Tuacahn summer season boasts Disney Exclusive
The production's success in southern Utah
By McKoye Mecham
http://www.dixiesunlink.com/arts-entertainment/tuacahn-summer-season-boasts-disney-exclusive-1.1539311
Published: Tuesday, August 24, 2010Hundreds of people file into the Tuacahn outdoor ampitheater to see "Tarzan." The summer season runs through October 16.
This summer Tuacahn’s stage has been transformed into a lush jungle full of vine swinging simians straight out of the Disney movie “Tarzan,” bringing in audiences from all over to see the production.
"Tarzan, the Stage Musical” made its introduction into southern Utah in June at the Tuacahn Amphitheater. The show is the first regional production of “Tarzan” in the United States. It was licensed through a special arrangement with Disney. Since its opening the show has been sold out almost every night, bringing people nationwide to southern Utah to see the production.
“Tarzan has been hugely successful,” said Lisa Knowlton, Tuachan box office manager. “It’s been our bestselling show and it’s been really fun having it here.”
The Tuacahn Amphitheater seats 1,920 people, and the nights “Tarzan” has not sold out have been by 100 tickets or fewer, Knowlton said.
According to the "Tarzan" program provided at Tuacahn, one of the challenges of bringing the show to the stage was bringing to life the jungle by using real swinging vines for the actors.
The challenge was met head on, and in the end audience members expressed their enjoyment of the acrobatics and flying techniques used in the production. Audience members commented that Tarzan and the apes easily swung across the stage and over the audience as though they were on real vines in the jungle.
“My favorite part was when the young Tarzan disappeared and the grown up Tarzan came swinging in on a vine from the background,” said Karen Hulsey, Tuacahn box office employee.
Besides the acrobatics and vine swinging, female audience members commented on actor James Royce Edwards, who plays the leading role of Tarzan. They said his acting was admirable, and his looks didn’t hurt either.
“He is really cute," said Sunny Pollock, an audience member from Tropic. "And [he] looks great in a loincloth!”
Along with Edwards, other cast members include Evan D’Angeles as Tarzan’s best friend, Terk; Summer Broyhill as Tarzan's love intrest, Jane; Ronald L. Brown as Kerchak, leader of the apes; Todd Dubail as Mr. Clayton, the villain; and Cessalee Stovall as Kala, Tarzan’s ape mother.
There are several local people starring in the production. Kile Allen, a graduate from Dixie High School, and Jeremy Carpenter, a student at Dixie State College, are both playing apes in the production. Actor Payton Kemp is also a local, playing the role of young Tarzan. Some audience members said they thought Kemp was a perfect pick for the role of young Tarzan.
“I liked the younger Tarzan the best,” Orem resident Ashley Neilsen said. “He’s a wonderful dancer and has an amazing voice.”
Tarzan begins at 8:30 p.m. and ends at around 11 p.m., which some audience members said they liked because the weather wasn’t as hot.
“I was worried about the heat when I bought tickets for the show,” Cedar City resident Kali Baumgartner said. “But when I went, I found that the heat didn’t take away from the presentation.”
Now that school is beginning, some Dixie State College students are planning on seeing the production this fall. Alexandria Bones, a junior communication major from Dallas, is one of those students.
“I think it would be something good for students to do in order to relieve a little stress as the semester begins,” Bones said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Tarzan” will run through Oct. 15, playing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Tuacahn Amphitheater. For more information on “Tarzan the Stage Musical," visit www.tuacahn.org.