Batavia Student to Perform as 'Kala' in Disney's Tarzan Musical

Written by Shawn Eident

Hannah Zepeda is an exuberant young lady with sparkling eyes, a big smile, full of life, and a bright future. She is a senior at Batavia High School who will be graduating this month and has hopes of going into Musical Theater for college. She has performed in 19 shows since 2009 including roles as Mrs. Potts in “Cinderella”, Ursala in “The Little Mermaid”, the “Narrator” in “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, a disciple in “Godspell”, Ida in “Honk Jr.”, and now, Hannah will wrap up her Spotlight career by performing in her 20th show- “Tarzan”, as Kala, Tarzan’s adopted gorilla mother.

Among these many shows she has said that her favorite show to perform in has been “Godspell”, and her favorite role, is her current role of Kala, Tarzan’s gorilla mother. When asked what she has learned from Kala, Hannah said, “Humble service, and the ability to always be willing to give”. “Kala doesn’t judge, she loves and protects, and always helps out in time of need”, Hannah said. And this is true. In this beautiful story of adoption and acceptance, Kala provides Tarzan with a place where he will always belong, as she gently reassures him by singing one of the all time favorite songs of Phil Collins, “You’ll Be In My Heart”. After Kala’s own tragic loss of a child, she finds Tarzan as a baby, and brings him to her own tribe where we watch two worlds collide together as man and gorilla learn to live unitedly in one family.

Then, after many years, Tarzan eventually encounters his first human – Jane Porter, a curious young explorer – where once again, the worlds of man and gorilla collide and are transformed forever. Disney’s Tarzan is full of high-flying excitement and heart-pumping music that will be an unforgettable experience for the whole family!

Please join us as Spotlight Youth Theater presents, Disney’s Tarzan, based on the epic animated adventure of Edgar Rice Burrough’s novel, Tarzan of the Apes. Disney’s Tarzan is full of high-flying excitement and heart-pumping music that will be an unforgettable experience for the whole family!

WHEN: May 15th – May 17th

• Friday, May 15th – 7:00pm
• Saturday, May 16th – 2:00pm
• Saturday, May 16th – 6:00pm
• Sunday, May 17th – 3:00pm

WHERE: Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main Street (entrance off of Wilson), Batavia, IL

TICKETS: 847-516-2298 or visit www.spotlight.org $9-$12 presale, + $2 at the door
Group, child, and senior prices available

WHO: Spotlight Youth Theater is a non-profit, educational theater arts program for students 5-18 in the Aurora, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kenosha, Lake, McHenry, Milwaukee, Oak Park, Orland Park, Rockford Metro, and Shorewood areas and has approximately 6,000 students per year. Each area offers summer camps and after-school classes in dance, voice, drama and theatrical specialties, and performs three fully staged musical productions per year. Spotlight is non- discriminatory and welcomes all children.