David Mirvish & Disney Theatrical Group/Aladdin, book by Chad Beguelin, lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin, music by Alan Menken, choreographed and directed by Casey Nicholaw, Princess of Wales Theatre, to Mar. 17. Tickets here.
For all you musical theatre mavens out there who are planning to skip Aladdin because it is a Disney kids’ show, think again. It is a vastly entertaining outing for people of all ages.
Gorgeous sets (Bob Crowley), colourful costumes (Gregg Barnes), wonderful lighting (Natasha Katz), and kick-ass choreography (Casey Nicholaw, who also directed) make for a visual feast. Then there’s the fabulous special effects and projections (Jeremy Chernick and Daniel Brodie) not to mention the illusion design (Jim Steinmeyer and Rob Lake). The magic carpet really does fly in spectacular fashion.
The reason I’m mentioning the theatrical credits first is because they anchor the show. Production number after production number assaults the senses. It has to be the hardest working cast in musical theatre history.
Luckily, there is also the tuneful music (Alan Menken) underlying everything, so you have that to listen to throughout, because the diction/enunciation in Aladdin is appalling. It’s not a hearing problem because the cast is miked very well. It’s just that you can’t make out a word they are singing. It’s an American problem because, in 42nd Street that was just in town from London’s West End, you could make out the lyrics of every song, no matter if it were a solo or ensemble.
Compounding the problem is that words are also missing in the spoken delivery due to strong accents. For example, the all-important Genie (Marcus M. Martin) speaks with a strong jive cadence that obscures words. Luckily, the guy has charisma up the whazoo so he ropes you in with sheer charm. In the case of Iago (Aaron Choi), the Grand Vizier’s henchthingy, his words are impenetrable.
Mercifully, you can understand Aladdin (Adi Roy), Princess Jasmine (Senzel Ahmady), and the Sultan, the princess’ father (Sorab Wadia) when they speak. Aladdin’s buddies, however, are a mixed bag. Babak (J. Andrew Speas) and Omar (Kyle Caress) are hit and miss, while the leader Kassim (Brandon Burks), is as clear as a bell. The hands down winner in the speech and singing department is Jafar, the Grand Vizier himself (Anand Nagraj) who has a majestic voice.
Overall, it is a strong cast, and, more to the point, a diverse cast with energy to burn. Judging by the names, casting for the musical reached out to the ethnic community which is as it should be. Apparently, when the original animated Disney movie was released in 1992, despite the late, great Robin Williams as the Genie, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee noted the absence of ethnic voices along with other complaints such as racial stereotyping.
The stage musical Aladdin had Broadway tryouts between 2011 and 2013, with Toronto being one of the stops, before opening on the Great White Way in 2014 where the production is still going strong. It’s becomeg the tenth highest grossing show in history.
During intermission at the opening, I ran into an acquaintance who commented that he had been dubious about coming to a Disney kids’ show, but was delighted with what he was experiencing, and this is from a guy who knows and loves theatre.
So, even though I missed a lot of the sung words, there is still a rich array of eye-popping theatricality to watch, and Menken’s very hummable music for the ears to hear.
Like I said, a very entertaining outing.
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