delia Caldwell, Cameron Cason, Kaelon Gerard, Cody Griffin, Leslie Hankins, Demaria Ervin, Isaiah Aaron Jones, Tamara Mayer, Joshua Myers, John Peyton Pou, Nia Savoy and Saudia Scott.
“It’s a monster show,” Watson said. “I love musicals. That’s what my degree [from the University of Oklahoma] is in. That’s why I do big musicals. I love plays, too,” he quickly adds. However, Watson said in a musical you get more than the narrative, you get the scope that music brings, as well as some memorable songs. “It changes the emotional context of the show and the storytelling.”
This show also features a lot of acrobatics, as you would imagine, with actors swinging through the jungle on vines. Stage Center hired a professional company, called Foy, to come in to handle flying the nine actors who will soar through the jungle.
A show this large and complex challenges a director, Watson said, but he’s had his eye on it for a long time. “I have loved Tarzan forever, since the movie came out in 1999. I was a junior in high school. I saw it when I lived in New York, the original Broadway production. It was gorgeous and it was a spectacle, but I didn’t care so much about Tarzan. So for me as a director it sparked [something].”
Watson said he felt he could add his own interpretation to the production and when the troupe was putting its season together, the property became available for community theatre groups.
“It was just a logical fit for what [Stage Center] does. We always want to do at least one great big splashy family musical and there are a lot of them. But this was a new one that appeals to me. It’s been one of my favorite shows to work on; it’s been such a great experience.” Watson attributes that to his cast and the technical team working behind the scenes.
As far as why audiences should come to this final weekend’s performances, “It’s a great family experience, something to do with the family during the holidays,” he said. “My dad says he’s coming because of the score. He said, I’d come just to hear those songs. It’s a show about family. It’s a story about finding who you are and how you fit in. It’s uplifting, it’s exciting.”
Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $15 for students and children. Stage Center also offers Student Rush Ticketing for college and high school students. For information and reservations, call 218-9978.
Watson said he thinks audiences will be drawn to “Tarzan” this holiday season. He noted people are always looking for something different to do with family and friends in for the holidays. He has some advice.
“Come experience Tarzan.”
Joe Todaro may be reached at joetodaro@scribio.com.
