Tarzan

Tarzan
Arvada Center
Arvada, CO
July 6 - August 3, 2014

I've seen most of the Disney Broadway shows on tour, but Tarzan was one that had a short life on Broadway and never had a national tour that played in Denver.  So I was looking forward to seeing the regional premiere at the Arvada Center this summer.

Unlike some of the previous Disney on Broadway endeavors, Tarzan is not a natural transition to the stage. Most of the songs are not sung by the characters, rather are used as background. So it was interesting to see their incorporation into a musical.

The result was a refreshing new look at the story the movie tells. It's wonderful to hear Kala sing the entire song "You'll Be In My Heart" rather than the tiny sliver in the movie. She also performs "Son of Man" as we watch Tarzan grow up.

The stage version contains many new songs, "Waiting For This Moment" sung by Jane is chance to get to know her and the duet "For the First Time" is a tender moment missing from the film.

The performances at the Arvada Center were spectacular. The costumes for the apes were far out, suggestive and made the gap between man and beast thinner. Through this production, you felt more like we are "One Family."

The characters you love are all there and more endearing than ever. And the additional songs make the experience richer and don't take anything away from the original. It's just a reminder that the story and music are timeless.