Disney's JUNGLE BOOK Broadway Engagement??- Page 2

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/7/13 at 10:38am

"Only problem is there is this little thing called a script that doesn't quite exist yet. Ms. Z apparently writes it during production. WTF??"

I haven't heard or seen anything about them not working having a book. The show is in a developmental state, I doubt they would mount those two productions without an approved book of some kind. Also the designs I've seen are final and there are a lot of scenes. I know it's done to design an entire show without a book but it's asinine budget-wise.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/8/13 at 7:14pm

So I posted an elephant photo, the elephants look hand-drawn like the other one but will have the detail almost exactly like this attached.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/8/13 at 7:18pm

Design--thanks for all of those photo links--I admit, the look of the show seems amazing.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/8/13 at 8:16pm

Welcome, I wish I could find better images of the look of this thing. It looks like a giant illustrated/water color jungle. When they say kaleidoscopic they mean it, it's bursting with color and light and design. It's not cartoony at all, nor is it traditional "jungle" it's abstract and beautiful. I know some of the Disney shows have done a pop-up book style, but this looks like that for real, but beautiful.

I can't speak too much about costumes other than they are extremely interpretative.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 3/8/13 at 9:08pm

It'll be interesting what elements they'll use from both the book, the films and the scrapped ideas, I imagine the basic plot of getting Mowgli to the Man Village will be kept but introduce Shanti earlier so there is a conflict for Mowgli whether he should remain in the jungle or go to the Man Village, the villain should remain Shere Khan, the hunter which is in the Second Jungle Book and the live action film would be too similar to Clayton from Tarzan.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/9/13 at 4:31pm

I don't know if the hunter is in this, that role is not in the casting notices. Also Sheer Khan's role is listed as a non-singer, so I think his deleted song is not going to be used. (This is just speculation)

I've seen Shanti's role listed as a princess and just young girl (and no name attached). She doubles as the young elephant, so I wonder if her role in the show is any earlier.

The story may be told from the POV of a white European kid.

Plot-wise, the JB always seemed to just be scene-to-scene for me. But Lion King, JB and Tarzan always felt like similar buddy movies, JB being the weakest but most pure.
That song.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/9/13 at 5:56pm

Well, it has begun :) It is going to Boston, and AS WE ALL KNOW if new musicals/plays are successful in a big city like that, it could be on Broadway I'm betting that it will. If Newsies, a DISNEY-PRODUCED (Right?) musical, arrived on Broadway, so will this! And I like the designs here so far, they sound fantastic!

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/9/13 at 7:03pm

After seeing the scope of this production, I'm fairly confident it is headed for something larger than regional productions. That said, from what I've seen, it is completely tour-able. There is no turn-table, transformations or flying.

[BroadwayBrat]

Posted: 3/9/13 at 7:49pm

I think it will be well-received in Boston.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 3/9/13 at 9:41pm

The Jungle Book is probably simplistic compared to Lion King and Tarzan but that may be due to the nature of the plot plus the book is a collection of stories.

It'll be interesting if the Vultures are kept as they're good characters although it does date the film a little plus the song doesn't fit with the rest of the songs that feature in the film.

Out of interest, what is the context of I Knew I Belonged to Her? From the lyrics it sounds like Mowgli talking about his mother so I think reintroducing it into the show would fit my idea of having Mowgli conflicted about staying in the jungle or going to the Man Village. Even moving My Own Home to nearer the beginning would work too, Updated On: 3/9/13 at 09:41 PM

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 2:52pm

"'Colonel Hathi' will probably feel like a musical/dance highlight-one of the biggest moments-and 'Baloo's Blues' will be the debut of a new piece of material,"

Well they are bringing in one of the "sequel" songs. I guess that will be at the end of the show.

Concerning Colonel Hathi's March, I wonder if this refers the GIANT elephant set pieces there are?
BWW Article

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 3:35pm

I'm very curious about this production and plan to see it. I never saw Metamorphoses, but I wasn't a huge fan of Zimmerman's Candide. It carried a lot of Zimmerman's flair for the visual, but I found the book choppy (the narrative monologues by chorus members kept stalling the momentum) and the direction lacking much of the wit and heart I'd seen in previous productions. And there were moments that may have sounded cute conceptually, but came off rather sophomoric in execution and stylistically muddied the piece.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 3:57pm

Another Disney musical???

MAKE IT STOP...

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 4:52pm

Why?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 10:56pm

Does this one have a big bear in it?

[broadwayfreak4]

Posted: 3/28/13 at 11:22pm

So since I didn't see Disney Theatricals anywhere, I'm assuming this is NOT a Disney produced show. Am I correct?

[finebydesign]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 11:46am

I think "I Knew I Belonged To Her" is going to be included in the new how, pretty song

[gchris11]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 11:49am

I hope they do not do this. I see another TARZAN in the making.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 2:23pm

I'm hearing whispers that dependent on how well Aladdin goes Mulan will be begin moving forward.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 2:39pm

From where? That is one project I've never heard mentioned.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 2:52pm

A source close to Disney Theatrical group. Apparently a few years ago whenever Disney went crazy and bought all those domains everything from "Pirates of the Caribbean Broadway" to "Coyote Ugly on Broadway", Mulan was tossed around but at that point they had "their female show" with Mary Poppins. Now that MP closed they are wanting a female led show, nothing is confirmed but I know for a fact it's a "let keep Mulan in the back of our mind" sort of thing.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 3:17pm

Weird, the only project(s) I knew they were working on were Freaky Friday and Father of the Bride. Disney isn't in the business of making sex-specific shows. They're looking for family hits.

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 3:26pm

^ but I think Disney Theatricals does have a "rule" that they don't want more than one Disney princess on Broadway at a time. Mary Poppins wasn't a Disney Princess, but Jasmine is. I believe that is why BATB had to close to make way for LM.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 4:26pm

Well right now looks like Aladdin, Lion King, Newsies and Junglebook could be open on Broadway next season.

[jeffmiele]

Posted: 5/13/13 at 5:14pm

Wouldn't it make more sense to bring JUNGLE BOOK in during another season? Why would DIsney want two new shows competing against each other for both the box office and the Tony?