Tarzan swings as a musical

Admittedly, it is not easy bringing the diverse inhabitants of the African jungle to the stage. All that Tarzan, The Stage Musical offers are a tribe of apes, a leopard and a giant spider. One day perhaps we will be able to watch elephants and rampaging baboons in the theater through the magic of virtual reality. But not in this one yet. Then it is also quite a stretch watching a young man who has presumably never heard a human voice before sing the music of Phil Collins in a sweet pop tenor.

Ima Castro as the mother of the little Tarzan

But then Tarzan is a Disney show and Disney has a world all its very own. It is one where beasts become cuddly and teacups sing. It is one where genies become motor mouth presentors and where rodents are lovable. So what’s to stop Disney from having an ape man who sings or from having a tribe of primates depict the beauty and importance of family. That is just what happens in Tarzan, which is playing this weekend, evenings on Friday and Saturday and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at the Meralco Theater.

The musical is based on the Disney animated film of the same title, that was in turn based on the much-loved story from the early 1900s, Tarzan of The Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The classic tale was adapted for the stage by David Henry Hwang and given music by the famous pop star, Grammy and Academy Award winner Phil Collins. Brought to Manila by Viva-Atlantic Theatricals, Tarzan is directed by Chari Arespacochaga.

Rachelle Ann Go as Jane Portero

Tarzan is about a baby boy who was orphaned in the jungles of Africa. Raised by gorillas, he battled for acceptance while growing up and strove to cope with his being different from his family of apes. It is when a scientific expedition comes to the jungle that Tarzan meets strangers like himself for the first time. This brings to him the realization that there are others like him in other parts of the world and that he can fall in love with one of them.

Generations of fans have followed Tarzan through his many adventures in books, comic strips, motion pictures and television. But the version most people are now familiar with is the Disney picture, which is what comes to life in the stage musical. It still works its magic on the audience. It is moving drama, a merry romp, a tragedy and a love story all rolled into one.

Besides, I do not know anybody who will not be thrilled by the sight of the handsome 6’4” Dan Domenech as Tarzan, making his entrance swinging from the trees, clad only in a loin cloth. The Broadway actor was brought in especially for the production is one fine performer. He goes from fun moments with his ape friends, to dramatic scenes with his ape parents and discovering love with the visiting botanist Jane with ease. Of course, he is also in fine voice throughout while looking very sexy in his half-naked glory. Take note, this Tarzan gets a Filipino touch through that important loincloth which was designed like an Igorot’s bahag.

Not to be outdone are the Filipino members of the cast. Arespacochaga, who also directed the recent Full Monty, does another magnificent job. Rachelle Ann Go, whom Atlantis launched to stage stardom with Disney’s Little Mermaid, proves that she is indeed to the theater born. Her Jane Porter is alternately sweet and batty and a joy to watch as she grapples with her feelings for the strange Tarzan. Her duets with Domenech and with Eugene VilIaluz as her father Professor Porter are among the highlights of the show.

Dan fits the role to a T

 Theatergoers out here have learned to expect only the best from the likes of Ima Castro and Calvin Millado and they do not disappoint. Calvin is his usual imposing self as the stern ape-father Kerchak and Ima is perfect as his wife Kala. While the kids maybe prancing around Meralco like the apes on stage, the adults in the audience were getting teary-eyed watching Ima sing the beautiful ballad You’ll Be In My Heart to her adopted son, Tarzan.

 Rounding out the cast is former Smoky Mountain singer Jeffrey Hidalgo as Tarzan’s ape friend Terk, who could not understand why Tarzan likes a girl with no body odor. That may sound funny, just like Tarzan wondering about his lack of body hair or why he does not like rolling in ape poo. But the story goes beyond that. The message that people who look different can live together in harmony rings loud and clear. Tarzan inhabits two worlds but everybody in it is really just one big family.