Tarzan on Broadway

[lighthousemike]

AP NEWS WIRE

"Tarzan" will take its last swing through the Broadway jungle on July 8. The lavish Disney stage version of its 1999 animated film will close after 486 performances and 35 previews, Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical Productions, announced Friday.

"I am disappointed that the Broadway production of `Tarzan' will close earlier than any of us had hoped, and I would have loved for it to have been as successful in New York as it now is in Holland," Schumacher said.

The show, which received mostly negative notices on Broadway, has been a big hit in the Netherlands, opening there in April 2007 to good reviews and a sold-out summer at the Circustheatre in The Hague. Other productions are planned for Germany and possibly Japan, Schumacher said.

Although "Tarzan" will have played for more than a year by the time it ends its run at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre, the production will close at a loss. Disney executives won't reveal an exact figure.

Last week the show grossed $516,251, playing to about 75 percent capacity at the Rodgers.

"It (the closing) is completely a business decision — I have to run this (`Tarzan') like a business," Schumacher said in a telephone interview. "If I look at how we have been selling through the spring, if I look at our advances ... I can tell that I am going to have a summer where I am going to be losing a substantial amount of money. ... And I don't artificially keep shows going.

"But `Tarzan' is not just one production," Schumacher added. "I have multiple productions of `Tarzan' coming and I have a big successful one running. This production is a loss. But the title of `Tarzan' within our catalog and within the Disney franchise will do just fine."

On Broadway, the musical, which features a score by pop star Phil Collins, stars Josh Strickland as the ape man and Jenn Gambatese as his loyal mate Jane. It was written by David Henry Hwang, author of "M. Butterfly" and directed by Bob Crowley, who also designed the show's sets and costumes.

"Tarzan" isn't the only Disney musical closing this summer on Broadway. "Beauty and the Beast" ends its more than decade-long run July 29 after 5,464 performances. It will be replaced at the Lunt-Fontanne by Disney's next Broadway show, "The Little Mermaid," which opens Dec. 6. Preview performances begin Nov. 3.

"Mermaid," directed by Francesca Zambello, will play an out-of-town tryout in Colorado at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, which is part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Preview performances begin July 26 with an opening set for Aug. 23.

Meanwhile, Disney's two other Broadway musicals — "The Lion King" and "Mary Poppins" — keep chugging along, pulling in grosses of more than $1 million each week.

[Simba3]

That is really disappointing! I knew the stage version of Tarzan wasn't doing as well as expected or hoped for, but I didn't know it was doing that bad. I would have liked to have seen it myself just for the experience and so I could judge it for myself. Even though Tarzan was a broadway flop, the success of "The Lion King", "Beauty and the Beast", "Mary Poppins", and "The Little Mermaid" (which I am predicting will be a HUGE hit) lead me to believe we haven't seen the end of Disney on Broadway. I'm hoping "Aladdin" will come soon!

[SpringHeelJack]

No surprises here. I mourn that hottie Josh Strickland will no longer be swinging around Broadway in a loincloth, but what can you do.

[Disneyfreak1990]

i can't believe this. they're automatically makeing it a flop just because they're not geting as many people as they hoped. well they might as well do this to Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong since they're doing worse than Tarzan.
i hope Mermaid and other future musicals don't get this fate.

[Lucylover1986]

Tarzan didn't interest me at all so I'm not sad to see this go. Bring on Mermaid!

[akhenaten]

instead of closing it for good? why not stop for a season and revamp the whole show to be as good as holland's??

bloody schumacher, he's a lousy decision maker wherever he's at. WDFA or DT.

[Kram Nebuer]

I saw Tarzan in February. It was my second Broadway show in life and my first Disney show, so I was pleased with it, but I can see where critics gave it negative reviews: (some SPOILERS, beware. Highlight to read)
Some of the swining with the vines was a little lame...it was cool for like the first few scenes, but it got old and tired since the use of the swinging actors was a major part of the production. Another thing is I found it odd that they changed Clayton from an olde English sports hunter to an American from the deep south...or Texas...or something. Also, the "Son of Man" sequence was done mostly with "animated shadows" of Tarzan doing various things and making shadow puppets. It was cute, but I feel that such a great song deserved a better visual accompaniment. It's sung by Terk and a random ape and Tarzan at the end. Also, some of the newer songs composed for the show were a little lacking, but after listening to the soundtrack enough, they start to grow on you.

(SPOILERS done)

Though, despite some of these setbacks, Tarzan was still a great show and worth the money I paid for (Orchestra seat $75). The opening for the show was simply breathtaking and beautiful. It was a great way to start the show and was one of the best sequences I've seen. The changes made from the show to the movie were understandable (e.g. Terk is male; the situation Jane is in when she's rescued by Tarzan; etc) and were surprising, but enjoyable. I loved the "Trashin' the Camp" show version better than the movie version.

Though I complained about some of the "flying" in the white text above, it was still super cool when they go over the audience. At one point, one actor was directly above my friend's seat. If his arms were longer, he probably could've touched the guy's foot.

Also, IMO we were lucky because Tarzan's understudy performed that night rather than Josh Strickland. I've listened to the soundtrack before I saw the show and I liked the actor we saw live (Nicholas Rodriguez) rather than Strickland. You can actually hear Rodriguez as Captain Shang in the karaoke studio recording of "I'll Make a Man Out of You" on Disney Karaoke Volume III. He doesn't sound too great there, but he was loads better on stage.

Anyhow, it's sad that the show has to close so soon (like how Der Glockner von Notre Dame closed so soon in Germany) and not get as good a run as its Disney Broadway predecessors. Maybe after it gets more good reviews in other countries, they'll bring the show back to Broadway.

Maybe they'll switch The Little Mermaid's theater to the Richard Rodgers Theatre and decide to not end "Beauty and the Beast" afterall?

[Disneyfreak1990]

i hope so with your last comment cause i really want to see the broadway of my favorites disney flick.

[Scabbie]

I didn't see the New York version, but I did see the Dutch version and I thought it was really good. Maybe this was because it's in a bigger theater with more possibilities.

Also, the "Son of Man" sequence was done mostly with "animated shadows" of Tarzan doing various things and making shadow puppets. It was cute, but I feel that such a great song deserved a better visual accompaniment. It's sung by Terk and a random ape and Tarzan at the end.

This sequence is changed for the Dutch version, because I can't remember such a thing.

In the Dutch version there is a tree on stage where young Tarzan climbs in. Also grown up Tarzan comes swinging from the back of the theatre over the audience to the stage.

And I believe the introduction of Jane is different. She comes from the back of the theatre and walks to the stage while Tarzan is swinging above her and steals her hat.

I can't compare the two versions, but I think the changes made for the Dutch version made the show better.

instead of closing it for good? why not stop for a season and revamp the whole show to be as good as holland's??

I think that could work, but I think you have to have a theatre that's like the Circustheatre where the Dutch Tarzan plays.

[The Little Merboy]

I mourn that hottie Josh Strickland will no longer be swinging around Broadway in a loincloth

That is indeed sad. Because I didn't get to see it live in person LOL,

[blackcauldron85]

Maybe I got the wrong impression, but will "Tarzan" now be an off-Broadway play, touring the country or something? They're not just going to have the Dutch version and nothing else, right?

[potterrules93]

o my gosh, ever since i became a broadway buff, all of the good shows are closing!
~Ryn~

[SpringHeelJack]

Maybe I got the wrong impression, but will "Tarzan" now be an off-Broadway play, touring the country or something? They're not just going to have the Dutch version and nothing else, right?

Oh, they'll tour. No doubt about that. Nearly all shows tour, regardless of how successful they are. Ones that close at a loss like "Tarzan" do so usually to recoup their losses, and it usually works.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

To me, "Tarzan" didn't look good at all. It doesn't look any where near as good as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King." I mean, the people didn't even dress up as gorillas, what's with that?! I think I just won't see it, it doesn't look good IMO.

[Simba3]

To me, "Tarzan" didn't look good at all. It doesn't look any where near as good as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King." I mean, the people didn't even dress up as gorillas, what's with that?! I think I just won't see it, it doesn't look good IMO.

To tell the truth, I didn't think it looked overly great either. I still would liked to have seen it, just to see for myself, but my initial reaction wasn't hopeful. I'm still surprised Disney chose "Tarzan" to be their next Broadway musical, I could think of a few much better choices.

[Ting Ting]

I have a friend from Drama Club who saw Tarzan on Broadway and he absolutely loved it. I'm sad to see this go because I'm sure I would have loved it, too. It looks amazing from the pictures and video clips I've seen. Visually, I'd say it's probably one of Disney's best, aside from The Lion King.

Here's to hoping the show will tour!

[SpellWovenNight]

Maybe I got the wrong impression, but will "Tarzan" now be an off-Broadway play, touring the country or something? They're not just going to have the Dutch version and nothing else, right?

With what I heard will most defintely not be touring, especially when its been such a loss on Broadway.

It seems like they're going to just cut their losses and not bother going off broadway, but they might, I'm not sure of the word, but "sell" the rights, so companies that aren't on broadway can preform it, like Marriotte, and schools. I doubt that anyother big cities and companies will be interested in it right now, but it might revive in Chicago in a few years.

One of the reasons Tarzan is different in different places is probably based strongly on two things, the stage and the director. The stage that they preform on can drastically change the how the musical is prefomed, for example the opening sequence for Wicked is different in Chicago than it was in Broadway. The director can also interperate the script differently and change a few things.

[potterrules93]

The stage that they preform on can drastically change the how the musical is prefomed, for example the opening sequence for Wicked is different in Chicago than it was in Broadway. The director can also interperate the script differently and change a few things.

how is the chicago opening different from the opening on Broadway?/
~Ryn~

[Disneyfreak1990]

maybe different lighting or choreograhpy(sp?) or the dancing is different. the one that really has noticeable differences is the londond production since they use english terms instead.

[tsom]

I'm really not surprised because you really don't hear good things said about "Tarzan" more often than say "The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Mary Poppins."