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Bringing Tarzan on a Colorado tour

Community theater isn’t known for having high budgets, let alone taking a show on the road. Secret Identity Productions took its performance of “Tarzan: The Broadway Musical” on tour, and it finishes in Aspen Saturday.

The play doesn’t follow the 1999 Disney film exactly, but it still features Phil Collins’ big song “You’ll Be in My Heart.” The difference for the Glenwood Spring-based Secret Identity Productions is the challenges the company faced over the course of the tour that went to Rifle and Grand Junction.

Brett Lark, the director, wondered if the show could be a draw outside of the Roaring Fork Valley.

“Could we get the word out in places that we didn’t necessarily have ties?” he wondered. “We knew that we could sell tickets to a show in a town we were based in. We didn’t know how it would be received in a place that we didn’t have any ties to.”

 

The company has sold out one of four performances.

 

To make touring even harder, cast members have had to switch roles because of production issues. Micah Ziegler is on his third role which has forced him to be a nimble actor, learning the personalities of different characters..

 

“It makes a long day, for the day of the show,” said Ziegler.

 

Lark said the touring model also helps to improve the show.
 

“It’s exciting that we have another chance and more opportunity to elevate and make it better,” said Lark.

The final performance is at the Wheeler Opera House at 6 P.M..

Patrick Fort grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, nurturing a love for ice hockey and deli sandwiches. After moving to Colorado in 2010 to attend the University of Colorado to study music, Patrick discovered his love for journalism. In 2013, Patrick created and hosted the award-winning radio program Colorado Stories, a news program that covered CU and the surrounding community. An avid mountain and road cyclist, Patrick also referees youth ice hockey. He loves '60s pop bands and and trying new recipes ranging from milk-braised carnitas to flourless cakes.
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