Disney's next stage venture: THE JUNGLE BOOK directed by Mary Zimmerman

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/27/12 at 11:38pm

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/theaterloop/chi-goodman-theatre-season-jungle-book-20120227,0,1474284.column

Interesting. I don't see how it can work. But that's what I thought before THE LION KING.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 12:32am

The lion king is such a hot mess, the opening could be the finest 10 minutes of theatre ever. Sadly what follows is beyond awful and rather boring. I never thought of the Jungle Book as an American classic ( always thought it was English ) it will be interesting to see what she does with this!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 1:25am

I'm always up for a new Disney musical, but this one is not one of my favorite scores. Still, I'm excited to see what they do with it.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 1:53am

Isn't this being staged for licensing purposes rather than Broadway? I do like the Jungle Book, it'll be interesting how it's reimagined on stage, I like Zimmerman's plan to include Indian music with the Sherman Brothers material but I'm interested is how they do the animals like Bagheera, Baloo etc

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 2:57am

Rosscoe(au), the Jungle Book as an American Film is an American animated classic; as a novel, that's a different story.

I look forward to seeing what Zimmerman can do with this, though I have to admit The Jungle Book has never been a favorite of mine.

[abitoftap]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 4:44am

an iconic American property...I'm sure Rudyard Kipling would have something to say about that!
I'm pleased someone else (roscoe(au))has the same view of the Lion King as me.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 6:41am

It's still gonna be adult actors in giant bear and tiger costumes, unless you go the Lion King route, which has been done already.

I'm intrigued that she's going back to the original source material and also adding in some Indian-influenced songs. I have a feeling the public will HATE it when it's not the movie presented exactly as they know it. I can hear all the "WTF?" comments already. Still, it's a risk, and I'm glad she's taking it. I wish her luck.

As for Lion King, I've never gotten that comment about the first 10 minutes being brilliant and the rest sucking. I saw the show with the full OBC a week before the Tonys, and I thought the production was sensational. The first 10 minutes amounts to nothing more than a processional. It was wonderful, but so was the rest of the show, and it was no less imaginative after Circle of Life ended.

I must admit I roll my eyes whenever I hear that comment. It makes no sense. It's like saying, "I loved the show curtain. It was one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen, but then it went up."

Updated On: 2/28/12 at 06:41 AM

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 8:22am

Is Disney going to recycle the Tarzan costumes and scenery?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 10:10am

Zimmerman is a pretty smart choice for this project. It will probably be something like her Arabian Nights at Lookingglass which was a big hit in Chicago. Lots of color, movement, choreography and acrobatics will be in store.

I have a feeling the public will HATE it when it's not the movie presented exactly as they know it.

I wouldn't be so sure. This is not a film that is on a sacred pedestal or has reached the iconic status of being a permanent fixture in the theme parks. The only songs from the film that are ever repeated or highlighted are Bare Necessities and I Wanna Be Like You so there really is a lot of wiggle room. Even when Mary Poppins strayed from the film, it still managed to be a massive hit.

As for Lion King, I've never gotten that comment about the first 10 minutes being brilliant and the rest sucking.

I never understood that, either. There were about three scenes I didn't care for, but the rest of the show more than made up for it. So many beautiful, original and creative things (big and small) occur throughout the show. Even something as simple as the second act opening thrilled me in its use of music, color, voice and spirit. It was joyous and I guess some people find joy to be shallow or trite.

[Skywalker3]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 10:16am

Look up 'Journey into the Jungle Book' on that videosite...

When Animal Kindom just opend, this was one of the shows. A big flop, it closed very fast!
I hope it's not going to look anything like that..

(Will Swenson was in this show (don't think he's in the video) and told a story about it in Seth's Chatterbox)

[Justin D]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 10:29am

I guess I'll never get to see a Broadway version of Hunchback

Updated On: 2/28/12 at 10:29 AM

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 11:20am

I just feel sorry for whatever actress has to sing that damn "go and fetch the water song" at the end!

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 11:24am

Really? Sigh. I played Baloo when I was 9 at summer camp. It was fun. But that's about it.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 11:27am

Make no mistake they are putting this out asap as an alternative to the HUGE demand for Lion King licensees.

Good news for all the cut songs Gilkyson songs!

Brothers All - Opening
The Song of the Seoneee - Wolf Pack
Monkey See, Monkey Do - Monkeys
I Knew I Belonged to Her - Mowgli
In a Days Work - Baloo and Bagheera
The Mighty Hunters - Shere Khan & Buldeo the Hunter.

Might be cool with more Indian influence in the music and puppetry/masks of the region. A cool project for sure given the wealth of source material to work with. There are some Sherman Brother songs and a sequel with some not-so-good tunes.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 7:55pm

Walt famously told the Sherman Bros when he asked them to do the film that the first thing they should do is NOT read the book.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 9:32pm

It'll be interesting how they expand it because the film while very good is only loosely based on the books which itself are a collection of stories.

Posted: 2/28/12 at 9:38pm

What makes you think that audiences will not tolerate any changes to this story from a popular film and yet they eat up Lion King which made the exact sort of changes being described here to a film that a lot of the audience knows by heart?

I think Zimmerman is a brilliant choice to head this up.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 9:43pm

I just feel sorry for whatever actress has to sing that damn "go and fetch the water song" at the end!

It was Darlene Carr in the Disney film. She's the younger sister of Charmian Carr, who played Leisl in The Sound of Music.

Darlene also auditioned to play a Von Trapp kid in the movie, and although she wasn't cast, they liked her voice so much that she sang off-screen for the kids. She's the one you can hear singing the high "Aaaahs," during the song The Sound of Music. She also dubbed Kurt's high note in So Long, Farewell.

... and then she fetched the damn water in Jungle Book.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 9:57pm

What makes you think that audiences will not tolerate any changes to this story from a popular film and yet they eat up Lion King which made the exact sort of changes being described here to a film that a lot of the audience knows by heart?

Joe, the Lion King didn't make any changes to the story. They expanded the original screenplay and added new songs, but they didn't change the plot. The major changes were all in the presentation.

The Jungle Book stories by Kipling are very different than the Disney animated film. It's not just a conceptual change or an expansion. It could be virtually unrecognizable to those only familiar with the film or it could be another "ice show" adaptation on stage where it's only enhanced with some minor Kipling details. It all depends on how far she wants to take it. She says she wants to go back to the source. I wonder how much she'll be able to do that (or how much they'll let her deviate from what is "established" as Disney's Jungle Book).

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 10:09pm

Completely unrelated since I don't even have a tiny fraction of Zimmerman's vision or talent, but I directed a production of "The Jungle Book Jr" and I found ways to add Indian touches from the source and historically. The marching elephant guards were British/Indian generals, the snake/s were Indian dancers, the panther was like Punjab from Annie, etc. Granted this was thrown together with cloth and poster board so I can only imagine a fully researched, realized, and budgeted vision.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 10:53pm

The basic plot of the Disney Jungle Book film is Bargheera trying to get Mowgli to go to the Man Village and that aspect should remain, I think they could expand Mowgli's character, maybe introduce Shanti a little earlier so that he's conflicted whether to remain in the jungle or go to the Man Village.

[lupone76]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 11:04pm

enough with disney shows on b'way. well, except for newsies cause it really is an old fashioned musical in many ways. mary poppins, beauty and lion king happened to work. but all the other disney films jungle book included dont really have what it takes to be molded into full fledged b'way musicals. these type of musicals should do limited runs at the theater at msg or beacon if you will and then tour on the road.

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/28/12 at 11:12pm

Haha, interesting Besty. Nothing against her, of course. :) I just remember that song driving me absolutely crazy as a kid. (It didn't help that I wanted Mowgli to stay with the animals and not go to the man village)

[roseaddams]

Posted: 2/29/12 at 12:21pm

I just stage managed a production of The Jungle Book, Jr. They reworked the girl as a narrator who introduces Kaa and the elephants - and every little narrative song she has is better than that stupid water song.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/29/12 at 12:38pm

What about ALLADIN and/or THE HUNCHBACK?

That said, this should be fun a la THE LION KING