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| Actors rehearse with inflatable wall. |
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| TARZAN SWINGS ON BROADWAY
EUROPEON PRODUCTION GOES APE
Tarzan the Musical opened on Broadway in May of 2006, following the footsteps of Beauty and the Beast , Aida, and the Lion King from Disney Theatrical Productions. CMEANN was in at the planning stages when the challenge of having Tarzan and the apes swing across the stage safely was addressed. The solution ? An inflatable set of walls that allowed lighting and access to backstage, in addition to providing a cushion of air for the performers to land on.
CMEANN produced a sample wall that the producers, cast and crew scrutinized at a workshop held on the campus of SUNY in Purchase, NY. Agreeing that the concept was viable, CMEANN worked with the designers to create walls that would surround three sides of the proscenium stage. Afterwards, a lighting sample was made so the lighting technicians could decide the best combination of fabrics that allowed light through the walls, creating the masterfull illusions of the ocean waves one moment, and the jungle the next.
The final walls were first installed at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, NY, allowing the cast and crew valuable rehearsal time with the actual set. Fabric "vines" covered the walls, masking the entrance and exit holes that were strategically carved into the design.
The show opened on Broadway in May 2006, and has been selling out performances ever since. Seeking to add the production to it's Disney repetoire, Stage Entertainment opened the first Europeon version at the Circus Forte Theater in The Netherlands in April 2007. CMEANN not only produced a second set of walls for the stage, but also a set of walls for the front of the house that expanded the production further into the audience.
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| Tarzan swings into action. |
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| Rehearsal with full wall at Steiner Studios. |
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| Adding vines at Richard Rogers theater. |
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| Apes fly in Europeon production. |
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| Tarzan gets lessons from apes. |
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| info@cmeann.com |
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