Character guide
Kala
from Tarzan
Kala is the gorilla who raises Tarzan as her own son in Tarzan, the 2006 Disney musical with music by Phil Collins.
- Show
- Tarzan
- Broadway premiere
- 2006
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Phil Collins
Kala: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1999 Disney film
Glenn Close voiced Kala in Disney's 1999 film; Merle Dandridge originated the gorilla mother on Broadway in 2006. On stage Kala sings You'll Be in My Heart, the song that won Phil Collins the Oscar for Best Original Song, and later reprises it with the grown Tarzan.
The musical also gives her a new duet with her mate Kerchak, Sure As Sun Turns to Moon, and a place in Everything That I Am.
Who is Kala?
Kala is a gentle, nurturing gorilla who has recently lost her own baby when she discovers the infant Tarzan orphaned in the jungle. She chooses to adopt and raise him against the wishes of the troop's more cautious leader, Kerchak, and becomes the emotional anchor of Tarzan's childhood.
Kala's love for Tarzan is unconditional, and her willingness to defend her choice to raise a human child among gorillas gives the story its early emotional foundation, establishing themes of chosen family that echo throughout the rest of the musical.
Kala's role in Tarzan
Kala is a supporting role built around warmth and maternal strength, with songs that express her devotion to Tarzan and her determination to protect him. The part calls for a performer who can convey deep tenderness while still holding the stage physically as a gorilla character.
Audiences remember Kala as the emotional heart of Tarzan's early scenes, the character whose love makes his unusual upbringing feel believable and whose eventual acceptance of his need to find his own path adds poignancy to the story's themes of belonging.
Kala: frequently asked questions
Who is Kala in the Tarzan musical?
Kala is the gorilla who adopts and raises the orphaned Tarzan as her own son, against the doubts of Kerchak, her mate and the troop's leader. Merle Dandridge originated the role in the original 2006 Broadway production.
What songs does Kala sing in Tarzan?
Kala sings You'll Be in My Heart as a lullaby to the infant Tarzan and Sure As Sun Turns to Moon as she pleads with Kerchak to accept the grown Tarzan. She also joins Son of Man and Everything That I Am, and she reprises both songs with Tarzan in Act 2.
Is Kala Kerchak's wife in Tarzan?
Yes, in gorilla terms: Kala is the mate of Kerchak, the troop's leader, and early in the show the pair admire their newborn son before the leopard Sabor snatches him. Kala's decision to raise the orphaned Tarzan as her own, over Kerchak's objections, sets the story's early conflict in motion.
What show is Kala from?
Kala is a supporting character in Tarzan, which opened on Broadway in 2006.
Is Kala a lead or supporting role?
Kala is a supporting role as Tarzan's adoptive gorilla mother.
Who wrote the music for Tarzan?
Phil Collins composed the music and lyrics for Tarzan.
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