By James V. Ruocco
("Aladdin" continues its North American Tour through July 30, 2023)
Latticed palaces shimmering in the night.
Caves drenched in gold.
Magic carpets floating in the air.
A winning formula with knockout production numbers.
Disney's "Aladdin" - now on tour - is a big, sumptuous spectacle awash with sparkle, color, comedy, music, romance, a flying carpet, chiseled pecs, dancing beauties, fireworks, a loveable genie, assorted villains and plenty of freshly minted references from the 21st century amusingly thrown in to keep up with the times.
Like the 1992 animated film on which it draws its inspiration, this "Aladdin" is fun for audiences of all ages.
It's expensive Disney panto well worth the admission.
It's heroic and free-spirited.
It's adventurous and emotional.
It's doused with dare and dazzle.
Its diverse and tuneful.
It's given full reign over every city it plays.
And it's showcased in typical Disney fashion.
Taking its cue from "The Arabian Nights/One Thousand and One Nights," a popular collection of Middle Eastern fairy tales that includes the story of "Aladdin," the two-act musical (written by Chad Beguelin) features a handsome, young hero, a beautiful princess, an evil villain and a magical genie as its central characters.
Set in the Middle Eastern city of Agrabah, it goes the traditional romantic Disney route - poor boy falls madly in love with a beautiful princess- backed by a series of engaging, well-orchestrated, plot-defining story arcs and songs - all of which leads to a very happy ending showcased in dreamy, megawatt Technicolor splendor.
Jaw-dropping moments and madness aside, "Aladdin" is diced and spliced with enough cartoon-bright innocence, divvying villainy and giggly flourish to keep the actual story afloat without any hiccups, pauses, halts or interruptions. It's all dreamland Middle East (nothing wrong with that) - neat, clever and consistent - mixed seamlessly with jokes, tricks and abstractions that heighten the musical's magical allure.
Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw who staged the 2014 Broadway production, "Aladdin" has been designed solely to put a smile on your face, ask you to boo and hiss the villain, cheer the hero, applaud the show's bejeweled content, enjoy its catchy production numbers, bask in the glory of its bright full moon and shed a tear or two when good triumphs over evil right before the big finish.
As director, Nicholaw crafts a big-budget, well-oiled production with moments of mischief, charm, romance, madness and dreamy intervention. It's storytelling for the kids peppered with delightful bits and muscle strictly for the adults.
It all comes together swimmingly with enough ice-cream showmanship and sugar that not only impresses but leave you high as a kite begging and always wanting more. Dance wise, "Aladdin" feeds the soul with a body of virtuoso work that is potent, effective, inspired and striking.
The musical score for "Aladdin" features songs written and composed by Alan Menken (music) and the late Howard Ashman (lyrics) for the original 1992 Disney animated film in addition to new musical numbers orchestrated by Menken with lyrics created by Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin. Designed to enhance, balance and improve the popular story, the music itself is lush, lively and melodic with Arabic-tinged sounds and words that complement the atmospheric setting, the characters and the varying themes of the "Aladdin" narrative.
In order of performance, the songs are as follows: "Arabian Nights," "One Jump Ahead," "Proud of Your Boy," "These Palace Walls," "Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim," "A Million Miles Away," "Diamond in the Rough," "Friend Like Me," "Friend Like Me (reprise)," "Proud of Your Boy (reprise)," "Prince Ali," "A Whole New World," "High Adventure," "Somebody's Got Your Back," "Proud of Your Boy (reprise II)," "Prince Ali (Sultan reprise), Prince Ali (Jafar Reprise)," "Somebody's Got Your Back (reprise), "Arabian Nights (reprise)" and "A Whole New World" (reprise)."
The full energy and scope of the "Aladdin" score is shaped and solidified by musical director/conductor James Dodgson, a talented musician and orchestral leader whose persuasive sense of balance and rhythm complements the emotional demands of the material itself. It's Disney + all the way (no surprise there) - front, back and center - moving between lyricism and melody with tapped exhilaration, sweetness and charm.
The music itself speaks volumes - "Arabian Nights," "A Whole New World," "Friend Like Me," "A Million Miles Away," "Proud of Your Boy" - propelled forward with focus, clarity, dimension, elation and joy. It's numbing. It's nostalgic. It's lovely. It's important. It's impossible to resist.
The added delight of "Aladdin" is that it is 100% Disney. That, of course, is meant entirely as a complement to Menken, Ashman, Rice and Beguelin. They speak Disney. They get Disney. They understand Disney. They also know what works for an audience who has seen the film, loved the film and thoroughly enjoyed the story, the songs and the characters. Here, you get all that and so much more with an effervescent offering sweet-talked to candy-coated goodness and cheer, much like the 1992 animated feature.
"Aladdin" stars Marcus M. Martin as the Genie, Adi Roy as Aladdin, Sensel Ahmady as Jasmine, Anand Nagraj as Jafar, Aaron Choi as Iago, Jake Letts as Babkak, Ben Chavez as Omar and Colt Prattes as Kassim. Seeing them work en masse, they each bring artistic smarts and unapparelled points of view to the proceedings synched lovingly to their songs, their characters, their story arcs and their dances. It's an artistic choice full of theatrical joys that complement the material most engagingly.
In conclusion, the national touring edition of Disney's "Aladdin" is a big, bold, colorful musical confection proudly displaying the Disney + banner, its values, its traditions, its greatness, its merriment and more importantly, its embracement of the traditional family musical. It sings. It soars. It smiles. It dances.
You also get a magic carpet that really works. Two very attractive, charismatic leads. A scene-stealing, larger-than-life genie. An elaborate set and costume design of Technicolor opulence. A very happy ending. And a wonderful songbook of musical numbers that includes the very hummable, show-stopping romantic ballad "A Whole New World."
