Hello! Feels like forever since I have done a review! I will be doing a mix of YouTube videos (which you can check out here: My YouTube Channel) and reviews on here! I want to get back into it all, my roller derby has calmed down for now, I have taken myself out of it all and I am now focusing on getting out more and seeing more!
I recently was lucky enough to get to see Aladdin the Musical here in Sydney, Australia at one the wonderful theatres that Sydney has to offer, the Capitol Theatre, this theatre is one of my favourites along with the State Theatre, which is great for concerts and comedy shows and the Enmore Theatre which can cater for small musical/ theatre productions, music concerts and comedy shows.
The Capitol Theatre if you ever get to see it, it is a beautiful old theatre near the Central Train Station and a convenient location next to China Town. The theatre is set out like an outdoor Greek theatre-esq mixed with an old movie theatre.
As the lights dimmed down to darkness, the music began and there was loud cheering and claps from all around, I was excited, I love Disney Musical Productions, The Lion King being one of my favourites, and having seen that musical here in this theatre. My expectations were high, maybe a little too high though.
Aladdin is the story of a young man named Aladdin; he grew up in poverty in the fiction Arabian City, Agrabah. He has no one (except in the 1992 Disney Film, he has Abu who was not in this production) except his 3 friends, Kassim, Omar and Babkak. They steal to keep themselves fed and clothed as they lived on the streets and only know of this life. The story follows Aladdin as he meets a beautiful Princess, Princess Jasmine, an evil Sultan’s Grand Vizier, Jafar and his sidekick Iago and a Genie who is a slave to a magical lamp that whoever holds the lamp will be granted 3 wishes.
The cast were wonderful, the singing top notch as you would expect from the actors in Australia that were chosen, we have such great talent here in Australia, the songs that you remember from the move but some added in to keep the story a musical, an extremely sassy Genie which won the hearts of the audience (played by the magical Michael James Scott), a bit of a cringy Jafar and beautiful costumes that would blind you from the shimmering sequins and lights.
There were only minor changes to the story if you compare it to the Disney film, you learn a bit more about Aladdin’s family, how that had passed on, and he is trying to prove to them that he is good. No Abu (I was so sad! I love Abu!), Iago was human – but that was fine because it would have been harder to have a parrot than a monkey, but I liked how they made jokes about him being Parrot like. Randomly the Genie began singing Tale as old as Time, Part of Your World and Under the Sea, then back to Tale as Old as Time, the crowd roared with laughter, whistling and cheering, I was excited, but a tad confused, but I understood that they wanted to do like little Easter Eggs in the musical, also the Genie made a Tim Tam joke (Australia’s famous and popular biscuit), which I assume was in relation to the old Tim Tam ad with a young 1994 Cate Blanchet.
It was a wonderful production, except I think The Lion King has ruined other Disney Productions because that one was just amazing, it made me feel like there was something lacking in this production, but it was still such a great show and I enjoyed it very much, that I am giving this show 4 magical Genie lamps out of 5!
For more information and if you are interested in seeing this production,Click here
Travelling Marshmellow 