REVIEW: Aladdin The Musical
So the January sales consisted of me finally purchasing tickets to see this spectacular musical with my not so Disney enthusiastic or a fan of the film sister. I managed to get tickets fairly close to the stage and what a delight that was! Imagine a musical with loads of colour, sparkles, and fun. Then add some Disney songs. It’s basically a musical that’s been created for any Disney lover, surely?
Everyone knows the story of Aladdin but those who don't:
Aladdin follows the titular character's journey from rags to riches as he finds love in the Princess named Jasmine, all while working off of three wishes he's been given by the Genie. The Evil Jafar is there to stop Aladdin from succeeding, but who wins at the end of the day?
So last week (28th January) I finally got to see Aladdin The Musical and
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.
This was my first West End show, so of course, it needed to be something Disney! Of course, when it came to transforming this much-loved film for the stage, there were some 'noticeable' changes which were the missing animal characters. Rajah, Jasmine’s pet tiger. Abu who was Aladdin’s monkey and partner in crime. Lastly, Iago who was Jafar’s evil sidekick, it certainly wouldn't have been appropriate to have real live animals on stage despite how much I love Abu and Rajah in the animation - Aladdin's newest sidekick which consisted of 3 friends who resembled Abu's characteristics was a nice touch to the show. Rajah’s replacements were also replaced by 3 confidants/friends for Jasmine.
The understudy for Aladdin, Antony Hewitt was just as charismatic and cheeky as you would expect from a character like Aladdin and Trevor Dion Nicholas excelled as the Genie which he made his own, he had the funniest lines which gave with wonderful flamboyance and flair. From the moment it started to the end, it was obviously going to be full of glitz and colour. Everything from the staging, effects, music, the costumes and ensemble was just beautiful. It's not just a musical, Aladdin is truly magical - and I do mean magical!
Aladdin was a magical ride and the perfect escapism with stunning design and a wonderful cast – a real Disney delight. I loved every second of it, the show was so exciting and upbeat filled with laughter, glitter, and sparkles. I honestly didn't know where to look, it was spectacular - The production will keep you entertained throughout and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
The show is so well choreographed that every move added to the show and was never a distraction from anything else happening at the time.
I guess I was reliving my childhood dream of watching the original Aladdin at home.
Friend Like Me was dazzling,
Prince Ali was super entertaining and Arabian Nights was just an amazing song to kick off the whole production with the Genie at the lead of it all! Of course, the Genie would be the highlight of the show as well as the musical numbers. I think anyone who loves the original Aladdin film will enjoy this musical as this happened to be my very first West End experience, it definitely is one I'll remember.
As I mentioned before, every performance was spectacular – from each member of the talented ensemble to the three amigos taking the place of the cartoon Abu to the leads.
T
he sets were brilliant and exquisitely designed. The actors, from lead to ensemble, were magnificent and the music was contagious. I honestly could not fault the show because it just made me remember why Aladdin will always be one of my favourite Disney films (and not because I have a crush on Aladdin since I was a kid 😉)
