Forget about your worries and your strife - at least for a few hours!
Das Dschungelbuch (The Jungle Book)
Bad Vilbel Burgfestspiele, 25th May, 2014
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| Bad Vilbel's water castle (or what is left of it) |
It was already on at the annual open air festival last year but I did not manage to go there, too many other things to do, too little time so I was pleased when learning the festival would bring it back...
Directed by Christian H. Voss and as said on the official website composition by Jan Radermacher (meaning music and lyrics for sure as also mentioned on his website, though does that include book and script too? I do not know as no one is mentioned for that and there is no such thing as ONE Jungle Book story so it cannot simply be that 1:1 - someone must have adjusted it for the musical to make it flow as one piece) the musical tells fluently and well staged the story of the well known characters of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan and all the other animals in the jungle that it is such a fun!
Cast this season (according to website):
Is there actually anyone who does not at least know the Disney movie featuring most probably one of the best songs ever written?
Or even the 1942 movie starring the talented Sabu as Mowgli? While all adaptions usually slightly differ they still tell all of Mowgli's path of growing up, of search for identity, friendship vs. enmity...
Sometimes well captured, sometimes not so (anyone remember the Soviet film? Shiver.. )...
This show does though grips it well and is that kind of family shows I want to see.
It delivers everything from the great story with a message, an elaborated directing concept supported well by an effective choreography and a while simple but bright set and satisfying costumes (for most the animal they are portraying the costume is just contoured) by Heike Meixner, catchy matching music and an enthusiastic cast (even if not all casting worked for me totally as the casting of Akela with a woman).
It is a production that while it can entertain it also takes its largely young audience serious enough and gives them something to think about unlike a lot of kids shows these days.
Not saying that there are no funny moments, there are plenty but they never feel absurd and ridiculous as when Chil, a vulture (have to nitpick - Chil is a kite in the original book), finds Baloo and Bagheera and tells them where Mowgli is after having been kidnapped by the Bandar-log and has his blonde moments that is done so hysterically funny.
Or when Baloo and Bagheera visit Kaa, a short sighted hypnotic python, which is in the musical portrayed as a female, very eccentric diva like snake (another slight nitpick, Kaa is actually male in the original book) very much inspired by the grand ladies of film as Liz Taylor and a pinch of Joan Collins it seems, and goad her into helping them to rescue Mowgli.
Or when Baloo teaches Mowgli or at least tries to and, and, and....
There are hardly any dull moments in the show with also the set and the castle remains besides the stage being nicely utilised working on different levels - and the one which did bore me a bit as when Shere Khan and Tabaqui come up with a plan to get their hands on Mowgli at last is essential and I can actually not think of a better way to implement it so I am not gonna complain...
As said the direction is also well supported by the choreography by Kati Farkas catching the typical movements of the various animals without getting too animalistic wonderfully with a lot of pep.
The music (Jan Radermacher, musical direction by Jeff Frohner) can also predominantly embrace the story capturing the different moments and atmospheres in the show with the various music styles but still showing some leitmotif and smart lyrics congenially that is strongly performed by the cast.
As said I was not too keen on the casting of Akela with a woman sounding too neat for an elder wolf pack leader Kipling also portrays as some kind of English gentlemen but in the ensemble parts Stefany Dreyer did a fab job. The casting of Angelina Arnold as Shere Khan on the other hand though worked but then she had the right edgy roughness needed to believable.
The two highlights for me were certainly Marcel Kaiser as Chil being so poignant and doltish and Sonja Herrmann as Kaa being a perfect exaggerated prima donna.
But also the others, particularly Martin Planz as the responsible, clever Bagheera could largely awe - just Krisha Dalke as Mowgli was a bit too dull for me but then I saw a few years ago a most perfect Mowgli when the Schmidt Theater staged the Christian Berg version (which coincidentally featured Jan Radermacher as Bagheera (and Manuel Ettelt as a terrific Baloo ;-) ) ) starring the vigorous Tamara Bauer in that part and Krisha Dalke comes across, while he certainly has the right physique, a bit too grown up already.
Overall a fantastic performance of a great production of a story that still can touch and captivate after all these years. This production is definitely worth a visit and maybe other theatres can consider it bringing it on stage as a Christmas show in the (near) future.
http://www.kultur-bad-vilbel.de/burgfestspiele/spielplan/?id=8770
Directed by Christian H. Voss and as said on the official website composition by Jan Radermacher (meaning music and lyrics for sure as also mentioned on his website, though does that include book and script too? I do not know as no one is mentioned for that and there is no such thing as ONE Jungle Book story so it cannot simply be that 1:1 - someone must have adjusted it for the musical to make it flow as one piece) the musical tells fluently and well staged the story of the well known characters of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan and all the other animals in the jungle that it is such a fun!
Cast this season (according to website):
Martin Planz - Bagheera
Nikolai Radke - Baloo
Krisha Dalke - Mowgli
Angelina Arnold - Shere Khan
Marcel Kaiser - Chil, Rama
Sonja Herrmann - Kaa
Anne Simmering - Tabaqui
Luis Lay - King Lui, Wolf
Victoria Müller Queen Ellie, Wolf
Laura Joeken - Raksha, Bandar-log
Stefany Dreyer - Akela, Bandar-log
Jan-David Bower - Wolf, Bandar-log
Or even the 1942 movie starring the talented Sabu as Mowgli? While all adaptions usually slightly differ they still tell all of Mowgli's path of growing up, of search for identity, friendship vs. enmity...
Sometimes well captured, sometimes not so (anyone remember the Soviet film? Shiver.. )...
This show does though grips it well and is that kind of family shows I want to see.
It delivers everything from the great story with a message, an elaborated directing concept supported well by an effective choreography and a while simple but bright set and satisfying costumes (for most the animal they are portraying the costume is just contoured) by Heike Meixner, catchy matching music and an enthusiastic cast (even if not all casting worked for me totally as the casting of Akela with a woman).
Not saying that there are no funny moments, there are plenty but they never feel absurd and ridiculous as when Chil, a vulture (have to nitpick - Chil is a kite in the original book), finds Baloo and Bagheera and tells them where Mowgli is after having been kidnapped by the Bandar-log and has his blonde moments that is done so hysterically funny.
Or when Baloo and Bagheera visit Kaa, a short sighted hypnotic python, which is in the musical portrayed as a female, very eccentric diva like snake (another slight nitpick, Kaa is actually male in the original book) very much inspired by the grand ladies of film as Liz Taylor and a pinch of Joan Collins it seems, and goad her into helping them to rescue Mowgli.
Or when Baloo teaches Mowgli or at least tries to and, and, and....
There are hardly any dull moments in the show with also the set and the castle remains besides the stage being nicely utilised working on different levels - and the one which did bore me a bit as when Shere Khan and Tabaqui come up with a plan to get their hands on Mowgli at last is essential and I can actually not think of a better way to implement it so I am not gonna complain...
As said the direction is also well supported by the choreography by Kati Farkas catching the typical movements of the various animals without getting too animalistic wonderfully with a lot of pep.
The music (Jan Radermacher, musical direction by Jeff Frohner) can also predominantly embrace the story capturing the different moments and atmospheres in the show with the various music styles but still showing some leitmotif and smart lyrics congenially that is strongly performed by the cast.
As said I was not too keen on the casting of Akela with a woman sounding too neat for an elder wolf pack leader Kipling also portrays as some kind of English gentlemen but in the ensemble parts Stefany Dreyer did a fab job. The casting of Angelina Arnold as Shere Khan on the other hand though worked but then she had the right edgy roughness needed to believable.
The two highlights for me were certainly Marcel Kaiser as Chil being so poignant and doltish and Sonja Herrmann as Kaa being a perfect exaggerated prima donna.
But also the others, particularly Martin Planz as the responsible, clever Bagheera could largely awe - just Krisha Dalke as Mowgli was a bit too dull for me but then I saw a few years ago a most perfect Mowgli when the Schmidt Theater staged the Christian Berg version (which coincidentally featured Jan Radermacher as Bagheera (and Manuel Ettelt as a terrific Baloo ;-) ) ) starring the vigorous Tamara Bauer in that part and Krisha Dalke comes across, while he certainly has the right physique, a bit too grown up already.
Overall a fantastic performance of a great production of a story that still can touch and captivate after all these years. This production is definitely worth a visit and maybe other theatres can consider it bringing it on stage as a Christmas show in the (near) future.
http://www.kultur-bad-vilbel.de/burgfestspiele/spielplan/?id=8770
