170 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 2, 2017 15:29:59 GMT
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Post by jess173 on Aug 2, 2017 15:29:59 GMT
Apparently tomorrow is cancelled as well. But according to their Facebook page they have prepared a "surprise " for everyone who's affected. I guess they will do a little concert. At least that's better than nothing at all...
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170 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 2, 2017 18:11:21 GMT
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Post by jess173 on Aug 2, 2017 18:11:21 GMT
They're going to turn up the aircon system and perform the show on ice. I would actually pay to see this!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2017 19:14:25 GMT
Well... it's been a mixture of feelings since my initial trepidations at the announcement last night, and disappointment this afternoon when tonight's performance was also confirmed as cancelled. The official Facebook page took quite a battering in the last two days from frustrated ticket holders - and unfairly so in my opinion. Whilst I understand that for many the trip has involved time off work, flights and hotels, no theatre calls off performances lightly. They still have staff to pay, as well as loss out on sales from refunds and exchanges. We arrived at the theatre at 6:30 and were greeted with complimentary drinks and apologies from the front of house staff with a form to complete and mail in to receive a refund or exchange. Less than thirty minutes later Anton appeared on a stage set up outside the main entrance with three musicians, singing numbers from the show alongside some appearances from his fellow cast members (and more apologising). He told us that two girls had travelled from Shang Hai tonight to see the show which really put it into perspective for me. My flight was less than an hour from Stanstead, and should I feel inclined, I could easily come back for a second attempt. The same unfortunately is more problematic for those two travellers though. After they performed, the four leads stood and signed complimentary programmes as a way of thanks, and they were all lovely. Anton also signed a photo of him in Tarzan makeup and costume as he doesn't appear in the programme yet. Their voices were incredible, and I feel genuinely pleased to have gone to the theatre still tonight, as the cast and theatre staff were amazing. It has definitely helped me consider a return to see this cast perform in their natural habitat soon, and I feel more than happy with their efforts all round.
Special thanks to viserys and Steffi who have helped me plan my visit and kept me updated along the way. You've honestly been invaluable, and I can't thank you both enough
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2,702 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 2, 2017 19:41:59 GMT
Post by viserys on Aug 2, 2017 19:41:59 GMT
Glad to hear that there was at least some sort of happy end for you and you saw a little performance after all!
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840 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 3, 2017 6:08:40 GMT
Post by Steffi on Aug 3, 2017 6:08:40 GMT
Happy to hear you got to see the little performance and that they managed to at least slightly make up for the lack of a proper show. Hope you can come back and see the show.
If you want another attempt at seeing Josh wait until December at least. :-)
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Tarzan
Aug 3, 2017 11:46:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2017 11:46:30 GMT
Happy to hear you got to see the little performance and that they managed to at least slightly make up for the lack of a proper show. Hope you can come back and see the show. If you want another attempt at seeing Josh wait until December at least. :-) Well, I'm currently torn between arranging a trip to see Josh, as you say, or watching Anton in the role now that I've had a "taster" if you will How much longer is Anton with the show do you know and when is Mr Strickland due to return?
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 3, 2017 13:24:51 GMT
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Post by indis on Aug 3, 2017 13:24:51 GMT
i have heard Anton is there until middle november
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 3, 2017 13:25:33 GMT
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Post by indis on Aug 3, 2017 13:25:33 GMT
as someone who has seen both i prefer Anton, he is the bomb, this is his role 👏🏻
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 3, 2017 16:55:35 GMT
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Post by indis on Aug 3, 2017 16:55:35 GMT
they play again tomorrow
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840 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 4, 2017 7:33:42 GMT
Post by Steffi on Aug 4, 2017 7:33:42 GMT
Josh returns early December. I think Anton might have another job lined up in late November so he could leave mid November. Not sure though. I'd say if you want to see Anton try and go before November (he does have a few holidays booked - check his Facebook page for those). For Josh early December till late February is the time to go - he might stay longer but that hasn't been decided yet.
And usually the understudies do Tuesday and one of the Sunday shows so try and avoid those days. :-)
And I think they are both really good so whatever you decide I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I saw Anton in Hamburg during his first run and really liked him. Personally I prefer Josh because a) he really has the most stunning voice and b) he is so incredibly detailed in his movements. However, Anton is the original German Tarzan (Swedish/German ;-) ) and I am really looking forward to seeing him again at some point this autumn.
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Aug 4, 2017 21:51:10 GMT
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Post by indis on Aug 4, 2017 21:51:10 GMT
Just saw Antons first Tarzan Show in Oberhausen and he was AMAZING. His voice has grown so much and so many new details in his acting. Just wow!
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170 posts
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Tarzan
Oct 29, 2017 9:50:34 GMT
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Post by jess173 on Oct 29, 2017 9:50:34 GMT
Josh returns early December. I think Anton might have another job lined up in late November so he could leave mid November. Not sure though. I'd say if you want to see Anton try and go before November (he does have a few holidays booked - check his Facebook page for those). For Josh early December till late February is the time to go - he might stay longer but that hasn't been decided yet. Is Joshs return confirmed yet? I couldn’t find anything about it on the net. I revisited the show yesterday. Last time was 8 years ago I think... ^^ I had totally forgotten how great it was. And Anton is so damn cute... We immediately bought tickets to go again in early February next year and I would love to see Josh. I really hope that will work out.
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840 posts
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Post by Steffi on Oct 29, 2017 15:54:32 GMT
It hasn't been officially announced but yes, it is confirmed. Not sure how long he'll be in the show for but I imagine your chances to catch him in February are good. :-)
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1,287 posts
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Tarzan
Oct 30, 2017 8:39:20 GMT
Post by theatrefan77 on Oct 30, 2017 8:39:20 GMT
There is an amateur production currently playing in Madrid which is actually quite good: www.amorevo.net
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840 posts
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Post by Steffi on Dec 4, 2017 11:24:10 GMT
We immediately bought tickets to go again in early February next year and I would love to see Josh. I really hope that will work out. Just an update: Josh had his first show back last week. His scheduled off shows are Tuesday and Sunday evening (subject to change, of course). Looks like he's contracted until June for now.
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170 posts
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Tarzan
Dec 5, 2017 21:14:52 GMT
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Post by jess173 on Dec 5, 2017 21:14:52 GMT
Great, thanks! We have tickets for a Saturday evening performance so unless he’s ill or on vacation we should be fine. I can’t wait to see it again.
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Dec 7, 2017 17:53:58 GMT
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Post by indis on Dec 7, 2017 17:53:58 GMT
sad that Anton left, Josh is good but well, .. not my fave. But to see a positive side, after a very expensive 3 month Tarzan trip marathon my bank account needs a break anyway 🤣
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1,210 posts
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Tarzan
Dec 9, 2017 21:54:05 GMT
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Post by musicalmarge on Dec 9, 2017 21:54:05 GMT
It drives me mad this has done so well in Europe and along with Aida has never been in the UK. I saw them both on Broadway and loved them! Little Mermaid was the Disney flop for me! We get them BIG or not at all. Shame.
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Dec 10, 2017 9:25:44 GMT
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Post by indis on Dec 10, 2017 9:25:44 GMT
If you want to see Josh , i just read he is off february 9th to 19th
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Dec 10, 2017 9:27:15 GMT
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Post by indis on Dec 10, 2017 9:27:15 GMT
would love to see this in London, but they would need to do the german version not the broadway one
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2,702 posts
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Post by viserys on Dec 21, 2017 7:09:06 GMT
Since I tend to bitch about German musicals a lot let me say a few (moderately) positive words for once ('tis the season to be nice after all). A few things first: I saw Tarzan when it first opened on Broadway and thought it was "okayish" there – I had been a bit surprised when it folded as quickly as it did, but in retrospect it wasn't that surprising either. They kept the action completely limited to the stage, where the sides and back consisted of green strings of "lianas" between which the apes (and Tarzan) flew around on bungee ropes. When Stage Entertainment impresario Joop van den Ende agreed to take the show to Europe he did it with the request that they be allowed to jazz it up, so what came here (first to the Netherlands, then to Germany) was a much more colourful bigger spectacle with performers now "flying" through the whole theatre on their bungee ropes. I did see it when it first opened in Hamburg but was bogged down with a terrible migraine that evening, so while a part of my brain registered the new improved version, I really wasn't "there" to enjoy it. Since gimmicky light-weight fluff tends to do well in Germany, it was no surprise that Tarzan became a decent success first in Hamburg, then Stuttgart and finally arrived in my neck of the woods in Oberhausen. I waited until Stage Entertainment came up with one of their decent "2 for 50 Euro" offers (which goes up to 60 Euro, if you want seats with a decent view, but still a lot better than their usual eye-watering prices I'm not willing to pay) and now returned to see this version with a clear head.
So, the good bits first: Compared to Broadway, it has indeed massively improved, converting most of the theatre into a jungle-like setting. The actors fly about the theatre and show some amazing aerial acrobatics along the way that could be at home in Cirque du Soleil. There's lots of bits to enjoy with Jane's arrival in the jungle, meeting exotic plants and animals along the way, the highlight. There are also some decent Phil Collins tunes like the Oscar-winning "You'll be in my heart" from the movie, the sappy power ballad "For the first time" for Tarzan and Jane and Tarzan's soul-searching solo "Everything that I am" in which he transforms from looking like a beach bum backpacker on gap year in Thailand into Tim Minchin by putting on some clothes.
It's light-weight family entertainment (there were lots of kids in this early performance starting at 6.30pm) and pretty decent enough. And while I often mock my fellow Germans for their taste in musicals that is firmly stuck in the 80s and 90s blockbuster musical period, I also can't blame them because regular German theatre as presented in the regional/local Stadttheaters is often so unbelievably staid and boring, where they even manage to stage Sunset Boulevard without a hint of Hollywood glamour in their quest for "sophistication" (read: pretension).
Now the bad bits which I shall separate into "show" and "production": As a show Tarzan is decent enough, but WAY too long at nearly three butt-numbing hours. I mean this is a fluffy Disney cartoon movie, not Shakespeare, ffs. It took almost an hour for Jane to arrive and the story to kick off properly and that could have been shortened a lot. The second act also drags in parts and both acts feel very uneven – the first act, set mainly among the apes in the jungle is all Cirque du Soleil-like spectacle with very little plot, the second act, when Tarzan gets involved with the humans, is more plot and drama (and an extra scoop of kitsch) but very little action. I can't see an uneven show like this survive in an environment like the West End with much more discerning audiences and much more shows to choose from.
As for the production: In order to cut costs German producers started to significantly reduce orchestras to bands and unfortunately it really brings the shows down. I noticed it when I finally revisited Starlight Express in spring (where the orchestra was cut from 24 to about 12 people) and now again. I'm not sure how large the orchestra was on Broadway but it's 11 people here and it's just not enough to produce a rich musical sound. Everything sounded tinny and flat and definitely not the all-enveloping sound one expects at live performances. For me this is the main reason to warn people off German productions and why I would never pay full price again. If you charge premium prices, I expect a premium product and not a cheap discount version.
Another bug bear of mine is the fact that Stage Entertainment can never be trusted to put first casts on stage, so it's always a gamble on who's on. At least I was lucky yesterday in that Josh Strickland was on – Broadway's Tarzan (who I had actually seen there) who has come to Germany for the second time now to reprise his role. His German isn't worth toffee but unlike so many other foreign performers here at least he's played the role in his native language before and knows what he's singing and doing. Of course it also helps that he's a very good-looking athletic chap. Jane was played by understudy Isabel Trinkaus, who did such a fine job, I didn't mind that the first cast was missing. Extra mention needs to go to American performer Jeffrey Socia as Tarzan's ape buddy Terk, who I saw as Rusty in Starlight Express in spring. I couldn't help thinking that the poor chap spent four years racing about one theatre on roller skates before changing to flying about another theatre on bungee ropes – was this what he had expected when he spent years on ballet and other dance lessons?
So, overall: I can see why Tarzan appeals to the German audiences and it's not a bad show – I've seen much much worse on German stages. But I don't think it would be up to West End standards and the wide gulf between quality and pricing here is pretty inexcusable. If any of you are considering a weekend in Germany to catch all the fluffy colourful shows here in one go, I'd recommend planning for spring 2018: With Tarzan in Oberhausen, Starlight Express in Bochum and Tanz der Vampire doing a three-month-stint in Cologne, you'll get three within a relatively small area.
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840 posts
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Tarzan
Feb 10, 2018 13:04:13 GMT
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Post by Steffi on Feb 10, 2018 13:04:13 GMT
Closing in Oberhausen this year - possibly late September but a definite date hasn’t been confirmed yet.
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Feb 18, 2018 17:35:03 GMT
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Post by indis on Feb 18, 2018 17:35:03 GMT
Closing in Oberhausen this year - possibly late September but a definite date hasn’t been confirmed yet. where do you get your info from? there is no end date yet, they even are auditioning for a new cast after CC. Also there is the 10th anniversary coming up in October and i bet it will still be in Oberhausen then
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840 posts
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Tarzan
Feb 18, 2018 17:45:23 GMT
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Post by Steffi on Feb 18, 2018 17:45:23 GMT
Closing in Oberhausen this year - possibly late September but a definite date hasn’t been confirmed yet. where do you get your info from? there is no end date yet, they even are auditioning for a new cast after CC. Also there is the 10th anniversary coming up in October and i bet it will still be in Oberhausen then It’s not been confirmed to the public but the cast and crew were told the other week. Like I said, no actual closing date has been decided on. Late September is when the current contracts run out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they push the show along for a few extra week to get it to its 10th anniversary. Also at this points it looks like Josh will stay with the show until it closes. No official confirmation yet though.
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716 posts
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Tarzan
Feb 18, 2018 17:50:55 GMT
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Post by indis on Feb 18, 2018 17:50:55 GMT
it would be awful to end the show before the anniversary 😮 cannot believe it, my alltime fave show 😫
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