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TARZAN THE MUSICAL IN HOLLAND
One year ago Stage Entertainment and Disney Theatrical Productions started with the first try-out of the musical Tarzan, hoping that it would be a great hit. In the US the number of visitors were decreasing at that time. For that reason and the fact that our Fortis Circustheatre had more possibilities, scenes were adjusted and songs were added to be sure of a smashing success. It became a big hit and the audience still love this musical. Within six months the cast album became gold.
There are musical lovers who already visited this show for more than ten times! Today with more than 825.000 tickets sold it is the most successful musical in the Dutch history.
Like in the old movies acting in the role of Tarzan is not without risks. In the past Tarzan actors used to have stuntmen (like Paul Stader) or get
hurt when they did their own stunts (like Ron Ely). Last week Ron Link broke his hand while he had to run between two tracks and is now at home recovering from this injury. So playing a Tarzan role is not without risk even it is a musical. We wish Ron a speedy recovery as lots of fans are saddened with the fact that they will not see Ron Link as Tarzan.
The Dutch Cast:
3 Tarzans: Ron Link, John Vooijs (first Alternate) and Dennis ten Vergert (second alternate).
3 Janes: Chantal Janzen, Bente van den Brand and Nathalie van Gent
6 Young Tarzans per group.
and all of the other roles played by the great actors.
After one year we can say the we have a successful Tarzan musical!
Submitted by Ron de Laat
http://www.hollandmeetserb.nl

Me Tarzan, You Jane. . .
Mouse Kingdom Blog ~ March 10, 2008
Last Friday the second episode of the casting show “Me Tarzan, You Jane” was broadcast on Sat.1 in Germany. The search for the future Tarzan and Jane in the German premiere of Disney’s musical version of its animated hit movie "Tarzan" played to a smaller audience. From a total of 1.54 million viewers (5.0% of the market) the show went down to 1.35 million viewers, equaling only 4.4% market-share.
The second episode was the last episode covering the actual auditioning phase. Starting this Friday the "recall"-phase will begin, in which the jury reduces the number of contestants during singing and dancing classes before viewers will be entering the game later-on in live shows. The segements of MTYJ closely resemble those of Pop or American Idol (auditioning, recall/training, live shows with viewer voting). The jury of MTYJ is very competent (a musical manager, an acclaimed musical actress and a casting director) but lacks a character such as Simon Cowell, who is able to entertain the audience with his comments. A "sorry, I don’t see you as Jane" if a clearly overweight participant has turned in one of the worst singing performances of the whole show is just not cutting it. The jury is just too friendly.
Next Friday the third episode is scheduled. It moves on to the recall process and based on the short preview at the end of the second episode there will be some tough dance classes and training. More>>>

Tarzan the Musical in Sweden
Opening Night Photos
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See more photos on the official site

Tarzan

SWEDISH PREMIERE FEBRUARY 16, 2008

Skandinavisk Premiär 16 februari 2008 på Kristianstads Teater!
CREDITS AND PHOTOS

Jane

TARZAN THE MUSICAL TO OPEN IN SWEDEN
ERBzine News Release on November 20, 2007
News stories reported by ERBzine's European correspondent, Ron de Laat

The first production of the Tarzan Musical was on Broadway and the second in Scheveningen, Netherlands. Now the third staging will be in Kristianstad, Sweden. The premiere will be on February 16, 2008. Rehearsals will start next week. While the first two casts were original Disney productions, the third will be an independent production (but still licensed by Disney and ERB, Inc.). Twenty-nine shows are planned (roughly 10,000 tickets), but if the audience keeps coming, the show's run will probably be extended.
Producer Emil Sigfridsson, who also plays the leading part of Tarzan, is 27 years old and makes this production through his one-man company. The leading parts are professional singers and many of the supporting cast are amateurs playing for fun. The dancers come from a company called Kaoz, where the members are part-time professional dancers.
The band is made up of six professional musicians. Two keyboard players, two drummers, bass and guitar. The music will be based on the Dutch score, but with a lot of local arrangements, as the Dutch band is much larger.
The aerial movements will be designed by a Swedish company that works with bungee-jumping, etc.
The same script as the original Disney production is used, but some of the staging will be different. There will also be some changes in who sings some of the songs. For example, the opening song "Two Worlds" will be sung by Terk and a girl from the ensemble, not by Tarzan.
Emil and his girlfriend Zara (who plays Jane) were in New York in October and had a meeting with the Disney staff. It is hoped that Phil Collins and Disney representatives will attend the premiere. The actor who plays Porter is neighbour to the mother of Phil Collins' house maid, so there might be an inside track to invite him.
Olle Högberg who plays the part of Snipes, the sailor who arrests Clayton in the end, has just started a Website for the production. The site, which is still in its early stages, is at:
www.tarzan-kristianstad.se

This report has been compiled from information provided by
Olle Högberg, cast member and Webmaster for the Swedish Tarzan Musical
and Ron de Laat of the Holland meets ERB! Website

'Tarzan' swings into regional theaters
Disney musical makes the rounds in 2009 Variety | Broadway World | Playbill ~ January 4, 2008
A new production of the Disney musical “Tarzan” will make the rounds of four regional theaters in 2009: Atlanta’s Theater of the Stars in January 2009, followed by stints at American Musical Theater of San Jose, Calif.; North Carolina Theater in Raleigh, N.C.; and Dallas Summer Musicals in Dallas, Texas. The four theatre companies will co-produce with choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett.
The musical is based on the 1999 Disney pic, “Tarzan” and opened on Broadway in 2006 with a retooled version opening last spring at Circustheatre in the Netherlands where it continues a hit, record-breaking run. A second international production is scheduled to premiere in Germany at the Neue Flora Theatre in Hamburg in October 2008.Music is by Phil Collins and book by David Henry Hwang. For the new staging of “Tarzan,” the design team includes Kenneth Foy (sets), Ken Billington (lights) and Paul Rubin (aerial designs).

"Ich Tarzan, Du Jane!"
Sat.1 is looking for Tarzan and Jane via a new German Casting Show.
The leading actors for the new Disney Musical Tarzan will be cast from January.
Berlin (ots) - January 4, 2008 - Every year approximately seven million people visit here to attend Germany Musicals. Sat.1, Stage Entertainment and the production company Eyeworks are looking for the main stars for TARZAN THE MUSICAL which will have its German premiere in October 2008. "Tarzan" will be the fourth Disney Musical from Stage Entertainment in Germany. The first show was "Der König der Löwen" (Lion King) in Hamburger Hafen 2001, which was attended by five million people.
The Casting Show "Ich Tarzan, Du Jane!" will cast the leading roles of the musical based on the original Disney production with music by Phil Collins. The Casting Show will run for many weeks during which time a steady line of contendors will perform live on stage.
Who can participate?
Talented newcomers and professionals -- anyone who thinks they can excite the audience as Tarzan or Jane with his/her performance and his/her voice. Complete information on how to become a candidate has been available from December 1st, 2007 on www.sat1.de or Sat.1 Text page 585.
In January auditions take place in Hamburg (from 7.1.2008), Essen (from 14.1.2008) and Stuttgart (from 21.1.2008).
In February, workshops will be held in the Joop van den Ende Academy in Hamburg and at the end of February the Casting Show will be held in primetime on Sat1. The participants, the three jury members, and the moderator will communicate via Sat.1.
After the finals at the beginning of May, five tough months for rehearsals will start before the audience can see Tarzan and Jane on stage.
Matthias Alberti, Sat.1 company director:
"The most popular Live-Entertainment for adults nowadays are musicals. Our audiences have been familiar with Tarzan and Jane since childhood. Now we are searching for the leading man and lady for the big stage. With Stage Entertainment we have the leading musical company as a partner and with Eyeworks we have an experienced Casting Show producer. I am very pleased with this cooperation."
Maik Klokow, director of Stage Entertainment, is also pleased with this joint project with Sat.1 and he encourages young people nationwide to take their chance to become a musical star: "If you believe you have the potential to become Germany's new Tarzan or Jane we invite you to apply at Sat.1!"
Sources:
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/6708/1092798/sat_1
http://www.stage-entertainment.de/musicals/tarzan/tarzan.html
Met vriendelijke groeten / Best Regards,
Ron de Laat
Holland meets ERB!
Created by Ron de Laat.
A website where you can find all material concerning Edgar Rice Burroughs
which was produced for the Dutch market
http://www.hollandmeetserb.nl

TARZAN MOVES TO GERMANY
Source : 28-11-2007 www.musicalworld.nl
Today, Stage Entertainment has announced that in 2008 people can watch the musical 'Tarzan' in Germany.
The main character will be elected via a TV show called "Ich Tarzan, Du Jane".
Stage Entertainment will produce this "election" show together with Sat 1 and it will be aired on television in February 2008.
A German premiere date for the stage production is not known yet.

Gold Album Award for Holland's Tarzan the Musical Cast Album
Phil Collins receives the album from Chantal Janzen and Ron Link Source: http://www.musicals.nl/jetp/misc/index_2306.htm
The Tarzan Musical Cast Album has earned Gold status having sold more than 35.000 copies.
Chantal Janzen and Ron Link flew together with Erwin van Lambaart, managing director/producer of Joop van den Ende Theater Productions on a surprise trip this week to Genève.
There they surprised popicon Phil Collins, who wrote the music and lyrics for the musical, with a golden award.
Because of the golden CD of the Tarzan musical there will be a limited version of the cast album produced by Universal Music, as well a unique bonus dvd.
A Phil Collins said: 'I am delighted with the golden status of Tarzan's Dutch cast album! It is very special to see this kind of appreciation for your work and to see how the Dutch audience embraces Tarzan.'
Erwin van Lambaart is also very happy with the result: 'The success of Tarzan is incredible. The cd is gold already and we also have sold 650,000 tickets for the musical!'
For the Tarzan Musical Phil Collins expanded the songs he wrote for the award-winning Disney film animation with nine new songs. Since this was his debute as a stage musical composer, the recordings for the cast album were very important for him. He was very happy that the songs he wrote were sung by the cast members in the way he meant for them to be done. The pop star therefore spent much time in Holland to support the Dutch cast and practice with them. The Dutch translation of the lyrics was done by Martine Bijl. The CD contains the popular numbers 'Jij Woont In Mijn Hart' (You'll Be In My Heart) and 'Everything That I Am', a bonus track by Phil Collins.
The special bonus DVD features: The Making of' Tarzan, The trailer of the musical Tarzan, The act during the Musical Sing-A-Long and The Musical Awards Gala. The excitement, the emotions, the hard work, the tears, the joy, the bad luck and finally the beautiful result; you can follow it on this dvd.

. Tarzan thuis met gebroken teen
(Tarzan at home with broken toe) AD.NL ShowBizz ~ November 11, 2007
Actor Ron Link, who plays the leading role in the Musical Tarzan, has to take a rest for several weeks because of a broken toe.
Link broke his middle toe at Friday evening. He collapsed with his bare feet against something and broke his toe.
If he is able to play again next week depends on the recovery process. While Link is recovering, his understudy, John Vooys will perform the role of Tarzan.
News item submitted and translated by Ras Thavas

TICKET SALES: THE HALF MILLION MARK
Rob Donkers reports from Holland that the Dutch version of Tarzan, the Musical,
is bringing in the bacon for Disney and the Dutch producers.
So far half a million tickets have been sold!
Tarzan entangled in elastics
Amsterdam - From now on, Tarzan is tight by two strings in the Circustheater. After an accident which took place (without injuries) with the vines adjustments were implemented immediately...
Merlijn, an "ape" actor from the ensemble from the musical Tarzan remained unhurt, but got scared last Saturday night. During the flying dance his bungeejump vine stretched too far, the result being that he skimmed closely along the floor.
The show could continue but safety measures were taken immediately to have more security. "The actors are now secured with two elsatics. So that this can not happen again. It is a spectacular show but we don't
want to take any security risks," according a spokesman.

Tarzan Treehouse in Holland
www.musicals.nl (translation by Ron de Laat)
Fortis, main sponsor for the musical Tarzan, is creating a special Tarzan treehouse on the promenade of Scheveningen. Ron Link and Chantal Janzen, who are playing the roles of Tarzan and Jane will open "their" new cottage on August 21st. The treehouse is a gift from Fortis to promote the Tarzan musical which is featured exclusively in the Fortis Circustheater at Scheveningen. The unveiling of the Fortis Treehouse takes place on Tuesday, August 21st at 15.30 on the promenade near the Pier of Scheveningen.
The treehouse is provided with spectacular images and junglesounds where the visitor to the treehouse will be in the world of Tarzan for a moment and will experience a piece of the legend. After the opening on August 21st, the Fortis treehouse will be open free to the public until August 26th.
Video (submitted by: Ras Thavas)
http://www.ad.nl/cultuurenshow/article1602252.ece?service=video

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