Disney's next stage venture: THE JUNGLE BOOK directed by Mary Zimmerman- Page 2

[whatever2]

Posted: 2/29/12 at 12:50pm

i dunno, best12 -- i don't see zimmerman signing on to direct actors in bear and tiger costumes (at least not in the traditional sense) ...

Posted: 3/1/12 at 4:42pm

Interesting perspective from the Chicago Tribune:

"The Jungle Book" has been, to use the word of Disney Theatrical President Thomas Schumacher, wholly "entrusted" to Zimmerman. The most significant beneficiary won't be Zimmerman, whose career is established at the Metropolitan Opera and elsewhere, but the people she chooses to work with, many not so well-established. She gets to pick. Disney has come as close to offering carte blanche as it ever comes. That means her frequent collaborators, almost all of whom live and work in Chicago, will have the rare chance to work on the only kind of property in American theater that really makes you some big money. (Broadway, London, theme parks, stuffed toys — you get the idea.) The kind that can sustain you while you, say, work on your labor of off-Loop love 10 years from now.

It's hard to think of another time this has happened in Chicago, and it could be life-changing for an artist like Doug Peck, for example, whose musical chops are beloved in Chicago but who has yet to really be discovered in New York. I doubt Zimmerman will be able to cast this show entirely in Chicago, but one can be sure that the Chicago actors in her show will be numerous.

If all goes well, "The Jungle Book" will be an international outgrowth of a definable Chicago aesthetic traceable back through Zimmerman to her teacher, Frank Galati, and to his teacher, Robert Breen.

Those few Chicago theater people in steady jobs running theaters or teaching easily and frequently forget the difficulty of making a living as a freelance artist in Chicago. One such young theater artist sent me a note this week bemoaning the difficulty of breaking into big, sedentary institutions."
Theater Loop

[finebydesign]

Posted: 4/16/13 at 3:33pm

"This summer, the Goodman Theatre in Chicago presents the world-premiere, pre-Broadway stage production of Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”"

So they're calling it "pre-Broadway" now?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/13 at 3:33pm

Ugh.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 4/16/13 at 3:36pm

"i dunno, best12 -- i don't see zimmerman signing on to direct actors in bear and tiger costumes (at least not in the traditional sense) ..."

It's hard to describe the costumes, but they are not "Bear suits" it's more abstract.


"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"

From what I've seen this kind of design philosophy has been applied to the costumes. There are aspects of Indian culture and animal parts (tails) are use. It's interesting, not sure if it works. I haven't seen how the elephants are done other than the GIGANTIC set pieces that are elephants.

[rhdery]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 2:02am

Zimmerman will at least do things that are interesting. I am certain of that-- whether anything ever clicks or not is beyond me, though. I rarely manage to get it right when I try and guess what will or won't do box office.

But I do like that Disney seems to have, at least in this case, recognized that the best bet involved turning projects over to vibrant talents and letting them run.

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 4:32am

I don't know if you saw my column from April 10th, which starts off with a brief update about "The Jungle Book." It certainly is getting a lot of attention in and for Chicago, and with good reason!

http://Chicago.BroadwayWorld.com/article/The-Showtune-Mosh-Pit-for-April-10th-2013-20130410

[Dave19]

Posted: 4/17/13 at 6:17am

Best12bars, I didn't know that!

I always thought it was Charmian singing those "aaah's" in TSOM. I never knew her sister sang "my own home" either.

They look alike a lot too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darleen_Carr



Updated On: 4/17/13 at 06:17 AM

[pli1018]

Posted: 4/24/13 at 1:43pm

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-jungle-book-readies-chicago-444854

Mentions some stuff that I believe is new, including casting!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/24/13 at 2:46pm

they also have a sneak peak:


"The Jungle Book Workshop | February 2013
In February 2013, The Jungle Book Director/Adapter Mary Zimmerman and Music Director Doug Peck held a music workshop which united six Chicago swing/jazz musicians with six Indian instrumentalists to fuse songs to create a sound unique to this production. The legendary Academy Award winner Richard Sherman is collaborating on this production, providing access and permission to adapt beloved songs that Sherman and his brother, Robert, wrote for the film—as well as unused songs written for the film, plus new lyrics written for this production."

Bare Necessities sounds amazing!!

They've also extended it one week through August 4.




Michael Lindner as Baloo - Bare Necessities

Updated On: 4/24/13 at 02:46 PM

[Jonwo]

Posted: 4/24/13 at 3:02pm

I love how they managed to fuse swing with Indian music, I hope The Jungle Book is successful, I imagine if Broadway is on the cards, I imagine it'll be 2015 at the earliest to allow distance between it and Aladdin.

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 4/24/13 at 3:08pm

That's Chicago actor Michael Lindner as Baloo in the video, sounding amazing!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/24/13 at 3:15pm

unfortunately, Lindner isn't playing the role during the run. Kevin Carolan is listed as Baloo.

Updated On: 4/24/13 at 03:15 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/23/14 at 2:10pm

Disney's new remake of The Jungle Book is going to be a musical with Richard Sherman, writing new music. Guess this is a test run for Beauty and the Beast


Disney Legend Richard Sherman Writing Songs for Jon Favreau's 'Jungle Book'