With lively costumes, brightly painted sets and elaborate makeup, Disney’s “The Jungle Book” came to life last week in the Tilman Hovland Auditorium. The show was short, but sweet, and adults who grew up watching the movie weren’t disappointed. Even director Kyle Vareberg was surprised.

“It was better than I could have hoped,” Vareberg said. I want to say thank you to everyone that helped. I had lots of help from parents out there.”

Even the set had an interesting story behind it. For her last show in Village Arts Children’s Theater program, rising freshman Kaitlyn Boucher designed and painted the set herself. She said she went online and looked up animated trees and drew the design on huge plates of styrofoam. Her father, Greg, cut out the designs with a jigsaw, and Kaitlyn, with the help of some friends, put the set together and painted its bright colors.

Boucher was joined by Maria Mack, Kyler Odden and Madayln Pretzer as final-year participants for youth theater.

“Overall, the production went very well,” Vareberg said. “We had great crowds and the kids had a blast performing. It is fun to see love of theater kindle in these young students.”