Theater Review: Aladdin features new surprises and fond nostalgia
Attractions Magazine was invited out to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando to check out the current tour of the hit Broadway musical, “Disney’s Aladdin”. Based on the 1992 movie and the Arabic folk tale of the same name, Aladdin tells the story of a street urchin who comes into possession of a magic lamp containing a genie who grants him three wishes. Alongside the broadway show, a similar yet distinct adaption of Aladdin has also been seen on stage at Disney’s California Adventure. But is this version of the show a wish come true or a monkey’s paw? Read on to find out.
As a child of the ’90s, Aladdin has always held a special place in my heart with its catchy songs, exciting action, and the irrepressible Robin Williams. Those familiar with the original cartoon will immediately notice many major differences. Gone are Aladdin’s monkey, Abu (replaced by three new best friend characters for Aladdin), Rajah the tiger, and magic carpet (it’s now just a plain old ordinary magic carpet with no personality.) Iago is now just a sidekick of Jafar’s and is no longer a parrot (though several wink wink, nudge nudge, jokes are made about him having previously been a bird.) Jafar no longer controls the Sultan through hypnotism or transforms himself into an old man or has any of the magic powers from the movie.
Without giving too many spoilers away, while the stage show ultimately wraps up the same way as the movie, the entire ending sequence is different, likely due to some of the above changes, as well as the impracticality of doing certain things on stage. While some may feel these changes betray parts of the original film, I actually found the changes interesting to see and discover how they differed from my memory of the original movie and how those changes affected the overall plot.
In the role of Aladdin, actor Adi Roy shows off his boyish charm and is able to hold his own while on stage and sharing scenes with Senzel Ahmady in the role of Princess Jasmine. Their duet of “A Whole New World” while flying about the stage on a magic carpet is particularly sweet and melodic. Of course, while the show may be called Aladdin, just as in the original movie, the standout character is clearly Genie. Here portrayed by Marcus M. Martin, Genie spends his time on stage dancing, belting, and breaking the fourth wall at a pace that is dizzying. Leading every dance number he is in and commanding the stage whenever he is on it, Martin ably joins an illustrious band of men who have portrayed the Genie and does so with charisma and stamina. His performance as the Genie (and truly the Genie’s absolute prominence in the show) had me legitimately wondering if he would take the final bow in the curtain call over the titular character of Aladdin.
The touring production of Aladdin really shines in its technical elements. Seemingly dozens of drops, curtains, and set pieces bring to life locations from the castle of Agrabah to the glistering cave of wonders. Projections are mapped to many of the scenes and sharply add pop and life to the backgrounds. The dizzying array of costumes match the tone and vibrancy of the show and cause the cast of dozens to feel like hundreds. The flying carpet effect is a particular standout and had the audience oooing and ahhing and squinting to try and see the wires.
Having not watched the animated version of Aladdin in some time, this show did serve as an interesting reminder of how far Disney has come in terms of representation in their movies. After the care and love that went into the cultural depictions of recent films like Moana, Encanto, and Coco, the stereotyping of minor characters and the whitewashing of major ones in Aladdin can be hard to watch. While the stage show doesn’t linger on these concepts or revel in them quite the same way as the original cartoon, it also doesn’t take the opportunities to push back on them or provide more authentic representation. Instead, Aladdin leans heavily on the stylized and heightened nature of the work to highlight the pageantry and minimize the questions of cultural appropriateness.
Ultimately, Aladdin is a fun and lighthearted romp that moves briskly through its two and half hour run time. The show at once revels in the nostalgia and energy of its source material while providing some new takes on the old classic. Don’t expect to leave the production learning any new life lessons, but if you come looking for familiar entertainment you won’t be disappointed.
Disney’s Aladdin runs now through Sunday, Jan 7, 2023 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla and continues its nationwide tour after. For more information, to get tickets, or to find a tour stop near you, visit aladdinthemusical.com.
