THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 3, 1994 TAG: 9411010101
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Theater review
SOURCE: MONTAGUE GAMMON III
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
The talent, energy, and infectious enthusiasm of ``The Jungle Book's'' young cast shows off Norfolk's Public Schools in a way that would make any education system proud.
Thousands of students will get a taste of musical theater, and perhaps their first exposure to live theater, when they attend this gleeful Performing Arts Repertory production.
Those young viewers will not soon forget the lively song and dance numbers that are the heart of this show. The images of cavorting monkeys, leaping vultures, acrobatic wolf cubs, parading elephants and jungle beasts of every sort can delight audiences of all ages.
Older viewers will be impressed simply by the youthful energy displayed in such boundless and unflagging quantities, but the real achievement here is the discipline and focus given to that energy.
Fans of Rudyard Kipling can only hope that some of the students on either side of the curtain will actually read his century-old, always entrancing tales of Mowgli, the man cub raised by a wolf pack. Purists who grew up on this classic will see more of Walt Disney than of Kipling here, but the script's scanty fidelity to the original will not dim the thrill for most of the audience.
This version of ``The Jungle Book'' is far less literary than musical and perhaps more than anything else it presents a visual experience, the simple written characters don't demand range or depth from the actors, but the dancing grabs the viewer's attention from the outset, bids that viewer a spirited farewell at the finale, and rarely lets go in between.
Though Deon Ridley plays Father Wolf and Lisa Hillian is cast as the panther Bagheera, and Dianne Uransky and Derrick Williams appear in the program as members of the monkey troupe, their dancing in the company numbers demonstrates their exceptional abilities.
Altorrin McIntyre is another member of that company well worth watching, but his talents are most obvious when he solos as King Louie, the orangutan ruler of the monkeys who calls himself a ``King of Swing.'' McIntyre's delightfully sly and ever so slightly oily characterization make Louie one of the most distinctly drawn individuals in the play.
Anthony Green brings to his portrayal of Mowgli a sense of the joyful freedom that a young boy could find, were he living in this nearly magical world of humanized animals. That exuberance is best projected, once again, in dance.
So many performers deserve notice. It's easy to point out those in featured roles such as Richard Sklat (Colonial Hathi of the Elephants) or Leilani Antolin (Mother Wolf).
No one will miss Steven Claiborne as the effetely villainous tiger Shere Kahn nor Derrick Cherry as the amiable bear Baloo nor Andy Daulton as the softly menacing python Kee. Vocalist Sandye Smith renders a memorable solo of ``We Gotta Have Love.''
Yet there is never time nor space to list nor give the praise due everyone of the talented, hard working ensemble vital to all the Performing Arts Rep. shows.
After those performers' parents, the adults who should be proudest are those whose work is most visible on the stage. Connie Hindmarsh is director and producer of this show and had been running the Repertory for almost a decade. Mark Curtis designed a lush, striking set.
Anamarie Martinez's choregraphy is especially strong, and Gary Spell's musical direction is responsible for a rich, varied sound.
The songs, which Spell arranged from a very basic score meant for younger and less experienced performers, range from pop with a hint of gospel and upbeat rap to jazz and old-fashioned swing. The dancing even gets in a bit of jitterbug. If the students get nothing else out of this show, exposure to musical styles they would likely hear nowhere else is an important educational experience itself.
Of course, they do get much more out of this ongoing program. Two veterans of past Performing Arts Rep companies will appear with the professional production of ``A Chorus Line'' when that tour hits Norfolk. As a training ground for performers, a multi-cultural social experience for participants, and an outreach to young audiences, ``The Rep'' remains important. by CNB