‘Tarzan’ to swing into Charleroi Area High School

By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
All the world’s a stage, but for Charleroi Area students, their stage is a jungle.
More than 100 cast and crew will climb, swing and dance through the trees when students debut “Tarzan” next weekend.
Shows are set for 7 p.m. March 3 and 4 and 2 p.m. March 5.
Based on Disney’s epic animated musical adventure and Edgar Rice Burrough’s “Tarzan of the Apes,” the musical features heart-pumping music by rock legend, Phil Collins, and a book by Tony Award-winning playwright, David Henry Hwang.
Students, in grades fourth through 12, will tell the story of Tarzan, an infant boy who washed up on the shores of West Africa and is taken in and raised by gorillas.
Apart from striving for acceptance from his ape father, Tarzan’s life is mostly monkey business until a human expedition treks into his tribe’s territory and he encounters creatures like himself for the first time.
Tarzan struggles to navigate a jungle, thick with emotion, as he discovers his animal upbringing clashing with his human instincts.
The musical follows the plot of the Disney film, and despite a few minor changes, woven through high-climbing antics are world-wide known songs that everyone can sing along to.
Director Melissa Vitali said “Tarzan” was a perfect choice to bring as much student talent to the stage — jungle — as possible.
“We chose this show because it showcases so many of our talented students, as well as gave us the opportunity to include as many students as possible in a large ensemble.”
More than 100 students are involved, on the stage and behind the scenes to make the show possible.
“That number always startles everyone,” she said. “But we have 87 cast members in grades 4-12 and 29 crew members in grades 6-12.”

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