ENTERTAINMENT: ‘Tarzan’ to yell outdoors at Tuacahn

  Patrons of the Tuacahn outdoor amphitheater in St. George, Utah, are given some interesting news during the preshow announcements for “Annie” or “Footloose”: Next summer, the venue will host the first-ever regional theater production of Disney’s “Tarzan” musical.
  Cynics might say, “So what?” “Tarzan” had the weakest reception of Disney’s film-to-Broadway adaptions to date. The adaption with songs by Phil Collins ran 486 performances in 2006 and 2007. But it’s nonetheless a high-profile, commercial coup for the family-focused venue. And besides, the current production of “Footloose,” another underwhelming Broadway performer, proves that some of these titles can actually improve in their post-Broadway life.
  The Tuacahn “Footloose” — which has its last Saturday performance this weekend, then a few more midweek dates — is better than the straight-from-Broadway version that was pared down at the Rio in 2000. It’s energetically staged and gracefully choreographed by Derryl Yeager, whose shorter ballet pieces were sometimes done by Nevada Dance Theatre in the ’80s. And it doesn’t hurt that the big Tuacahn stage offers the fun of real cars and even the two-tractor game of “chicken” from the movie.
  There’s even a brief flying segment that suggests how “Tarzan” will play: likely with all the harnesses and flying rigs in full and unavoidable view of the audience. But the evening skies and rugged rock stage should more than compensate for atmosphere in bringing the jungle to the desert.