JUNGLE BOOK B'way Transfer?- Page 2

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 11:57am

That's too bad. I don't have my program in front of me, but I think the curtain call was called "Jungle Rhythm" or something like that? It was a jazzy swing number, and was fun, but I would have liked a gratuitous Bollywood love letter.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 12:07pm

"I was not taken with many of the actors, and I think they need to do some recasting if this production continues. "

Yeah, like that's gonna happen with Mary Zimmerman directing.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 12:19pm

Yeah, same name I think. Honestly, it was fun but it really didn't fit. I know it's a curtain call and doesn't necessarily have to segue perfectly, but because the whole show had been careful to nod to the correct period, jumping into a Bollywood number just because it's India so why not felt odd. I suspect that's why it's gone.

On second thought, since the song is still there, I wonder if what you saw actually is different from what I saw and we're just passing ships. For what it's worth, I did hear the ending was going to change, but obviously I can't tell without seeing it.

Updated On: 9/9/13 at 12:19 PM

[dave1606]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 3:21pm

I saw this yesterday as well. It was definitely a mixed bag. Sometimes, when everything comes together, it is a truly beautiful show. Certain Costumes, like Nikki Gaff Lanzarone's are incredible and her entrance in the first scene was breathtaking. But then as Whizzer mentioned are either embarrassing or too abstract to the point that we don't even know what they are supposed to be. Baloos especially, but ensemble as well.

Andre DeSheilds is a major asset and much like Andrea Martin in Pippin makes more of an impression in the 10 minutes of stage time he has than the rest of the cast do for the duration of the show.

The show suffers from a real lack of music, and the pacing at some points is deathly.

Right now to me it looks like a great college production, but certainly is not ready for Broadway. The numbers using the band were fun, but uptempo songs, especially in the second act were few and far between save for the curtain call.

Overall, there is definitely something to this show, but I don't think they have realized the full potential and there needs to be some serious re-writes, set design and casting before this is really ready for Broadway. The current product does not stand up to the Ling King.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 6:16pm

Whizzer, I always respect your opinion, and I agree with most of what you said, but Larry Yando's performance as Shere Khan was not a "poor man's" anything. I don't know what you must have seen (a lot could have changed), but when I saw the show, the moments that worked best were the ones when he was onstage. Maybe it's just because I've seen him in quite a few shows and I am a huge fan of his, but I can't imagine him giving anything other than a stellar performance.

This show really made me question Mary Zimmerman's already questionable process of only writing during the rehearsal period. When she rehearses a show, there is no script on the first day. Even though there were musical workshops with actors she could have utilized and there was extensive research for the production (including a trip to India), I heard that she did not have a word written until rehearsals had started. In order to really fix the show's problems, she needs to learn how to write beforehand, or at least do some workshops. It's hard enough to direct a show this massive, she's only making it harder on herself by not having a script.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 6:56pm

I expected, going in, that Shere Khan might do more, but that's the material -- when he's on stage, Larry Yando doesn't do anything halfway. Thought he was great.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/9/13 at 8:10pm

Danny, I guess I should clarify that I think Shere Khan being a poor man's Scar had more to do with the way the character was written and conceived than with the performance. Maybe Yando was just doing what he was told, but I don't think his choices helped make Shere Khan be what I think he should be.

Yesterday Shere Khan felt like Rupert Everett in a Noel Coward play. He was droll and not scary in the least. I don't know why the rest of the jungle was so scared of him in the slightest.

I think someone like Michael Cerveris would make a great Shere Khan. He has the potential to be darkly humorous, but also very dangerous and menacing. I just didn't care of the way the part was written/Yando was forced to play it.

He also didn't have the strongest voice.

I definitely don't want to give the impression that Yando nor any of the other actors were walking through or giving half-assed performances.

[joe5]

Posted: 9/18/13 at 5:15pm

Attended the sold-out performance last evening. It being my favorite animated Disney movie. The show did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it a lot. From the opening , which is ravishing for the eyes . And the Indian-Jazz orchestrations ravishing to the ears . I was smiling from the beginning to end . And left singing Jungle Rhythm , all the way home.

Andre De Shields and Kevin Carolan. As King Louie and Baloo , both bring the house down. Great job by the cast. Glad I had the chance to see it !

[MsLinneaRose]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 1:30am

Whizzer, is it the same "Jungle Rhythm" song from "The Jungle Book 2"? I was considering getting tickets because my friend helped with sets and I live ridiculously close to Boston and love seeing shows at The Hunt. Do you recommend it?
"Jungle Rhythm"

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 3:37am

Last I heard was it will be reworked and developed by Disney and open in London or Germany first, can't see that happening until late 2015/16.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 9/19/13 at 1:49pm

MsLinneaRose it is from Jungle Book 2

[MsLinneaRose]

Posted: 9/20/13 at 12:40am

Thank you, finebydesign! This is why I'm proud to say I have seen every Disney Sequel, Prequel, and Midquel lol. Having worked for Disney will do that to you haha! :)

[jaxandmci]

Posted: 9/23/13 at 11:52am

I saw The Jungle Book this past Saturday and so wanted to love it. I have to agree with Whizzer, Dave and Danny that it is generally a mess. And the mess begins with the book. Or should I say, the nearly complete absence of one. The show plays more like a series of vignettes with no common thread weaving them all together. Zimmerman’s framing device (the boy reading The Jungle Book in his bedroom) is so thin and happens so quickly at the beginning that there is no time to build expectations for something incredible about to come. And tacked on again for 30 seconds at the end, it seems rushed and pointless, and didn’t generate any emotional response--as it should have if it had helped tell a story.

I clocked it (and believe me, I looked at my watch several times during the show), and the first real musical number comes a full 25 minutes in. Up until then, it’s just … well, to be honest I can’t really remember much of anything about most of Act I. Oh, but there’s the butterflies. We are quickly introduced to the butterflies: three ensemble members flitting around. performing stagehand duties and functioning as transition devices. They are dressed in colorful hoop skirts, blouses with puffed sleeves and shiny adornments, lots of heavy jewelry, antennae headpieces and big butterfly wings. Two of the actors are female, one is a male with a shaved head and let’s just say that the greatly exaggerated feminine flitting of the male actor (wildly more so than the females) struck me as highly offensive because I suspect Zimmerman is trying to play it for laughs (look at the GAY butterfly!). It was a choice that, like so many others in this show, was a poor one. The butterflies soon wore on me and got me thinking: with some additional costumes, couldn’t they have also played as dragonflies, toucans, flying frogs? And then: why butterflies if their feet never leave the stage? All this while I shhould have been engrossed in the show.

Oh, the costumes. Like others have said, some were great (the Peacock, King Louie and the apes, the vultures), some were uninspired (the wolves, Bagheera, Shere Khan) and others were downright horrible (Baloo, Baloo, and BALOO). And please, if you are going to use a beautifully designed puppet for the snake, at least fashion it so its mouth moves. Kaa is talking and singing so let the poor snake really talk and sing. Otherwise, it’s completely void of personality and menace. Those traits need to emanate from the snake itself, not the actors/puppeteers voicing and controlling it.

I agree that De Shields’ single number steals the show. While the rest of the cast does its best with the material they have to work with, no one else really stood out for me and everyone seems to be either featured or ensemble. Even young Mowgli, despite the fact that he is supposed to be the main character, has little to actually do or say, and absolutely nothing to sing. And with respect to Whizzer, I didn’t get his creepy pedophilia vibe at all. This, despite the fact that I really had to work hard to convince myself that these were animals and not humans—something the costume designer might want to consider.

Four of the musical numbers (Colonel Hathi’s March, I Wanna To Be Like You, Jungle Rhythm, Bare Necessities) shine but the others are only saved by the talented and well-costumed orchestra, and their frequent oh-so-welcome appearances onstage. I found myself watching them when they emerged from the pit to join the “action”. They were often more amusing and engaging than anything else going on up there.

I deemed the sets to be quite dull: two dimensional jungle backgrounds sliding to and fro. All done in muted greens, browns, oranges, and yellows with no pops of color. It’s a jungle so make it vibrant and alive and exploding with color.

There is a decided lack of musical numbers in the show and really, it should all be about BIG musical numbers and a couple of tear-inducing ballads. BIG numbers threaded together by the engaging and emotional story of an infant found and raised by jungle animals, his coming of age and his eventual discovery of his place in the world. It could end up doing well on Broadway but I think it’s facing a long journey to arrive there and enjoy a long run.

[jaxandmci]

Posted: 9/23/13 at 12:03pm

Although it's off-topic, I might add that I also saw The Other Place while in Boston this weekend. I missed the New York versions so I was excited at the prospect of being able to see this well-reviewed show--even without Laurie Metcalfe. I'm happy to report it was throughing engrossing and the 80 minutes flew by in an absolute blurr. If you are planning on seeing The Jungle Book, contrast it with this this exceptional mind-bender playing at the Central Square Theater in Cambridge through 10/06.

[BroadwayBrat]

Posted: 9/27/13 at 11:13pm

The first 25% of the show is painfully slow. I agree with other comments.....very mixed bag...but there's a lot to like. Overall, I enjoyed the show.

The opening needs the most help and give (write) a song for the boy!!

[CukorLover]

Posted: 9/27/13 at 11:44pm

How is the choreography by TONY Award winner Christopher Gattelli ?

[bdboston]

Posted: 9/28/13 at 4:15pm

I was at the Wednesday matinee of The Jungle Book this past week, and I fully agree with half of jaxandmci's assessment. Only half because I left at intermission, which is something I rarely do. Act One was such a bore to me, I couldn't possibly see how Act Two would have made my staying worthwhile. "A series of vignettes" it the perfect way to describe this show - but vignettes without any connection. Everything about the show (or at least, the half I saw) was less than "meh." And oh, those butterflies. Everytime they were on stage, I kept thinking of that old Sid & Marty Krofft series "The Bugaloos" - they looked that ridiculous. I was hoping Martha Raye's "Benita Bizarre" would have made an appearance to put a much needed jolt into the proceedings.

The orchestra was very good, but I was annoyed by the band members that showed up on stage (no matter how good they jammed). And what was that supposed to be a flying carpet that levitated on high every so often? Floating bed?

I kept looking at my watch throughout, and by the time Andre De Shield's (overdone) Act One closer finished, I didn't hesitate or think twice about not coming back for Act Two.

Did I miss out on something better/greater by not staying? I'll never know... but life's too short for bad theater.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/28/13 at 6:13pm

Sounds like you're quite satisfied with your decision. Proud of it even. Why would anybody want to talk you out of it?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/28/13 at 6:54pm

My take on the Zimmerman Jungle Book is much closer to this guy's than BDBoston

[BwayGeek2]

Posted: 9/30/13 at 4:00pm

I have never been a huge fan of the Jungle Book, so personally I could do without it making the move. I think there should be more room for other new shows or more beloved revivals on Broadway.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/30/13 at 8:54pm

There's clearly a following for this show/movie. I really hope with some reworking over the next year this will be a success on Broadway.
THE JUNGLE BOOK is Huntington Theatre Company's Highest Grossing Show Ever