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Thread: The mishap at Tarzan Rocks (not in the news!)

  1. #1

    The mishap at Tarzan Rocks (not in the news!)

    Yesterday my DW, In-laws and me, were at the 1PM showing of Tarzan Rocks at Animal Kingdom WDW.

    DW and I have seen this show many times. In the part of the scene of Tarzan meeting Jane (portrayed by live actors), he prepares to swing on a vine (hydralic lifting wire) and soar above the stage and crowd before picking up Jane and doing the same.

    At this showing Tarzan was lifted about 20 feet in full swing when the wire gave way and dropped him to the stage risers where he crashed into the legs of the musicians. He stood up and exited stage right. Jane after witnessing this ran off stage left and the curtain immediately closed. A voice stated " Dear Guest, due to unforseen circumstances, this showing of Tarzan Rocks is immediately cancelled...."

    My heart really hurt for this guy, because he hit HARD, flat on his back into the front corner of the risers. I have prayed for him.

    Since this only involved a Cast Member, I do not know how to check up on him.

    I also do not know if anymore stage shows have been scheduled as of yet.

    Denny J
    Carmel, IN


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  3. #2
    Registered User wishiwasthere's Avatar
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    Tarzan is a really intense show. My friend was a dancer in it and was lifted by one of them and he dropped her and broke her ankle. She dragged herself off stage while everyone was dancing around her.

    I am surprised he fell on his back because usually they are taught how to fall just in case it happens. I hope he is okay! Him getting up and walking off is a good sign. He might just have really bad internal bruising. Takes awhile to clear up, but it is better than breaking anything.

    Kristin

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by wishiwasthere
    Tarzan is a really intense show. My friend was a dancer in it and was lifted by one of them and he dropped her and broke her ankle. She dragged herself off stage while everyone was dancing around her.

    I am surprised he fell on his back because usually they are taught how to fall just in case it happens. I hope he is okay! Him getting up and walking off is a good sign. He might just have really bad internal bruising. Takes awhile to clear up, but it is better than breaking anything.
    He didn't so much as "fall" as he was more slung into the stage. He had some pretty good momentum going and since the cable dropped him, his arms were stilled wrapped around the straps when he hit the stage riser.

    Denny J

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by mtnbearcolorado
    ...he prepares to swing on a vine (hydralic lifting wire)...
    I have no inside knowledge on how they do the lifts on this show. But watching the way they do it in the Legend of the Lion King, the lifting is not hydraulic or motorized in any way. The lift is performed with pure muscle, by a couple of stagehands pulling on their end of the rope. If this is indeed how they do it in the Tarzan show, it sounds like slippage on the part of the stagehands. I'd sure love to know what went wrong, and more importantly if Tarzan is OK!
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    I'll ask around and see if I can find out anything.


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    Registered User wishiwasthere's Avatar
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    If it is the stagehands lifting we did that at my university's nutcracker. All you need is one stage hand to slip ever so slightly and then your weight takes over and unfortunately you fall.

    I hope that didn't happen because if I was that stagehand I would be embarassed to ever come to work again. Unless it was a total mistake...like he sneezed or something.

    Kristin

  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Goldhaber
    I'll ask around and see if I can find out anything.
    OH MAN, I hate hearing this stuff. I do hope and pray he is okay. These CM's are out there entertaining all day long for us and when something like this happens your heart just goes out to them. YES, Mark, see if you can find out anything, anything that says he is OKAY!
    I just heard Tarzan Rocks is closing on 01/26 and I am there 01/29 actually staying at AKL. So I am disappointed that it is closing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by momrek06
    I just heard Tarzan Rocks is closing on 01/26 and I am there 01/29 actually staying at AKL.
    Actually, the last shows are 1/21.

  10. #9
    Oh no! I hope that Tarzan (and all the musicians) are ok! That sounds like a pretty nasty accident. I wondered how they kept Tarzan and Jane safe while lifting and lowering them - it appears from a spectator perspective that the lift is done manually, but that's just a guess.

    I hope someone here will be able to find out how Tarzan and the musicians he crashed into are doing. Hopefully they're all ok.
    R.I.P. Tarzan Rocks!

    Thirsty? Try some Ye-tea!

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by momrek06
    OH MAN, I hate hearing this stuff. I do hope and pray he is okay. These CM's are out there entertaining all day long for us and when something like this happens your heart just goes out to them. YES, Mark, see if you can find out anything, anything that says he is OKAY!
    I just heard Tarzan Rocks is closing on 01/26 and I am there 01/29 actually staying at AKL. So I am disappointed that it is closing.
    Me too.

    The first time I saw Tarzan Rocks it was not what I was expecting and I really didn't appreciate it. I really did not enjoy the vocals or Tuck. Since then I have seen it several more times. After that first time, I just ignore the vocals and watch the gymnasts. They are really great.

    My college age daughters and I watched it twice on our recent trip. (The boys refused to go). We saw two different Tarzans. I wonder how many there are. The second fellow was nice looking, but the first is truly beautiful.

    We really enjoyed the fellows playing "monkeys" who were on the right side of the stage. They were really wonderful and funny. One of them has a move that the girls and I had never seen despite years of gymnastic classes. He place his hands on two of the rungs of the ladder (tree) and slowly raised his body until it looked like he was hanging down (like doing pull ups), but was actually holding himself parallel to the floor. Wow.

    Anyway, I now feel that Tarzan Rocks is the best show at WDW.

    It is too bad that they are closing it right now because it seems like the theater was located on the edge of the park, sort of like back in a corner. I know that I had bypassed it may times thinking that it was just too far for my poor tired self to hike over there. The opening of EE will pull so many more people into that area of the park that I am sure many people, even frequent guests, would be have enjoyed the show.
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  12. #11

    So...what are they replacing Tarzan Rocks with???

    Denny J


  13. #12

    Rumor has it it'll be a Nemo based show, which I find to be kinda out of place. I'll miss the Tarzan show!

    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
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  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by danyoung
    Rumor has it it'll be a Nemo based show, which I find to be kinda out of place. I'll miss the Tarzan show!
    That would be a bit odd, Nemo is the theme at "the Seas" in EPCOT. By the by, Turtletalk with Crush is a great kids show! It "totally" interacts with the kids!

    Denny J

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    Quote Originally Posted by danyoung
    Rumor has it it'll be a Nemo based show, which I find to be kinda out of place.
    "Nemo (on the) Rocks!"
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew
    "Nemo (on the) Rocks!"
    "Nemo: Return to the Drop-off"

  17. #16
    Mousse Master
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    umm mark?

    is "return to the drop off" just another of your jokes and a word play on the mishap with tarzan, or is it factual and just a really strange ironic twist?

    (i mean i know all about the drop off in nemo, but the timing of that PARTICULAR phrase in light of the rest of the conversation is both strangely ironic, and yet funny in a sick and twisted sort of way)

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    It was an overtired Mark/joke-only thing. Never even thought of the Tarzan tie-in.


  19. #18
    Wandering lonely as a cloud...
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    Quote Originally Posted by NJ Mike
    but the timing of that PARTICULAR phrase in light of the rest of the conversation is both strangely ironic, and yet funny in a sick and twisted sort of way)
    The mosquito's food of choice, primitive humanoid lifeforms, have colonies all over that planet.

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  20. #19

    I saw Tarzan Rocks today, and the whole section of the show where Tarzan and then Tarzan and Jane fly has been removed. Now they "look to the horizon" on both sides of the stage, Tarzan carries Jane on his shoulder briefly, and Jane does a short spinning stunt on a rope, with Tarzan spinning the rope. The music has been shortened to correspond.

    I tried to find out how the Tarzan in the accident was doing and if the lift mechanism was broken or if they were being safe for the final week. I got no answer on the equipment, and I got a glib "oh sure, I heard Tarzan's fine". I hope that's the case.

    R.I.P. Tarzan Rocks!

    Thirsty? Try some Ye-tea!

  21. #20

    I'm glad that no permanaent harm was done (at least from what reports we've recieved). I Am going to miss that show. One of my all time favs.

    Denny J
    Whos up WAY past his bedtime


  22. #21

    I talked to one of the CM's today at Tarzan Rocks, and she said that Tarzan was bruised up, but was otherwise fine. Very good news! She also said that the lift mechanism was what failed, and that's why they've stopped using it entirely.

    Now I just have to accept that I'll only get to see four more performances...

    R.I.P. Tarzan Rocks!

    Thirsty? Try some Ye-tea!

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    Thanks for the updates, NitroStitch!


  24. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Goldhaber
    Thanks for the updates, NitroStitch!
    Glad to help satisfy the curiosity and ease the worries of other Tarzaniacs like me.
    R.I.P. Tarzan Rocks!

    Thirsty? Try some Ye-tea!

  25. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by danyoung
    I have no inside knowledge on how they do the lifts on this show. But watching the way they do it in the Legend of the Lion King, the lifting is not hydraulic or motorized in any way. The lift is performed with pure muscle, by a couple of stagehands pulling on their end of the rope. If this is indeed how they do it in the Tarzan show, it sounds like slippage on the part of the stagehands. I'd sure love to know what went wrong, and more importantly if Tarzan is OK!
    I’m sorry but that is not true. The lift in the Lion King is done entirely with mechanics. Nobody pulls a rope to make it work. If you look between the Giraffe and Elephant section of the theater you will see the guy who controls the lift by remote control. Maybe you saw the guys who pull ropes in order to open the curtains.

    In related news they have also temporarily stopped doing the flying portion in the Lion King as well.

  26. #25

    Well, I don't know what to say except to say that when I last saw the show maybe 18 months ago, the flying bluebird lady was totally controlled by 2 stagehands pulling on a rope. Any button pushing was to move the stage sections. I'm not a neophyte in the big show biz world - I know what I saw. Perhaps they changed it in later years. Or perhaps you're mistaken. What is your source of knowledge, Peter11435? Do you work there? Are you in possession of inside information? Seriously, why am I wrong and you're right?

    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

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