Most of the animals are just like the costume shown. There are no masks, just HIGHLY stylized Indian-influenced garments that evoke the animal they are. For instance the monkies have tails.
I saw an early rendering of Baloo and he was wearing essentially a bear onesie. But now I think (unless it's Bagheera) Baloo wears pattern outfit with a transparent hoopskirt connected with suspenders and like Shere Kahn, a turban with "ears" on top. He also has a pair of trousers with the same transparent pants.
There are butterfly/insect creatures "bugs" that have more embellishments, wings etc. The only thing "real" in the world Mowgli exists is himself. Everything else is very stylized. The set is not realistic in anyway.
There is a large Snake set piece but I'm not sure how that works with the snake. The casting call mentioned "Puppetry experience is a plus" . So maybe he controls the set piece? I'm not sure but the Snake I saw is a flat illustration of a snake that comes down from the wings. It looks just like the sets.
The Elephants are very large set pieces and they're really beautiful illustrations. I'm not sure how they are being "acted out" out or costumed. The set elephants are adorned with jewels and trimmings like typical captive elephants in India. I'm not sure if these set pieces move or what.
"Is it going to be like Lion king or is it something no one has ever done before?"
It def has been done before. It's like Lion King in the sense that Zimmerman is using Indian fabrics/materials and silhouettes from the area as well as the animal accents. Again, I haven't seen any mask work.
The Lion King comparisons are inevitable, heck this would not have happened if it didn't happen. I don't see the extensive use of masks and puppetry here. The band is on-stage sometimes so they have costumes as well.
The set is just beautiful, the costumes...jury's still out for me. I think the Shere Kahn costume is really nice, it's almost Scar without the mask.
Hmm, I just noticed the Mowgli casting, I know that little boy who plays Mowgli can sing but maybe he isn't singing in this show. Awe, I wanted to hear his deleted song.
"Male, South Asian or other ethnicity, should seem 10-12 years old. No specific vocal range. Small, spunky, independent, stubborn, unafraid, thinks he can manage when he really can't. A live wire, sparkly, charming. Singers and non-singers welcome."
Casting Notice
Updated On: 6/17/13 at 04:10 PM
