"Tarzan - The Broadway Musical" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Tarzan: The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

Can a pop narrator from the film become a full-blooded stage voice? Tarzan says yes — and then adds nine new numbers, wire-flight, and a pit that thumps like a heartbeat. The Broadway musical extends Phil Collins’ film songbook with a theatre score that pushes character choices in the open air: Tarzan’s identity crisis, Kala’s ferocious love, Kerchak’s law, and Jane’s joy of discovery.

The cast album captures that blend of pulse and tenderness. Familiar film songs (“Two Worlds,” “You’ll Be in My Heart,” “Son of Man,” “Strangers Like Me”) anchor the arc, while stage-first additions do the character work the film skipped: Terk’s swaggering mentorship (“Who Better Than Me?”), Kerchak’s ultimatum (“No Other Way”), Jane’s giddy fieldwork (“Waiting for This Moment”), and Tarzan’s self-recognition (“Everything That I Am”). Onstage, the jungle is vertical — ropes, silks, catwalks — so arrangements favor drum-and-groove under bright melodic hooks. On record, you still feel the lift.

Style map in phases — drum-forward pop-rock for growth and motion; ballad-oratorio for family vows; music-hall bounce for British expedition comedy; wordless percussion for camp chaos. Translation: toms = becoming; strings = belonging; cheeky woodwinds = science meets silliness; mouth beats = mischief with cookware.

How It Was Made

Disney Theatrical tapped Phil Collins to expand his 1999 film work into a full stage score (music & lyrics) with a new book by David Henry Hwang. Bob Crowley directed and designed the original Broadway production at the Richard Rodgers Theatre; Meryl Tankard choreographed and the aerial language (silks, harnesses) became the show’s signature. The cast opened officially on May 10, 2006, and the run closed July 8, 2007 after 35 previews and 486 performances.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording (Walt Disney Records), produced by Mark Mancina, dropped during the run and folds Collins’ film staples into nine stage-first songs; Collins also contributes a bonus studio take of “Everything That I Am.”

Tracks & Scenes

Below — how key songs play on stage, with context from album and Broadway blocking. (Album titles in quotation marks; order follows the two-act show.)

“Two Worlds” (Company)

Where it plays:

Prologue: a shipwreck and an orphaned infant in counterpoint with a grieving gorilla family. Onstage, silhouettes sail above the deck and “vines” drop as the tribe assembles. The theme recurs at arrivals and farewells.

Why it matters:

Establishes the thesis — blood vs. bond — and the drum grammar that powers the show.

“You’ll Be in My Heart” (Kala & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

Kala cradles the human baby against the tribe’s fear. In Broadway staging, she sings while crossing aerial pathways toward Kerchak’s platform; chorus hums like the jungle breathing.

Why it matters:

Lullaby as argument: love first, labels later.

“Who Better Than Me?” (Terk & Young Tarzan) → “Son of Man”

Where it plays:

Terk turns big-brother coach — a swagger lesson morphs into a training montage. Ropes whip; drums lock; by “Son of Man” the ensemble hurls through a vine-surfing drill as Tarzan grows before our eyes.

Why it matters:

Shows how the score converts vertical choreography into groove — mentorship becomes muscle memory.

“No Other Way” (Kerchak)

Where it plays:

Kerchak lays down law after a dangerous encounter: the human is a threat. The scene compresses into a command — protective, rigid, and wrong.

Why it matters:

Gives the tribe’s fear a voice you can respect — which makes Tarzan’s choice harder.

“Waiting for This Moment” (Jane) → “Different (Part 1 & 2)” (Tarzan & Jane)

Where it plays:

Jane’s field notes burst into melody as she catalogs flora, fauna, and one very unusual man. The duet flips the comic lens: she studies him; he studies her; the ropes pivot from danger to curiosity.

Why it matters:

Introduces Jane’s brain and delight — not just a love interest, a scientist with rhythm.

“Trashin’ the Camp” (Terk & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

Diegetic chaos — tins, trunks, and cookware become a drumline as the gorillas dismantle the Porters’ gear. Onstage, the ensemble’s percussion is choreographed for laughs and precision.

Why it matters:

Wordless comic showpiece that resets the tension before the endgame.

“Like No Man I’ve Ever Seen” (Jane & Professor Porter)

Where it plays:

Back at camp, Jane tries to translate astonishment to academia; Porter hears both the data and the blush.

Why it matters:

A Victorian patter song with a twinkle — character and exposition in one.

“Strangers Like Me” (Tarzan, Jane & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

Learning montage: chalk sketches, telescopes, hand-in-hand language lessons. Flight rigs tilt into waltz-time as the tribe watches this new world blooming.

Why it matters:

Curiosity as courtship — and the moment Tarzan imagines a different future.

“For the First Time” (Jane & Tarzan)

Where it plays:

Quiet clearing at night — awkward, sincere, and funny. The melody sits close so the actors can play discovery without spectacle.

Why it matters:

A true “new for stage” heartbeat — the film never had space for this confession.

“Everything That I Am” (Tarzan, Kala, Young Tarzan & Ensemble)

Where it plays:

Tarzan reckons with origin and allegiance. He sees his child self across the stage, hears the echo of “I Need to Know,” and chooses with love, not shame.

Why it matters:

The adult identity song — centerpiece of the Broadway-only arc, later recorded as a studio bonus by Collins.

Finale: “Two Worlds (Finale)”

Where it plays:

Choices land: tribe secured, villains answered, a family made. The full company climbs as drums and voices resolve the opening argument.

Why it matters:

Closes the circle with altitude — literally.

Notes & Trivia

• Tarzan was Disney Theatrical’s only Broadway show to open without an out-of-town tryout.
• The stage score adds nine Collins songs beyond the film’s five, reshaping the arc for live drama.
• Terk is male in the musical (female in the film) — partly to serve the “older-brother coach” dynamic.
• Aerial language (silks/harness) wasn’t just spectacle; it replaced set changes with momentum.
• The cast album entered Billboard’s Cast Albums chart top three during the run.

Reception & Quotes

Critics split, loving the cast and visuals while side-eyeing some lyrics; audiences turned up for the flying and the familiar Collins anthems.

“Crowley’s rainforest soars; the score is drum-bright and sincere.” Playbill look-back (summary)

“Album showcases a strong cast… production gloss cushions the show’s flaws.” Review round-up

Album availability: wide on streaming/download; physical CD via Walt Disney Records. Collins’ studio “Everything That I Am” appears as a bonus.

Interesting Facts

• Vertical pit: Drum/percussion writing mirrors rope flight — rhythm equals physics.
• Professor gets a patter: “Like No Man I’ve Ever Seen” lets Porter sing his research — with a wink.
• Camp comedy: “Trashin’ the Camp” is staged as precision junk percussion — zero words, maximum chaos.
• Echo songs: “Everything That I Am” quotes “I Need to Know,” turning a child’s question into an adult answer.
• International life: After Broadway, the show thrived in Europe, especially long-running German productions with arena-scale rigs.

Technical Info

• Title: Tarzan: The Broadway Musical — Original Broadway Cast Recording
• Year: 2006 (Broadway)
• Type: Musical — pop-rock songs & orchestral underscoring
• Music & Lyrics: Phil Collins
• Book: David Henry Hwang (from Disney’s 1999 film; Burroughs’ novel)
• Director/Designer: Bob Crowley; Choreography: Meryl Tankard
• Broadway venue/dates: Richard Rodgers Theatre — previews from Mar 24, 2006; opened May 10, 2006; closed July 8, 2007 (35 previews, 486 performances)
• Label (cast album): Walt Disney Records; producer Mark Mancina; includes bonus Phil Collins track “Everything That I Am”
• Selected numbers: “Who Better Than Me?,” “No Other Way,” “Waiting for This Moment,” “Different,” “Like No Man I’ve Ever Seen,” “For the First Time,” “Everything That I Am,” “Two Worlds (Finale)”

Questions & Answers

What new songs were written just for the stage?

Nine additions including “Who Better Than Me?,” “No Other Way,” “I Need to Know,” “Waiting for This Moment,” “Different,” “Like No Man I’ve Ever Seen,” “For the First Time,” and “Everything That I Am.”

Who led the original Broadway cast?

Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Jenn Gambatese (Jane), Shuler Hensley (Kerchak), Merle Dandridge (Kala), Chester Gregory II (Terk), Tim Jerome (Porter), Donnie Keshawarz (Clayton).

Is the cast album the movie soundtrack?

No — it’s a separate Broadway recording that includes the film hits plus stage-first numbers and a Collins bonus track.

Did the show have an out-of-town tryout?

No. It uniquely opened on Broadway without a prior tryout — rare for Disney Theatrical.

Where can I hear it?

Streaming platforms carry Tarzan: The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording); CD editions were issued by Walt Disney Records.

Key Contributors

Sources: IBDB; Playbill; New York Theatre Guide; MTI/StageAgent show pages; Wikipedia (production & numbers); Apple Music/Spotify (cast album); Discogs (label/credits); TheaterMania (album release); Disney on Broadway trailer/playlist.

November, 27th 2025