Aladdin
Playing at New Amsterdam Theatre
Musical or play? Musical
Lottery or Rush Tickets? Digital Lottery available through Broadway Direct
What I Paid: $83.00
Official Website: https://aladdinthemusical.com/
Disney’s ALADDIN is a dazzling and extravagant showcase of special effects — including a flying magic carpet during “A Whole New World” — as well as glittering-gold costumes and art deco-style sets that mirror the grandeur of a Busby Berkeley musical. One of Broadway’s most popular musical comedies, the show opened at the legendary New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2014, and has since broken numerous house records (grossing over $500 million on Broadway). Eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken composed the show’s music. The lyrics are by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), as well as three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice and six-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin. The book is by Beguelin and direction/choreography is by two-time Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw.
REVIEW
Aladdin has been a Disney staple on Broadway since 2014. As a huge fan of the animated classic, I’ve always wanted to see this show. I attended for the first time in October, and overall really enjoyed this family friendly performance. I purchased tickets from TKTS the day before the show for the Sunday matinee, and got 50% off for Orchestra Left on the aisle. We had an excellent view of all the action! Unless you are going with a large group that wants to sit together, I highly recommend getting tickets last minute, as Aladdin is regularly available at TKTS.
The show itself is based on the movie Aladdin, but has some notable changes. I was disappointed that there was Abu and Rajah! were cut from the musical. Instead, Aladdin has a group of three human friends that have a substantial role in the show. Similarly, Iago is a human sidekick to Jafar rather than a parrot. The music is also a bit different. There are songs we know and love from the movie, with the addition of new songs written specifically for the stage show, and a few that were cut from the film as well. Despite these changes, the overall story remains the same, and is filled with Disney magic.
My absolute favorite character is Genie, currently being played by Michael James Scott. Genie honestly carries the show. He is hilarious, has great rapport with the audience, and his stage presence is fantastic. Scott’s performance in Friend Like Me truly stole the show! The other cast members were all talented, and had wonderful performances, but Genie really stands out amongst the performers.
Moreover, I was surprised with all of the different elements present in Aladdin. There are big dance numbers (including a tap dance!), ballads, extravagant costumes, special effects, and more. There are also funny moments where other Disney movies and television shows are referenced. Disney can use its vast intellectual property library to its advantage! I like that Aladdin can incorporate so much into one performance, making the show enjoyable to a wide audience.
I did want to touch on audience behavior for a bit in this post. I’ve heard a lot about bad behavior on Broadway since theaters re-opened after the COVID-19 closures. Luckily, while I have heard a lot of cell phones ringing during shows this year, I haven’t experienced anyone else acting too poorly. Unfortunately, the audience behavior at Aladdin was the worst I’ve encountered. I was worried about all of the children in the audience being disruptive during this Sunday matinee. However, the adults were the culprits! People sitting behind me were singing, adults ran into the aisles to pick up streamers for their kids mid-song, but the worst offenders were taking photos and videos during the show. As soon as A Whole New World began, the phones came out from multiple directions. The ushers did a fantastic job of shutting this down as soon as possible, but it was very distracting. I was disappointed that my favorite song of the show was tainted because of others. Parents, set a good example for your children and show them how to properly behave at a Broadway show!
Now that I’m off that soapbox, I will conclude my thoughts on Aladdin by saying that I overall enjoyed it! Aladdin tends to have a mediocre reputation in the online Broadway communities, but I think that’s because the excitement surrounding the show has worn off since it’s been running for nearly a decade. That being said, I think Aladdin is a great option if you are looking for a family friendly show with a lot of classic Broadway elements. The show is fun, heartwarming, and based on a story that many of us love from our childhoods. I am glad I finally got to see it!