Now previewing….

I did something last night I’ve not done for ages: I attended the first preview of a new musical, Disney’s new stage version of Tarzan that was kicking off a six-week preview period at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre. Unlike previous Disney Broadway efforts that have gone the more conventional route of out-of-town try-outs (Houston for Beauty and the Beast, Minneapolis for The Lion King, Atlanta for Aida, then in a different production again in Chicago before it finally transferred to Broadway, and of course for Disney’s co-production of Mary Poppins with Cameron Mackintosh, Bristol before the West End), Tarzan is opening ‘cold’ on Broadway.

But it is warming up via an interesting preview schedule that actually uses the audience as a key part of its creative process, to try-out the material on them and then suspend performances while further work is done. So after two previews last night and tonight, the show will be dark again till Thursday, giving them five clear days to do more work; next week will see previews from Thursday to Saturday only, before breaking again till the following Thurday, and so on, gradually increasing to a full schedule only by the end of next month.

The best bit for Disney is that they are getting their test audiences not for free but by charging them for the privilege of being part of that process; but at least there’s a significant price reduction (top price is $76.25 during this period, instead of a post-opening regular price of $111.25 — premium seating, of course, is more).

Though it’s not, of course, open for review at this stage — though having paid for my ticket, I’m as entitled to my opinion as the next man — I’m pleased to note the return, at last, of body hair to Broadway. Entirely missing from the previously hirsute Harry Connick Jr (currently appearing topless in the Broadway revival of The Pajama Game), it is a relief to notice that the loin-clothed title character is ‘au naturale’ (Josh Strickland), as is his surrogate ape dad, played by the bulky Shuler Hensley. But I better not build my hopes up: I also attended an early preview of Disney’s Aida when it first came to Broadway, and Adam Pascal’s chest was fully pelted then; by first night, it was entirely depilated.

Another aside: I bought my ticket online for this show, and for the first time, I actually printed out my own ticket to present at the theatre. Instead of having that print-out torn at the door, the bar code on it was simply scanned to gain me admittance. Yet another sign of the future….