‘Tarzan’ swings (some of the time)

“Tarzan,” a musical written by Phil Collins and David Henry Hwang and based on the 1999 Disney film, is a heartwarming coming-of-age story about love, loss, family and finding one’s place in the world. It is difficult to perform convincingly, not only because of the deep human emotions it requires from actors but also because of the physical and vocal demands it puts on the cast.

Actors must take on the appearance of apes, moving around in a crouched position and using knuckles and feet to propel themselves, while captivating the audience with the story of an orphaned boy who must choose between leaving the jungle with his newfound love or staying with his primate family and becoming head of the tribe. In order for this show to be believable, audience members must be transported to the jungles of West Africa and introduced to characters they connect with in an unexpected way.

Stuart W. Cramer High School’s theater department bravely tackled this musical. Though lacking in some areas, this production communicated the important themes. The most outstanding aspect was the set, which consisted of a large rotating tree trunk, a substantial tree house that reached to the ceiling and two moss-covered piles of rocks that could be climbed on or crawled under.

These structures, developed thoughtfully and with great detail by art students, added levels to the stage, creating visual interest and allowing the cast, which had to stay close to the ground to maintain the appearance of apes, to execute more diverse blocking.

The performances of Ava Smith (Kala), Carter Frady (Kerchak), and Grayson Phillips (Tarzan) were also impressive, as all three skillfully performed songs in difficult keys and believably portrayed their characters. As an ensemble, the cast was focused (despite frequent issues with sound) and engaged for the entire show.

The performance of Young Tarzan was noteworthy because, despite his young age, Drew Hooks did a great job of establishing this character as an over-enthusiastic misfit trying to find his place in a world where he is constantly being told he doesn’t belong. The camaraderie between Tarzan and his best friend, Terk, was less developed, because the young (and very cute) Kyndall Godley looked too frightened to embody the cocky, carefree personality of Terk.

Though Jo Ocasio (Adult Terk) had a nice voice and good energy, her feelings of confusion and abandonment when Tarzan began to explore his human identity were less compelling. Another unfortunate directorial decision was to have Tarzan struggle to get dressed in human clothes while he was singing his show-stopping ballad, “Everything That I Am.” His vocals were on point, but I missed out on the intensity of the internal struggle Tarzan experiences.

In addition to these missteps, the physicality was weak at times, and some members of the ensemble looked awkward in their attempts to move like apes. Throughout the production, I found myself wanting more expression and energy from the actors. I also struggled to pick up on emotions because of rushed lines and low volume. Frequently, I had to strain to hear actors or follow scenes, because lines were either recited too quietly or too quickly. In some cases, I felt like I missed out on a strong performance because of my inability to decipher what characters were saying. I especially felt this way with Abigail Morrison (Jane), whose consistent energy on stage was compromised by lack of projection.

Thankfully, there were also positive elements, such as thoughtful and well-executed blocking, impressive vocals, and believable acting. When these elements all came together, I was captivated. The three numbers in which the stars aligned were “Sure as Sun Turns to Moon,” “Strangers Like Me,” and “You’ll Be in My Heart (Reprise).” In each of these numbers, the emotions felt genuine, and I believed for a moment that Kala and Kerchak loved each other, that Tarzan was falling for Jane, and that the family bond between Kala and Tarzan was real and unbreakable.

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "‘Tarzan’ swings (some of the time)."