Thursday, August 1, 2013

It's a Jungle Out There -- Join Fun with Huntington Theatre at the Zoo

If you are in Boston, here's a great family activity in front of what looks to be a great family show at Huntington Theatre Company.

In advance of its world premiere musical production The Jungle Book, Huntington Theatre Company teams up with Zoo New England in August for Jungle Book Days at the Zoo. Families are invited to visit the Franklin Park Zoo on Aug. 3 and 31 and Stone Zoo on Aug. 24 for Jungle Book-themed fun and activities including zookeeper encounters where visitors can learn more about some of the animals featured in Kipling’s stories, a scavenger hunt through the zoo among the exhibits, interactive storytelling by Huntington teaching artists, face painting, a coloring contest, and more.
Franklin Park Zoo, One Franklin Park Road, Boston
August 3, 11am – 2pm
Story hour: 11:30am and 12:30pm at the Main Greeting
Zookeeper encounter: 1:30pm at the Tiger exhibit
Stone Zoo, 149 Pond Street, Stoneham
August 24, 11:30am – 2:30pm
Story hour: 12pm and 2pm in the Amphitheater
Zookeeper encounter: 1pm at Black Bear exhibit
Franklin Park Zoo, One Franklin Park Road, Boston
August 31, 11am – 2pm
Story hour: 11:30am and 12:30pm at the Main Greeting
Zookeeper encounter: 1:30pm at the Tiger exhibit
The “brilliantly rendered” (Chicago Sun-Times) production of The Jungle Book, wholly reimagined for the stage by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, begins at the Huntington on September 7 plays through October 13, 2013 due to a one week extension by popular demand. Performances are at the Huntington’s Boston University Theatre; Opening Night is Wednesday, September 18.
Tickets to The Jungle Book are available online at huntingtontheatre.org, by phone at 617 266 0800, and in person at the BU Theatre (Avenue of the Arts / 264 Huntington Avenue) and the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (South End / 527 Tremont Street) box offices. Group tickets at up to 20% off are available at 617 273 1525. The most affordable way to see Huntington productions is with a subscription. Seven-play packages including The Jungle Book are the best value and start at just $126. More information is available by phone at 617 266 0800 and online at huntingtontheatre.org/subscribe.
Tickets to The Jungle Book start at $25, with prices ranging to $135 (subject to change). Selected discounts are available. See the complete performance calendar below.
The Jungle Book is produced in association with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre where it is currently playing to 99% capacity and has been extended a record-setting three times.  The Goodman’s complete 19-member cast transfers to the Huntington, and four Boston musicians join eight of the production’s original musicians to comprise the jazz/Indian band of twelve.
A new stage musical, The Jungle Book is a movement-filled adventure chronicling young Mowgli’s coming-of-age in the animal kingdom. Director Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation is based on Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 collection of stories set in the Indian jungle and Walt Disney’s 1967 animated film and presents the movie’s best-loved songs in wholly new Indian-inspired arrangements. Legendary Academy Award and Grammy winner Richard M. Sherman — whose numerous songwriting credits with brother Robert B. Sherman include the motion pictures The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Aristocats — collaborates on this production, providing Music Director Doug Peck access and permission to adapt songs that Sherman and his brother wrote for the film, plus never-before-heard material. Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli with Indian dance consultant Hema Rajagopalan combine elements of classical Indian dance forms with jazz, tap, and more to enhance the storytelling.
The Jungle Book is produced by special arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions, which proudly supports Zimmerman's development of this title, providing financial support, creative consultation, and access to song material.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Gracewell Prodiuctions

Gracewell Prodiuctions
Producing Inspiring Works in the Arts
Custom Search
Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

Search

Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

All Posts on this Blog