WEST VALLEY CITY — Johnny Weissmuller made it famous. Carol Burnett made it funny. Now, Bradley Lever will roar the iconic Tarzan yell from the Hale Centre Theatre stage.
“Aah-eeh-ah-eeh-aaaaaah-eeh-ah-eeh-aaaaah!”
Tarzan’s mighty yell was first introduced in the pages of “Tarzan of the Apes,” where it is described as sounding like “the victory cry of the bull ape.” During rehearsals, Lever and Derek Smith, who share the lead role in the stage musical “Tarzan,” repeatedly listened to the various recordings of the distinctive shriek.
“It’s been a process for us to nail that down,” Lever says. “But the kids who play young Tarzan, they learned it very quickly, with no problems whatsoever.”
He acknowledges it’s been “a little bit frightening” to portray on stage such an indelible character as Tarzan, the first pop icon to attain global saturation. Before the release of the 1912 novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, no one realized just how big, how ubiquitous, how marketable a fictional character could be.
Lever felt “an immediate connection” to the portrayal of Tarzan in the Disney Broadway musical and began preparing early for his eventual role in the production.
“As soon as Hale Centre Theatre announced that the show would be performed, I started my training,” he says. “And I hit the gym — for strength training, aerobic training and a massive number of pull-ups to simulate hanging from vines and swinging around stage.
“Physically, it’s been quite the challenge,” he adds. “The whole cast quickly realized that it’s not easy being an ape on all fours, jumping around, running around, crawling around, while singing at the same time. It’s been quite the unique experience, and we’ve each done quite a bit of training to prepare for it.”
Lever’s attraction to the role stems from the struggles Tarzan experiences and the story’s examination of deep human emotions. He mentions his fondness for one of the songs Phil Collins wrote for the stage adaptation, “Everything That I Am,” which has the lyrics “I got to know where I belong / I got to know where I came from / I got to know the reason why I’m here.”
“There are so many elements in this show that are powerful,” he said. “It’s all about the universal truths of family and relationships, and love and acceptance and kindness. Tarzan is constantly trying to figure out where he belongs and if he can be accepted, and why he isn’t being loved and accepted as much as he should be, and where can find that peace, love and acceptance. I, too, have longed to know where I belong; I’ve wanted to feel loved and accepted.”
The assistance Lever needs has been found with his fiancée, Megan Heaps, who plays Jane opposite him in this production of “Tarzan.”
“My Jane has especially taught me this in regard to matters of the heart by loving and accepting me for who I am,” he said.
If you go
What: “Tarzan”
Where: Hale Centre Theatre West Valley City
When: Through Sept. 28
How much: $16-$26
Tickets: 801-984-9000 or hct.org