To God Be the Glory!
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
The Jungle Book Characters:
Mowgli(Lead Role, Solos)
Mowgli is a boy who gets along with everyone and who is very likable. He has a joyful and curious nature, and a twinkle in his eye. This child should have a spark that can captivate the audience and should be a bit feisty.
Shanti(Lead Role, Solos)
Shanti is the girl who takes Mowgli to the village at the end of the story. She is hiding in the jungle the entire time. She should exude sweetness and kindness and have a natural ability for acting and singing. She has a couple of solos and is a storyteller in the show as well as a dancer
Bagheera(Lead Role, Solos)
The role of Bagheera, the panther, can be played by a boy or a girl. Bagheera should be physically agile and with good command of his or her body. This actor is the leader of the story. Bagheera should act like an older brother or sister to Mowgli.
Baloo(Lead Role, Solos)
Baloo, the bear, should be played by someone who is exuberant with a great natural talent for singing and acting. Baloo provides much of the comedic relief in the story, so the actor must possess a natural sense of comedy. It calls for an actor who is not afraid to be wild and crazy and physically uninhibited. Baloo's part in "I Wan'na Be Like You" demands a singer with a strong sense of rhythm.
Kaa and Coils(Lead Role, Solos)
Kaa, the snake, supplies threat and danger to Mowgli's journey out of the jungle. This character is played by multiple actors but the head of the snake is the lead singer and speaker. We are looking for actors with smooth movement ability and strong stage presence.
Shere Khan (Lead Role, Solos)
Shere Khan, the tiger, is King of the Jungle. He is the villain and the child who plays this role must be a strong and intimidating actor.
Colonial Hathi (Lead Role, Solos)
Colonel Hathi, the elephant, is in charge of the elephant brigade. but is also a little forgetful. He is good at giving commands but doesn't really understand what's going on around him. This role calls for someone who can sing well and act like a drill sergeant but also be a bit forgetful.
Elephant Troupe
The Elephant Troupe is a herd of elephants who follow Colonial Hathi. They sing in a group and should be able to physicalize the behavior of elephants and march in and out of formation.
Baby Elephant
The Baby Elephant needs to be very small in size. There is a solo line in the song as well as marching.
King Louie (Lead Role, Solos)
King Louie is King of the Monkeys. We are looking for an actor with strong comedic timing and good singing ability. The actor who plays King Louie is not afraid to act like a monkey.
Old Monkey
We are looking to cast a strong actor over a singer. He or she should not be afraid to assume the physical traits of a monkey.
Monkeys
Monkeys should be strong dancers. They sing "I Wan'na Be Like You" and it is a very fun dancing scene. They are funny and act like monkeys.
Jungle Chorus
The Jungle Chorus is the ensemble of singers and dancers. Most every student will have a scene where they are part of the jungle chorus.
Villagers/Bees/Flowers
The villagers are part of the town where Shanti is from. The flowers and bees are part of the jungle. This is a dance role and those who are cast in this role will have multiple roles in the show.