With little more than two weeks ’til “Tarzan” officially opens on Broadway, things are reportedly getting a little tense at the Richard Rodgers theatre. Where — in spite of all the changes that have already been made to this new Disney musical — preview audiences still aren’t all that enthusiatic about this $20 million production.
Don’t believe me? Then drop by talkinbroadway.com & broadwayworld.com‘s discussion boards. Here, you’ll see dozens of posts from theater-going vets who have already attended preview performances of “Tarzan.” And these folks are carping about virtually every aspect of this new musical. Finding fault in the show’s lackluster sets & costumes, the sameness of the songs in Phil Collin’s score, even with individual actors’ performances in this particular production.
Of all the elements in this extremely troubled musical, the one that’s been singled out for special scorn is David Henry Hwang‘s book. Virtually every post about “Tarzan” that’s been posted on these Broadway-based discussion boards complains about this show’s lackluster libretto. Insisting that Hwang did an extremely poor job of adapting Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White‘s screenplay to the stage.
Of course, to be fair, Hwang was kind of handcuffed. Given that the powers-that-be at Disney Theatrical insisted David Henry hue extremely closely to the final script the 1999 animated blockbuster.
One wonders if the Broadway version of “Tarzan” would be a much more entertaining musical if David had just been allowed to incorporate some material from this movie’s first screenplay. Which actually took Tarzan out of the jungle and placed him in London’s high society. Where the Lord of the Apes had to stop Jane Porter’s impending wedding to the villainous white hunter, Clayton.
What’s that you say? You’re not familiar with this version of Disney’s “Tarzan”? Well, here. Let me share what the third act of this animated feature was originally supposed to be like:
ACT III
LONDON, ENGLAND
Well-appointed carriages pull up outside a stately mansion.
Inside, a society ball is in progress celebrating the impending marriage of Clayton and Jane. Jane looks stunning in her evening gown, though her eyes betray a sense of loss and resignation. She is the mere shell of the woman we knew in the jungle. Deep in despair, she has accepted the union with Clayton as inevitable.
At one point, overcome with emotion, Jane steps outside on the terrace for some air. She stands alone, staring up at the stars. Suddenly, the
sounds of the jungle surround her. Is it her imagination? A dark shadow drops from above and lands softly behind her. Jane turns and catches her breath. Tarzan steps forward into the light. Without a word, Tarzan takes Jane in his arms and they begin waltzing to the music emanating from
inside.
Searching for Jane, Clayton steps out onto the terrace and stiffens at the sight of his betrothed dancing with a stranger. “What’ss going on here?” When he sees who the stranger is, Clayton’s jaw drops. He forces a smile- “Well, this is a surprise…”
Clayton then tells Tarzan that he and Jane are to be married the next day. When Tarzan looks at Jane she avoids his eyes. Heartbroken, Tarzan
prepares to leave. “Nonsense! Come join the party!”
Clayton then puts an arm around Tarzan and leads him inside. He introduces him to the other guests as the “man raised by apes.” The crowd gathers. Clayton takes the opportunity to humiliate Tarzan, telling the audience that “he can do tricks.”
Clayton holds out a banana. “C’mon, Apeman. Can you scratch your head?” Jane has had enough. “Stop it, Clayton!” But Clayton persists. In a cruel and heartless fashion he exposes Tarzan’s savage side much to the shock and delight of the guests.
Feeling ever the outsider once again, Tarzan flees the party. Furious, Jane stuns the guests by breaking off her engagement with Clayton and going
after Tarzan.
Trying to find a way out, Tarzan stumbles into Clayton’ s trophy room. He stands surrounded by all his friends from the jungle, their heads hung from the walls, staring out through lifeless eyes.
Thousands of miles away, the ape clan gathers in a natural amphitheater in the jungle, sensing that their King is in danger.
Tarzan wanders through the trophy room, his rage gathering like a storm in his heart. He stops in front of a life-sized gorilla, stuffed in a threatening pose, snarling jaws agape. Overcome, Tarzan falls to his knees, throws his head back and lets loose the anguished cry of a great bull
ape.
In the jungle, the apes echo their King, sending up a collective roar that causes all the birds in the jungle to flush from their roosts.
“Am I to assume you disapprove of my little collection?” Tarzan turns. Clayton steps from the shadows. He unsheathes a rapier, indicating with irony that Tarzan is about to die while all his ‘friends’ helplessly look on.
Clayton attacks. A duel between savage and civilized man ensues. At one point, an oil lamp is knocked to the floor, setting the room ablaze!
In the jungle, the ape gathering is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of Kerchak. The former King has returned to reclaim his throne. He strolls into the midst of the clan, swatting several apes out of his path. When Kerchak asks if there are any objections, one amongst them steps forward — Terk. He calls upon all his courage and engages Kerchak in a deadly fight to the finish.
As Tarzan and Clayton battle, so does Terk and Kerchak. Terk is bruised and bleeding. At one point, he produces Tarzan’s knife which causes Kerchak to hesitate. Although he believes in the power of the knife, Terk opts to rely on his own skills and strength to defeat Kerchak. He tosses the knife aside. Kerchak scoops it up and charges …
Tarzan and Clayton’s duel continues while fire consumes the room. Clayton’s grisly hunting trophies explode in flames.
In the end, it is Clayton’s own jealousy and greed that does him in. Even as Clayton admits killing Kala for ‘sport,’ Tarzan makes the civilized choice, opting to save Clayton instead of destroy him. We are left wondering who is the real savage and who is the nobleman?
As Clayton’s mansion goes up in flames, Tarzan and Jane embrace. Tarzan vows to stay with her, to try and fit in to Jane’s world. But Jane realizes there is still one last sacrifice to be made in the name of true love …
EPILOGUE
In the jungle, news of a ship anchored in the bay has brought the curious ape clan to the beach. They watch from the safety of the trees as a boat puts ashore a familiar looking man and woman.
Can it be?? Standing together on the beach, Tarzan and Jane watch as the ship weighs anchor and sets sail. They turn only to be overrun by the jubilant ape clan. Tarzan has returned!
Everyone falls silent as Terk steps forward and offers Tarzan back his knife. Tarzan sees the scars crisscrossing his friend’s chest and the
newfound maturity in his eyes. Tarzan refuses the knife. “It is yours, my King.” Tarzan kneels before Terkoz.
With that simple act, Terk ascends to the Kingship he has always dreamed of and Tarzan and Jane return to the jungle paradise where they first met and fell in love to live happily ever after.
Now what’s particularly intriguing about this first version of the screenplay for Disney’s “Tarzan” is that it hues that much more closely to the storyline of Edgar Rice Burrough’s original novel, “Tarzan of the Apes.”
So what do you folks think? Would the material that I’ve shared above (Which was culled from Tab Murphy’s May 1995 treatment for Disney’s “Tarzan”) make for a more entertaining musical? Or would you prefer that Disney Theatrical stick with the storyline from the 1999 animated feature?
Your thoughts?