By Tanner Tate
I traveled to Layton on Thursday to experience a production of Tarzan, mounted by On Pitch Performing Arts. Tarzan has long been one of my favorite Disney stories, as I grew up watching the movie, and to this day the opening scene ignites an inferno of nostalgia within me. The book of the stage production was written by David Henry Hwang, and the music was adapted from the original film score to fit the stage by none other than the legendary Phil Collins. It was first workshopped in 2004, and was brought to Broadway in 2006, and though it wasn’t a smash hit at the box office, it has become an audience favorite nationwide.
Walking into the performance venue, I immediately felt a sense of warmth and familiarity. The venue is small and very intimate with several seats directly on the stage. After introducing myself to the kind folks at the box office, I was shown to my seat and spent a moment getting acquainted with my surroundings. The set, designed by the director Brandon Stauffer, quickly gave me the feel of sitting underneath a jungle canopy, with vines hanging from the ceiling and different shades of green, blue, and purple coming from the lights above, also designed by Stauffer. Because of the close proximity of each seat to the stage, there is hardly a ‘bad seat’ in the place. Or should I say jungle.
Tarzan, based on the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs,is the story of a boy who is orphaned shortly after his birth when his parents, (John Lee Roring, Erin Roring) are the sole survivors of a shipwreck, marooned on a jungle island. They are shortly thereafter attacked by a leopard, (Rachel Nordfelt) and the child is left alone before he is discovered by Kala (Charlene Adams) and rescued. This all takes place in the opening number, (which, as I mentioned before, is my favorite part of the show) and the Rorings offer a remarkably tender and honest depictions of a frightened couple who have accepted their lot and will try their best to make the most of it. As the opening vocalists of the show, the two set the bar high with soft voices and natural vibrato. As Nordfelt enters the scene as the Leopard, the energy of the stage becomes electrified as the parents attempt to defend their baby. As we all know, these efforts prove fatal for the couple, though the infant is hidden before Kala hears him. Having just lost one of her own young, she is compelled to adopt the baby. Adams’ first solo number, “You’ll Be In My Heart,” plastered a smile on every face in the room as she made a promise to the child that she’d take care of him. All is not well, however, as Kala’s mate, Kerchak, (Duane Beesley) is the leader of the group of gorillas, and he will not accept Tarzan as one of the pack. Regardless, Kala vows to raise Tarzan, and soon enough, he has grown into a young boy (Tage Wilkerson). Wilkerson brings an enjoyable amount of spunk to the stage as young Tarzan, combined with his partner-in-crime, young Terk (Aidan Peay). Tarzan is frustrated with his inability to fit in with the gorillas, and Terk promises to be his teacher, saying, “Who Better Than Me?” Peay is funny and charismatic, and his portrayal of Terk is complete with gorilla-isms as well as references to modern pop-culture, most notably a dance from the current gaming sensation, Fortnite. Shortly thereafter, Tarzan gets in a small fight with several other gorillas, and is spotted by Kerchak, who takes him aside and banishes him from the gorillas. Tarzan wanders off alone and ponders where he truly belongs, “I Need to Know”. Kala finds him and reassures him that she will continue to take care of him as his mother, even if it means leaving the rest of the gorillas behind. Soon enough, Tarzan (Skyler Smith) is a grown man, muscles and dreadlocks and loincloth and all, and he is accompanied by a now fully-grown Terk (Jacob Adams,) who now boasts several new Fortnite dances, a lotus pose, numerous ‘rock on’ signs, and a knack for sarcasm. The apes all celebrate this occasion in “Son of Man.” Before long, Jane (Julianna Loveland) arrives on the scene as the stage is transformed into a feast of color and sound, featuring frogs, living flowers, birds, butterflies, and a giant snake, that Tarzan rescues Jane from. As the two meet, the chemistry is strikingly apparent. Tarzan quickly takes notice of how “Different” Jane is, and how, in her difference, she bears resemblance to everything that has kept him apart his entire life.
Act II opens with the infamous “Trashin’ the Camp” scene, which was a lot of fun. There was so much to watch as each member of the ensemble created their own story through the song consisting of banging pots and pans, throwing books, fighting over a spoon, and using a colander as a hat. I found myself laughing out loud watching the shenanigans happening before me, which is a delight in live theatre. These monkeyshines (pun intended) are busted as Porter (Darin Beardall), Snipes (Chris Waite), and Clayton (Dylan Brinkman) enter the scene. Through comic dialogue, the three become acquainted with Tarzan as Jane makes an attempt to explain how she met him, and Porter begins to realize how his daughter feels about ‘the wild man’. Through the next few scenes, Clayton’s true motives of capturing and selling the gorillas are made known, Porter’s theories that gorillas are social creatures are proven correct, Jane and Tarzan fall head-over-loincloth for one another, and Kala and Kerchak begin to rebuild their relationship. All seems to be going all right until Clayton puts his plan into action, though now his end goal has changed: he plans to capture ‘the wild man’ to sell to the circus. As he tries to capture Tarzan, Kerchak intervenes, taking a bullet to the chest, and he passes into memory, after making Tarzan the new leader of the apes in “Everything That I Am”. Tarzan is now faced with the choice: go with Jane to live with the humans, or stay with those he has known for all his life?
On Pitch Performing Arts stays true to their namesake for the vast majority of the production. From the first song, solo vocals and ensemble numbers were stirring and enjoyable, no doubt thanks to the work of Music Director Jennifer Ericksen. The only qualm I could muster was that during ensemble numbers, it seemed as if the ensemble was holding back from their full sound, perhaps due to opening night nerves or the small space. Regardless, I rarely noticed a flat where there should be a sharp, nor a voice out of place in a group.
The costuming of the show was noticeably imaginative, especially during “Waiting for this Moment”. As different colors merged onstage, I couldn’t help but appreciate the soft undertones of all of the apes, with color splashed into their fur. This is the work of Amanda Larsen, and she has done a fine job.
Every ensemble dance number was an adventure, thanks to the choreography of Rachel Helwig. While the stage is small and tends to feel a bit cramped with the size of the ensemble, the company managed to create an enjoyable atmosphere with each dance number, and had the audience smiling after each run.
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Adams handles the sound design of the production, and I am pleased to say that I never noticed a stray microphone, a lost track, or an out-of-place sound effect, also thanks to the board operators Elisabeth Crowther (who doubles as the stage manager) and Sadi Montag. Bravo!
On Pitch Performing Arts’ production of Tarzan is fun for the entire family. With humor interwoven through bouncing dialogue and several very tender moments, which left this thespian with a lump in his throat, there is something for everyone to enjoy, and the show will leave you with a sense that even though we are from many separate worlds, we can be one family.
On Pitch Performing Arts presents Disney’s Tarzan with book by David Henry Hwang, music and lyrics by Phil Collins.
On Pitch Performing Arts, 587 N Main Street, Layton, UT 84041
July 26-August 4 Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday 7:30, Matinee August 4 2:00
Tickets: $12-$15
Contact: 385- 209-1557
On Pitch Performing Arts Facebook Page
Disney’s Tarzan Facebook Event
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