BWW Reviews: Hale Centre Theatre Presents TARZAN

Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom when the jungle shadows fall...so a voice within me keeps repeating Tarzan, Tarzan, Tarzan! And, after 150 minutes of absorption in Hale Centre Theatre's exotic production of the Disney musical, you'll be Cole Porter-wild about the ape man, too.

From the 1912 pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs through forty-eight films, including Disney's animated 1999 feature, and finally to the Broadway stage in 2006, the legend of the boy raised by gorillas to become the king of the jungle has delighted audiences young and old. In its musical iteration, romance is the central vine and the story line goes like this: "A man raised by gorillas must decide where he really belongs when he discovers he is a human."

The quandary arises when Jane Porter (Emily Giauque Evans), a British naturalist and her entourage, espy the anomaly of a young and very human swinger in loin cloth.

Each is intrigued by the other.

Jane's intellectual impulses turn romantic as over time she bonds with Tarzan (Curtis Lunt), teaches him English, and admires the innocence and courage of his character.

Meanwhile, Tarzan must reckon with his new found identity as homo erectus and reconcile his emerging feelings for Jane with his loyalty to the family that has nurtured him.

Tarzan has been a mama's boy since he was first salvaged from the shipwreck that killed his parents. Notwithstanding Kerchak's cautions, Kala (Carrie Klofach) has embraced the boy and been his protectress. There may be no more poignant moment in the production than when Kala and Tarzan reprise You'll Be in My Heart, the song that won Phil Collins an Academy Award.

Neither Jane nor Tarzan are immune from the pressures of their counterparts. Kerchak (Ben Mason), the alpha of the ape family, warns of the dangers of "civilized" man. Clayton (Stephen Serna), the prototypical hunter, gives credence to Kerchak's fears as he insists on capturing and caging Tarzan.

The seeds of the struggle have been planted, and while the principals on stage must come to grip with their conflicted feelings and impressions, the audience, those members inclined to thoughtful reflection, might be contemplating the same nature-of-man questions that moved Charles Darwin or Dian Fossey or Jane Goodall in their respective times.

Cambrian James has once again demonstrated his unique talents in both directing and choreographing a lively and spirited production.

Supported by a remarkably well-balanced cast, Evans and Lunt, two very fine vocalists, complement each other perfectly and give credibility to the evolving relationship of their characters from separate worlds.

An elephant-size bunch of credit goes to Adam DeVaney, Brian Daily, Alex Fogle and Monica Christiansen for their imaginative and intricate set design. This foursome has managed to create the tone and mood of a jungle paradise, complete with vines and habitats fit for its denizens. Jane's fantastical entry into the jungle is one such memorable manifestation of the quality of their work ~ replete with colorful and dazzling flora and fauna.

It is a genuinely delightful environment into which such creeping and slithering beasts ~ the lizard (Bryson Holl), the spider (Dale Mortensen), the leopard (Zib Jacobs) ~ insinuate themselves.

The spectacle is enhanced further by Mary Atkinson's splendid costume designs.

Overall, Hale Centre Theatre's staging of TARZAN, running through August 22nd, is a grand summer treat for the entire family.

Photo credit to Hale Centre Theatre