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Disney currently has three productions running on Broadway, with two more in production at the moment.
The first show to open was Beauty and the Beast. With a stunning score written by Alan Menken, Tim Rice, and Howard Ashman, the show features amazing set and costume designs. Disney's second venture into theater, The Lion King , became one of the biggest shows to ever grace New York City. With a score by Tim Rice and Elton John, and a Tony Award for Best Musical, the show became an overwhelming success and cemented Disney on the Broadway scene. For their latest feature show the company made an unusual choice given its large film library: Tarzan. While it was a good movie in its own right, it did not hold up to past classics like Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. One thing that favored the transition from screen to stage was an existing soundtrack written by British pop singer Phil Collins. The show generated a lot of buzz built upon the success of the previous two shows. The opening season was quickly booked as fans were anxious to see Disney's latest offering. Phil Collins returned to write nine songs for the show bringing the score to a total of fourteen songs. Included in the show was Collins' Oscar winning song: "You'll Be In My Heart." At first I have to admit that I was skeptical at how well Tarzan would translate to the stage. I was certainly not a big fan of the movie and not a big fan of musical theater overall even though I've attended many shows. I had just seen The Lion King on tour only a month before and thought there was no way Tarzan could live up to that show. I was completely wrong. The soundtrack to this show deserves to be number one on the charts in my opinion. Phil Collins blended these songs like a Broadway veteran a la Tim Rice or Andrew Lloyd Webber. There is a wonderful mix of upbeat and slower paced songs and he mixes the styles and tempos wonderfully. Songs like "Strangers Like Me," and "Son of Man," are even better than his Oscar winner. What really makes this show special is the outstanding cast. Chester Gregory II, who plays Terk, steals the show in a slightly minor role. Shuler Hensley, who plays Kerchak, brought down the house with his performance of "No Other Way." The night I attended the show the roles of Young Tarzan and Tarzan were performed by understudies. Had they not posted this information beforehand I would have thought they were regulars. Both understudies were prepared so well there was no weakness evident. The set designs kept it simple and in hindsight it was a great move. With the other shows Disney produced there were many changes in the story's setting, translating into a lot of on stage props. With Tarzan there were only two settings, Jungle and Beach. With The Lion King, all the animals in the Serengeti had to be represented necessitating a lot of ensemble players. For Tarzan there was only the main cast and extra apes. The use of acrobatics captivated the audience, especially the first time the apes swung out over the audience. Had a family friend not sold us the tickets I would not have seen Tarzan and I would have missed out. I highly recommend this show to anyone: families, serious fans of theater, or even casual fans. You're guaranteed to have the songs stuck in your head for days to come. Overall I would give it 4. 5 stars out of 5.
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