Character Breakdown

​

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. The child you cast should have a spark that can captivate the audience and should be a bit feisty.

 

The role of Bagheera, the panther, is not gender-specific. You might consider casting a female to play this role to help balance the male-to-female ratio of the leading characters. Consider casting a child who might easily portray the physical attributes of a feline. Your Bagheera should be physically agile and uninhibited with good command of his or her body. The actor should also possess a natural talent for acting, singing and leading a story. Bagheera should act like an older brother or sister to Mowgli.

 

Baloo, the bear, should be cast 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. Consider casting a child who might easily have the physical traits of a big bear and who is not afraid to be wild and crazy and physically uninhibited. The actor should not be self-conscious and should enjoy the spotlight. 

 

Kaa, the snake, supplies threat and danger to Mowgli's journey out of the jungle. Should be someone with flair and good vocal and movement skills to be the lead Kaa (the head of the snake). Five other actors will be cast as the body. Each of the actors in the scene has solo lines that are spoken and sung, so the children should have some   natural acting and singing ability who can also dance.

 

Shere Khan, the tiger, is King of the Jungle. Should be someone who could be physically threatening, either in size, attitude, or both. He is the villain and the story depends on a good villain.

 

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. Should be someone who can sing well and act like a drill sergeant but also be a bit forgetful. This is a good role to feature someone who has talent but may not be ready for the leading role just yet.

 

The Elephant Troupe can have as many or as few children as you like, but should be enough to make it look like a brigade - at least eight. They don't need to be strong singers, but should be good movers/dancers so they can physicalize the behavior of elephants and march in and out of formation.

 

The Baby Elephant can be cast with the smallest or youngest child. There is a solo line in the song as well as marching, so the child should have a sense of music and movement.

 

King Louie is King of the Monkeys. Should be an actor with strong comedic timing and good singing ability, a child with flair that isn't afraid to act like a monkey.

 

Old Monkey should not be afraid to assume the physical traits of a monkey.

 

Monkeys should be strong dancers. "I Wan'na Be Like You" offers the chance to do great musical choreography. 

 

The Jungle Chorus is the ensemble of singers, actors and dancers. These roles offer great opportunities to use your students' varied skills. 

 

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 disguised as a Coconut Tree. She should exude sweetness and kindness and have a natural ability for acting and singing. She has a couple of solos as the Coconut Tree.

 

Shanti's Family is not seen, but represented by offstage voices. For fun, you might want to have a couple favorite teachers or the principal say these lines from offstage or from the back of the performance space. These should be the only "grown-up" voices in the show.