By Joel Applegate
Bring the kids! There’s so much to dazzle them in SCERA Shell’s production of Tarzan the Musical: the designs, the colors, the dancing and the fine costumes. This is a great show befitting an outdoor venue and the production values are very impressive. The amphitheater is a beautiful bowl of grass with seating areas and a large stage. Don’t worry about not being able to hear. The sound was very good for outdoors. I never had any problem hearing spoken or sung vocals.
Nice direction by Shawn M. Mortensen brought all the production values together. One mark of a good director is the ability to assemble a great crew. In this case, they had a dandy. The set, also designed by Mortensen, is surprisingly elaborate for an outdoor venue. It included multiple levels and staging areas for the safari camp, the revolving tree house, the jungle, the apes’ nesting grounds and a couple of more elements belonging to the realms of trapeze art. It is a great-looking, detailed and functional.set.
But Mortensen has more than the set to work with. Characters are seen around the edge of the bowl. Entrances are made through the audience down the long sloping avenues; the “ape” youngsters mimicked real ape behavior very well and some of the real kids directly interacted with them. At intermission we all had fun watching the “apes” trash and play with the objects in the expedition camp, again interacting with the kids, who evidently ate it up.
Because the entire amphitheater is used, we get to see costumer Kelsey Seaver’s colorful work up close. Seaver should be congratulated for organizing so many varied and elaborate sights. Her work on the flora and fauna characters of the jungle is just beautiful. The colorful shapes combined with Sunny Watts’ choreography keeps the viewer busy trying to catch all the details. As the sun went down, James K. Larsen’s light design came up smoothly and always complemented the space and the mood. Nat Reed’s puppet design of the leopard was very good. I did wonder, though, why it’s quite capable operator, Courtney Ellsworth, was dressed in bright blue and red. The Leopard would have been more effective, I think, as a stand-alone character if its operator had been costumed in black or tan. Another puppet feature that was fun for the kids – and me, too – was a large snake with glowing eyes. Its two handlers slithered through the audience before making its way on stage to attack Jane, who is then – conveniently enough – rescued by Tarzan. Pretty romantic, huh?
And this musical is, of course, primarily a romance: Ape Man (Tarzan) gets Naturalist (Jane) at the end. It’s a great family outing with a score that is more pop than Broadway. Even though Jane’s father tells her to let go of her “schoolgirl fantasy”, this hint at the “noble savage” archetype was passed over quickly. In giving the Victorian era a make-over, I feel that the Disney folks have given the story too modern a sensibility that is jarring at times. There are some abrupt transitions that are challenging for any director to make sense of. The show has a few of these in which the flora suddenly come to life to – I suppose – illustrate the emotional life of the principles. But this is Disney’s Tarzan – not Burrough’s – and thoroughly family-friendly.
I liked the structure of the play, where we’re introduced first to a Young Tarzan, played with vocal surety by Cairo McGee (wonderful name!), and his Ape-BFF, Young Terk, played by a totally committed Lily Shepard. Great choice, by the way, casting females in both Terk roles. Both Young Tarzan and Young Terk moved and danced well. Then we learn of the fate of Tarzan’s parents before being introduced to the grown Tarzan in a crazy dance number. And actually, that was a great choice. The musical ensemble is huge and there’s so much to watch in Watt’s interesting choreography that I missed the moment of his arrival on stage. Suddenly he just seemed to be there.
Brian Smith in the title role of Tarzan sings with a very nice voice. He belts where belting is needed and emotes in the softer moments with both of his leading ladies. His voice blended real well with Lauren Anderson as his Ape Mom, Kala. Together, they have some moments that surprised me by how touching they were. As Kala, Anderson was in excellent voice on her first number. She is one of the most interesting and nuanced characters on the stage. Likewise, in the number, “Different”, Tarzan’s opening duet with Jane, both actors’ voices blended nicely. Rian Shepard plays Jane with a trained voice. One of her best numbers was a duet with her dad, Professor Porter, played by Jim Murphy, who seemed perfectly cast. Naturally, Smith’s Tarzan is trim and fit and demonstrates some nice acrobatics. What would Tarzan be without a rope swing? Off-stage, Smith was just certified as a personal trainer, thereby fulfilling the casting requirements – and I dare say, audience expectations – for the title character.
Carson Davies, as Tarzan’s Ape Dad, provides some of the best dramatic tension in the show. He’s got a good strong voice and sings feelingly with his wife Kala on a number of occasions. As the grown Terk, McKelle Shaw’s jazzy scat number at the top of Act 2 really sounded accomplished – the girl has the chops to make it work. As the villain in the piece, Clayton, the big game hunter doesn’t sing, or have a lot to do, but his imposing presence is essential to the plot and well-executed by Patrick Brannelly.
Tarzan the Musical is performed with great energy and commitment. However, I feel it’s only fair to mention that many of the principles did have some vocal glitches with off-key harmonies and some sustained notes that never quite found the right pitch. But that’s the challenge of performing outdoors. There were some very brief technical problems with a staticky mic. Great job to the whole cast for giving us a show that never lagged in energy or interest. The audience clapped loud and long at the end and left very satisfied.
Just a note to producers: I was surprised at the lack of signage on the approach to the outdoor stage. Hopefully this can be remedied for folks going to the Scera Shell for the very first time. I’d recommend more visible marketing for the many patrons of the surrounding pool and parks. Although the night was perfect when I went, you might want to bring a blanket or light cover-up as it gets a little cool by the time the show ends around 10 PM. Bring a blanket if you plan on sitting on the grass. Otherwise, chair rental is available for a dollar.
Tarzan the Stage Musical
Based on the Disney Film
SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre
699 S. State Street in Orem, Utah
in the Scera Park Amphitheater
June 6 – 22, Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM
General Admission: $10 Adults, $8 Children
Reserved Seating: $12 – $14 Adults, $10 – $12 Children, Seniors and Students with student I.D.
Website: www.scera.org
Phone 801-225-ARTS (2787)
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