The musical was first performed at the Beit Lessin Theater in Tel Aviv in 1996, and at the Nega Hall in Jaffa, where it ran for 211 performances in front of approximately 300,000 viewers. The musical was produced in collaboration with Tamir Productions Ltd., and won the Israeli Theater Prize in the Musical of the Year category for 1996. The musical's songs, along with a shortened version of the story narrated by Avi Yaffe as Packli the squirrel, were distributed on VHS. In December 1996, a film called "Jungle Hero" was produced for the Israeli Children's Channel directed by Natan Gur Levy, documenting the behind-the-scenes of the show.[1][2] At the end of November 2013, Classiclet released a DVD containing the full version of the 1996 musical. Over time, this production, along with the musical's song cassette, became a cult film among young people who watched it as children, and even "active screening" events were held based on it.[3][4]
In 2002, it returned to the stage once again for 30 performances in front of approximately 50,000 viewers, and auditions were held on the Israeli Children's Channel for children to play the role of Mowgli.
Between April 17, 2002, and Sukkot 2003, the musical was performed at the Ramat Gan Safari (produced by Miki Peled - Solan Productions), where an additional 200,000 people saw it. Afterward, the musical returned to halls throughout the country from Sukkot 2003 to the summer of 2004.
In Hanukkah 2013, the musical was staged by the Beit Zvi acting school for 50 performances (in collaboration with Tamir Productions Ltd., who produced the first production of the musical), directed by Hanoch Rosen and featuring students from the class of 2013, Beit Zvi graduates, and children.
In July 2014, the musical was staged again at the Ramat Gan Safari produced by Miki Peled - Solan Productions.
2024 revival
The Jungle Book the Musical (2024)
In August 2024, the musical returned to the stage, again directed by Hanoch Rosen, and featuring actors who played in the original version. Tuvia Tzafir as Baloo the bear, Sassi Keshet as Bagheera the panther, Eli Danker as Shere Khan the tiger, Yossi Toledo as Kaa the snake, Avi Yaffe as Packli the squirrel, and Pini Kidron as the leader of the elephants, with the actor Eddie Alterman replacing the original monkey leader, who was Yossi Toledo in the original production.[5][6]
The plot and text remained mostly the same, as did the songs, except for two: "Monkey King," which was replaced with a song about the monkey leader's desire to be like Mowgli, and "Dangers of the Jungle" by Bagheera, which was replaced with a song by Bagheera about a happy day in the jungle.[7]
To comply with laws restricting the employment of minors, in the revival there are eleven children playing Mowgli and Bana. In the original production, when Tom Avni played Mowgli, this law was not enforced, so he only had one replacement: Oshri Cohen.
Plot
Raksha, a kind-hearted wolf, finds a small baby who was swept away in a wrecked boat, and she adopts him along with her little cubs. She names the human cub she finds Mowgli.
Mowgli grows up in the jungle with his friends Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther, Packli the squirrel, and other animals.
After hearing that the cruel tigerShere Khan has returned to the jungle, Mowgli's friends advise him to go to the village of the humans. Mowgli thinks they are not his friends and runs away from them. On his way, he encounters a cunning snake named Kaa who wants to hypnotize him. Luckily for Mowgli, Shere Khan sees Mowgli and fights with Kaa over the prey. While Shere Khan and Kaa are fighting each other, Mowgli meets a group of monkeys who lock him in a cage. Luckily for Mowgli, Baloo the bear disguises himself as a monkey and dances with the monkeys, and Mowgli and Baloo escape from them.
When Shere Khan finds Mowgli and Baloo, Mowgli throws a burning branch at Shere Khan, and Shere Khan runs away from the jungle.
He meets Bana, a girl from the human village who was walking in the jungle. After all the adventures he has been through, Mowgli realizes how dangerous jungle life is for him, he decides to join her, and he says goodbye to his jungle friends.
Adaptation and lyrics: Efraim Sidon
Direction: Hanoch Rosen
Music: Miron Minster and Ariel Zilber
Set design: Avi Shkowi
Lighting: Alon Porat and Amir Brenner
Costumes: Ella Kolsnik
Movement: Marina Beltov
Acrobatics and stage combat: Ilan Gazit
Songs
The musical's songs (as written on the DVD cover of the musical):
#
Original Song Title
Performance
Notes
1
Jungle Laws
Baloo the Bear and the cast
2
Mowgli
Everyone
3
The Bear's Song
Baloo the Bear and Mowgli
4
The Elephant Parade
The elephants
5
The Temptation - The Snake's Song
Kaa the Snake
6
Dangers of the Jungle - Bagheera's Song
Bagheera the Panther and the Peahen
Did not appear in the 2024 musical, replaced with another song called "Hello to the Jungle"
7
Monkey King
Monkey King
Did not appear in the 2024 musical, and was replaced with a song also called "Monkey King" but the song is about the desire to be like Mowgli
8
Mowgli is Mine Now - The Tiger's Song
Shere Khan the Tiger
9
The Love Duet - Mowgli and Bana
Mowgli and Bana
10
Jungle Music
No performer, music only
11
Musical Medley from the Show's Songs
No performer, music only
12
Finale Song
Everyone
13
End of First Act (The Bear's Song chorus)
Baloo the Bear, Bagheera the Panther, Packli the Squirrel and Mowgli
Did not appear in the 1996 playlist although it was in the show, but in the 2024 playlist this song appeared as song number six
