Cast Announced For JUNGALBOOK At ZACH Theatre

ZACH Theatre announces the cast for Jungalbook, the 2019-20 season opener for ZACH's Moody Foundation Family Series. A retelling of Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories, Jungalbook is adapted by Edward Mast and plays The Kleberg at ZACH, September 7-December 14, 2019, under the direction of Associate Artistic Director Nat Miller with original music by Allen Robertson.

Miller explains ZACH's approach to this Kipling classic, "Our adaptation of Jungalbook includes a mix of beautiful costume designs and mask work with live puppetry, as well as shadow puppetry. Mowgli will be double cast by two of our female pre-professional actresses, Chloe Van De Graaf and Blakeney Mahlstedt. Audiences may recognize them most recently from Matilda The Musical along with other ZACH favorites, Mary Poppins and A Christmas Carol. Having a female actress play Mowgli gives the character a new perspective as both a powerful fearless female protagonist as well as somebody who has empathy for nature. Jungalbook is a play about how humans and nature live in harmony, both with each other and the world that surrounds us and we can't wait to share that experience with audiences."

Adventure awaits in a jungle where danger lurks in every tree and only the brave dare enter! This energetic and creative version of the classic tale ignites imagination and propels the audience through a world ruled by the wild. When her parents are killed by Sherakhan, the young girl Mowgli is raised by wolves, under the protection of her friends Bagheera and Baloo. In this tale of loyalty and betrayal, Mowgli must find the courage to face this challenge and choose her fate under consequences of jungle law.

Jungalbook will also star additional pre-professional students STELLA FRYE-GINSBERG and ARAYA FEENEY as Grey/Kaa/Ensemble; BRUCE BOWEN and MERCY BOVIK as Grab/Elephant; SAMANTHA BEAM and PAIGE RILEY as Perchy/Chil/Hyena/Elephant; with Understudies WILKES GOODNER for Mowgli and SLOANE JOHNSON and ABIGAIL STORM for Grey/Grab/Perchy/Ensemble.

Rounding out the adult cast: Amber Quick as Sherakhan; Lara Wright as Akela; FREDDY FRANKLIN as Bagheera; John Christopher as Baloo; with SUSANNAH CROWELL and OMAR LEWIS as Understudies.

Directed by NAT MILLER, the production team also includes SCOTT GROH as Scenic and Properties Designer, JAMIE GARNER as Costume Designer, AUSTIN BROWN as Lighting Designer, ALLEN ROBERTSON as Sound Designer, GABRIELA DE LA ROSA as Company Manager, and DAVVI SOLOMON as Stage Manager.

Tickets for Jungalbook are $18 (Youth) and $24 (Adult) and are available online at zachtheatre.org, by phone at 512-476-0541, or in person at the ZACH Theatre Box Office, in the Topfer Theatre, 202 South Lamar Boulevard (corner of Riverside Drive and South Lamar) Monday through Saturday, 12 - 5p.m.

ZACH Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Groups of 8 or more may request reservations by calling 512-476-0594 x.245 or by emailing groupsales@zachtheatre.org.