We are extremely proud of our Cast and Crew that have completed their Disney's Jungle Book Kids in February 2024!
Check out the Cast Diary below as the Cast and Crew embark on their journey.
Check out the Cast Diary below as the Cast and Crew embark on their journey.
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Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th November 2023
Auditions and Call Backs Amazing auditions. Fantastic turn-out and we simply can't wait to see and hear our call backs tomorrow. The quality of performers were very high, making it so difficult to choose from. A long day, the Production Team were at the venue from 11am - 9.50pm. But, boy was it worth it! So much choice, amazing dancing and... some basketball skills needing a little work ;-) Call backs were held the day after, Sunday. This was a chance for the crew to bounce different auditionees off one-another. Allowing them the chance to ensure our potential cast members have some chemistry and that the crew's decisions are the right ones over night. Cast announcements made soon. |
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DAY ONE - Saturday 13th January 2023
Read and Sing Through / Principals Rehearsal First rehearsal our cast got to meet the crew and each other. Reading through the script once with both casts. Then splitting up in groups and working on character development. Learning individual roles, what cliques they are in and how they bounce off one another. Each group worked on a 1.5 minute comedy skit based on their cliques and had a ‘ball’ in doing so, breaking down any nervous barriers. The cast were able to familiarise themselves with Riverbanks College in Angle Vale. Amazing facilities with great sound and 'aircon' on a very hot and humid day! Meanwhile, our costume helpers spent the day at the storage container, sweating their way through all costumes for upcoming shows! Thank you to everyone involved! |
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DAY TWO - Sunday 14th January 2023
Choreography and Music Rehearsals Day Two started with a bang! Our Choreographer Mandy with support of Maisy set out their expectations for the dancers. Explained their vision and began choreographing some of the shows key numbers, starting off with Get-cha Head in the Game! Basketballs being a key part of that rehearsal, learning to dance and use the basketball was interesting and sure to make this number great fun! Then, on to vocal rehearsals. Sitting the cast down, planning out harmonies and learning melodies. But, let's be honest, everyone knows the melodies to these crowd favourite songs! Tomorrow we embark on character development, principle roles will get to sing and act along with their counter parts (opposite cast). Understanding how a character holds themselves, moves and delivers their lines is a tricky but necessary tool fort he audience to connect with the material. Cast and crew are loving the time and enjoying the venue! Well done! |
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DAY THREE - Monday 15th January 2023
Principals Music and Acting Rehearsal Such a good day today! Rehearsals are going so well! We spent a few hours working on character development, what the cast feel their role should be and their backstory. The idea is for Now to put their stamp on this show. We have some great ideas coming, very different and out of the box! Trust me, you need to order good seats. So, book up quick! Costumes really got underway, some great work by all and animals coming to life for Jungle Book. The principles spoken about their fears with their role and how to manage what's expected of them, Understanding what our cast is thinking and feeling helps the crew guide them through the journey. Well done, keep working at home and we’ll make these shows the best yet! |
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DAY FOUR - Tuesday 16th January 2023
Principals Music and Acting Rehearsal We finished off our principle rehearsals, same as Day Three - just overspilled into Day Four. Our Vocal Coach assisted the cast in key harmonies and addressing tricky sections of music. These sections are quite involved, everyone including cast and crew look to find their feet in these moments. Our Pit Crew also met for their second meeting. The Pitt Crew are a selected and recognised group of costume creators. Giving up their most valuable time to ensure the cast look their very best on stage all the while meeting the vision of the Director. Our helpers and volunteers are always appreciated and welcomed at Now Productions. No matter how small or large their role is. We thank you all. |
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DAY FIVE - Wednesday 17th January 2023
Music and Choreography Rehearsal Vocals today was a smooth sailing rehearsal, working as a team and working on some cool harmonies for Counting on You. In the choreography section, we worked on the characters for the Audition Scene in HSM. Locking in some amazing choreography. Our cast will no doubt be feeling the pain after an intense rehearsal. Always great fun to see the transition from the low stress vocal sessions and then moving into the choreography. The cast doesn't know what hits them!. |
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DAY SIX - Thursday 18th January 2023
Music Rehearsal and Container Move Day Six, a thorough and but necessary vocal rehearsal. This takes a lot of time, can be very tedious but the show will as always be the better for it. Working on harmonies and our Vocal Coach has spent hours preparing to make it as detailed as possible. We're so lucky to have committed people on board. Container Move, our Producer with some very kind helpers, got stuck in moving our containers all to one site. This allows more space, better pricing and the organisation has been amazing. We now have two 40foot containers, one for props and set, whilst the other is dedicated to costumes and equipment. Thank you to all that helped today, very much appreciated. |
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DAY SEVEN - Friday 19th January 2023
Choreography and Scene Blocking Rehearsal Day Seven started off with a some standards and expectations whilst rehearsing with Now Productions. It’s important that the cast and crew understood their roles and responsibility on and off the stage. The, we started Stage Blocking. Stage Blocking is when the Director finally gets to set out the scene and how the characters move around to set the picture and connect best with the audience. Great to see the show begin to take shape. Our choreography for Status Quo was pieced together as well which was very fun. Love seeing these cliques form and really get to grips with their character, all-the-while performing this popular song. Amazing work. |
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DAY EIGHT - Saturday 20th January 2023
Choreography and Scene Blocking Rehearsal Day Eight was off-the-hook! Cast really got their teeth into the rehearsals. Act 1 Scene 1 – 7 completed. Amazing. All rehearsals are recorded and uploaded to Dropbox to allow the cast to review anywhere they can, practice and ensure they always know what’s expected of them. Unfortunately, the cast do tend to film for the Director – which tends to lead them to taking unusual photos of the Director’s phone. So, please excuse but enjoy the fun the cast get up to when the Director’s back is turned. Keep practicing peeps! |
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DAY NINE - Sunday 21st January 2023
Choreography and Music Rehearsal Day Nine we work on more choreography with the cast, Cheerleaders really getting to grips with their choreography and the ensemble working out where they fit in! Then, more vocals with our Vocal Coach for the last time before she disappears off to the other side of the country and joins Brent Street with her Diploma in Musical Theatre! Next weekend, our Musical Director returns from his hiatus and takes over the reigns! Well done and keep up the work! |
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DAY TEN - Saturday 27th January 2023
Music and Scene Blocking Rehearsal Today our Musical Director, Rob returns from holidays overseas. Our Vocal Coach, Maisy put the cast to the test and had them sing through the entire show to see what needs work and what is working. You guessed it, it all needs work. Only kidding, our vocals are going pretty well. Confidence and practice will lift our cast and as we start to act out our scenes, boy are we going to have a great show! Then we moved into some more set blocking, this saw us complete Act 1 and the first scene of Act 2. Starting to really see some cool characters come to life. However, the saddest part our the Now Family day came to a head. Our Vocal Coach leaves the crew to move interstate in her new life adventure at university at Brent Street in Sydney, NSW. Maisy is now enrolled in their Musical Theatre Diploma and we cannot wait to see what she learns. Maisy credits her experience with Now Productions and getting to where she is today. We will be watching this bright future unfold, with no doubt some pop-ins at productions in the near future when she returns for visits! |
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DAY ELEVEN - Sunday 28th January 2023
Scene Blocking Rehearsal Okay, it's time to see our set and props coming to life. It's about time we ignore those pesky performers and concentrate on the hard work behind the scenes. It's got nothing to do with the fact that the producer "may" have forgotten to take pictures in the rehearsal. Honest. Set is starting to come together. Amazing, but heavy benches. Lockers and window/walls. It's starting to feel like with a few weeks away. Scary! |
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DAY TWELVE - Saturday 3rd February 2023
Choreography, Scene Blocking and Fill-in-the-Gaps Rehearsal The last day of putting the show together. It was full on. Very little breaks, especially for the dancers. But, necessary. These moments give these talented kids a glimpse into the professional world of performing. Some times, we just need to get it done. The show must go on! Our choreography is all set, however needs fine tuning around the edges. Our staging and scene blocking, completed and our vocals, well rehearsed. What next? Well, it's time to commence full run throughs. No scripts. No barriers, just performing. Only a couple of weeks, and we're at the theatre. This just got real! |
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DAY THIRTEEN - Sunday 4th February 2023
Full Run Through Rehearsal First run through, what a blast. The first thing we asked the cast when the first run through was completed; "How do you feel it went?" Everyone was surprised how well it went. All the planning, rehearsals and practice has paid off. It's just simply amazing how things come together. The buzz after the run was amazing. We also started our Stars of the Show. Recognised those that put in 100% effort and help raise the standard and quality of the show. They earn a bag of lollies, a wrist band and social media attention. It's a great way to encourage others to step up and bring their A-Game! Well done guys and gals. |
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DAY FOURTEEN and FIFTEEN - Saturday 10th February and Sunday 11th February 2023
Full Run Through Rehearsal Cast t shirts have finally arrived. It just makes the photos pop out, doesn't it?! Saturday run led the Director in being pretty firm with the cast, letting them leave with a feel of "We could have done better!" Risky business, but boy was it worth it. The cast went home, they practices and when they returned, they knocked our socks off. In all honesty, the Director wasn't wearing socks. But, if he did - they would have been knocked off! What an amazing effort all round, next week they hit the stage for Pre Show, to promote their show and cheer on the Jungle Book Kids! This is going to be amazing! Book up tickets now! Well done all! |
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DAY SIXTEEN and SEVETEEN - Friday 16th and Saturday 17th February 2023
Pre Show Dress and Pre Show Evening Performance High School Musical cast and crew had the opportunity to perform on the very stage next week that they will premiere their own show. This was a 'Pre Show' performance for Now Productions Jungle Book Kids! The cast put together a High School Musical Megamix of all the popular songs, performing in their cast t shirts with minimal set. Great fun, amazing and a good way to shake of those unneeded nerves!. Only one more full run through at the weekend. Exciting! |
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DAY SIGHTEEN - Sunday 18th February 2023
Full Run Through Rehearsal The final run through, excitement looms. The cast are feeling a mix of emotions. Annoyed that they missed a line or overwhelmed simply due to tiredness. It's a tough gig. But, the Now Family steps up. We support, encourage and mentor along the way. Why?! Because we know that the audience will love the show and the cast will fly and soar on stage. We also filmed a short promo that has already reached over 1000 view (and growing). Great fun and good marketing. Now the cast needs to break free as they embark on production week. Ensuring they get that head in the game and be assured that they are all in this together. |
DAY NINETEEN - Tuesday 20th February 2023
Tech Run Tech Run! Wow! Our glorious set, creative imaginations and tech staff bring this production to life. We invite the principals along to a separate rehearsal, learning their entrances and exits. The ensemble then are next, attending and working through their placements for the chorus songs. Then finally, the dancers. Learning how they come and go from the stage. How their dancing fits around the set. We cannot wait to get this started. Dress runs tomorrow! |
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DAY TWENTY-ONE - Wednesday 21st February 2023
Dress Rehearsal Tech and Dress Runs have finished, photos taken by our Choreographer Mandy. Always love getting the promo photos up on social media for another boost of ticket sales. The cast and crew, fine tune their performance, the Director really drilling the cast to keep all scene transitions slick and smooth. Our Choreographer tightening up the choreography for all dancers and our Musical Director addressing some minor changes to keep it fresh and original on stage. Now we move into our next stage, four shows including two Theatre of Association of South Australia Reviewers! |
DAY TWENTY-TWO, TWENTY-FOUR AND TWENTY FIVE - Thursday 22nd - Saturday 24th February 2024
Four Performances That’s it, we’re all finished up! Four shows completed in three days, each one having a significant impact on our audience. Each show growing in size with attendance and two reviewers and more importantly along with family and friends. This show has been amazing and we are all so sad that it’s come to the end, but excited about our next journey together. At the end of the show, we moved into Bump Out phase. This is always restricted with time constraints, but with principals and family helping out, we managed in record time to bump out of the theatre, deliver our set and costumes to the container until our next production. Well done to all and we say, see you next time! |