Tarzan

Here's the last of my NY Theatre reviews for this trip. So Disney is trying to recreate the formula it had with Lion King by transferring a seasoned pop musician’s score from the movie to the stage. Well as far as that’s concerned, they succeeded. But that isn’t very high praise. Sure Lion King was a spectacular success but how much of that would you contribute to the work of Elton John? I think Phil Collins work in Tarzan is at least as good as that of Elton John in Lion King, neither of which was very notable in terms of Broadway Composers.

Tarzan has a more compelling story than Lion King, and both of them are full of theatrical spectacle but the real difference is this. The Lion King unleashed its spectacular stagecraft in unified harmony with the story, but Tarzan just shows off whenever it feels like it for its own sake. Example, one of the best geek tricks in The Lion King is the stampede, and that is also one of the most intense parts of the story so the spectacle supports the story. I can think of a dozen instances in Tarzan where very awesome things happen and you just ask yourself why? Jane is flown in from above the proscenium down to the deck on a hammock while reading her journal--Tarzan’s parents are washed ashore but the scene takes place horizontally against a drop; the wonder of these stage effects are lost because they happen constantly, out of nowhere, and without motivation.

But that being said, I’m still hoping that it tours. I think we can sell it very well. And perhaps I should be comparing it to Mary Poppins rather than Lion King. But then Mary Poppins was better too.