Journey into Jungle Book was a lively show that faithfully recreated the 1967 Disney animated film, with great costumes, sets, and favourite songs such as "The Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You". All your favourite characters were here too, including Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, King Louie, and even the fearsome Shere Khan. The jungle sets were well designed to create a profound feeling of depth. With acrobatics and neat special effects thrown in for good measure, this show made a rollicking 25 minutes. The show was performed in the large "Theatre in the Wild", and ran from April 22, 1998 (Animal Kingdom's opening day) until April 11, 1999, when it closed to make way for Tarzan Rocks!
Memories
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The following memory is from David Kelley
:
I was one of the actors who portrayed Baloo the Bear in Journey Into Jungle
Book. I can honestly say that was one of the most fun performing experiences
I've ever had. What fun to jump on a forest floor made of a trampoline. The
cast was very talented from the puppeteers to the principals. Baloo was a
fun combination of being laid back yet highly energized at times as well.
The scenes where I would play opposite King Louis were the most fun. Disney
hired mostly actors with a lot of comedy experience to play that role, so
from performance to performance, you never knew what to expect.
One kind of funny moment that occurred during a performance was in one of my
first shows. Throughout the show I call the little jungle boy either
"Mowgli" or "Little Britches", so in one of my performances, in the scene
where the bananas fall and hit him in the head, I couldn't remember which one
I was supposed to call him, so the line accidentally came out "Watch yourself
Bitch!". I just went on as if nothing had happened, hoping the Disney
audience hadn't noticed.
Thank you for making this webpage. It brought back alot of great memories.
Sincerely,
David Kelley
(Now, Capt. Phoebus and Victor at Hunchback of Notre Dame and part time
Gaston at Beauty and the Beast)
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