Tuacahn to be First Regional U.S. Theatre to present Disney's "Tarzan" in 2010

It's a jungle out there when it comes to securing the rights to present new musicals fresh off the Broadway or Touring circuit, but Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, Utah seems to be on the right path to secure them. Last year, Tuacahn was one in just eight regional theatre's across the U.S. who was allowed to present "Les Miserables" one of the most beloved musicals of all time. Scott S. Anderson, the Artistic Director at Tuacahn and the director of Les Miz and this year's "Annie" will be heading up another big coup, as he has been given permission by Disney to stage and direct their musical "Tarzan" in their 2010 Broadway In The Desert Season. Tuacahn will be the first Regional Theatre in the U.S. given the right to do so. This very physically active production, with music that is composed by Phil Collins, and the book by David Henry Hwang is based on the Disney animated movie of the same name, and had a short run on Broadway back in 2007. It has found International success in both the Netherlands as well as Hamburg, Germany where it is currently running. A revamped Tour version had previously been announced, and was to be perfomed in Atlanta in January of this year, but was evidently cancelled.

Broadway Musical Nut Recommends: Tarzan - The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast)


If any of you are familiar with the stage production, you are aware of the physicality of the performers (especially those playing the Apes) and it will be quite the challenge to stage this outdoors as it requires an intricate "fly" system to fly the actors on vines around the Jungle. A few years ago, Anderson directed "Peter Pan" and flew Peter and the children up over the audience which gave the kid in everyone quite a thrill. With the amount of swinging and flying around in current productions of Tarzan, what a spectacle it could be on Tuacahn's outdoor stage! If you have never been to this gem of an outdoor theatre hidden away in Southern Utah, you need to make plans to do so soon. Tuacahn boasts the ability to flood their stage with water which has been used quite effectively in last year's "Big River", recreating the Mississipi River that Jim and Huck travel on by raft, and in "South Pacific" three years ago. In that production, the director Tim Threlfall effectively and quite romantically recreated a "From Here to Eternity" moment between Lieutenant Cable and the young Tongan girl Liat, as they played and kissed in the "surf" and water washed over them on the stage. After witnessing Les Miserables on this stage, it is plain that Anderson has the ability to utilize all of the space there effectively. Here's hoping "Tarzan" at Tuacahn is a visual feast , and that the music and story hold up to the hype.


Check out this trailer ad for the Broadway Production in 2007



The Broadway Musical Nut

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