The latest in Disney musicals has arrived in Australia, and it comes via a flying carpet. Aladdin, the story of the genie and lamp is not only a classic of folklore, but also one that Disney turned into a successful 1992 animated movie, with the late Robin Williams voicing the genie.
When it comes to Disney productions it would be hard to find fault – after all, Disney is in many ways the be-all and end-all of entertainment, especially for children, and let’s face it, there is a ‘Disney child’ inside all of us. Furthermore, when it comes to the gay community, there is nothing like camp quality to get the jazz hands waving.
The Walt Disney Theatrical arm of the flagship company (now xxxx) was established in 1993 and has gone on to earn both critical and financial acclaim. The pilot production was Beauty & the Beast (which became a launching pad for Hugh Jackman) and followed with adaptations of The Lion King, Tarzan and The Little Mermaid.
Aside from the animated adaptations there has also been Mary Poppins and the High School Musical series. All in all they have all been a great success for Disney, and brought wide-faced smiles to many an audience.
So how does Aladdin stack up? Well firstly, it has a top notch cast. Playing the role of Aladdin is High 5’s Ainsley Melham who most recently played Sonny Malone in the Hayes Theatre production of Xanadu. Swapping his tight denim shorts for the baggy silks, Melham presents all the innocence, yet youthful zest of the title character facing the somewhat boy-into-man scenario.
While the cast take on a cartoon like quality with comedy antics and song, they also happen to have handsome features including six-packs and waxed pecs!
Supporting Melham are Adam Jon Fiorentino (Saturday Night Fever) Troy Sussman (Guys & Dolls) and Robert Tripolino (West Side Story) as Aladdin’s sidekick mates, more or less replacing the movie’s monkey character ‘Abu’.
Arielle Jacobs plays the beautiful and temperamental love interest Princess Jasmine, while many would agree the standout to be Michael James Scott as the Genie. His banter and camped-up humour not only fit into the play, but help contemporize the setting, especially with a few local colloquialisms, such as the appearance of a Vegemite jar!
Scott, who’s Broadway credits include Something Rotten, The Book of Mormon and yes, Aladdin, has definitely made the part his own, while Jacobs, also American also brings her Broadway experience, having played Nessarose in Wicked.
As for the production itself, the show’s success can be measured in the first act alone, when on opening night a standing ovation was given following the song Friend Like Me – making it a literal showstopper. Without giving too much away, lets say it had the glitz, razzle-dazzle and choreography of a Busby Berkeley production. It’s like jumping into a box of Christmas decorations, but in a good way.
In many ways Aladdin has the childlike qualities of pantomime, which is a not a bad thing. Panto, loved by many, is based on fairytale with larger than life characters and plenty of in-jokes. But while it has grounding in such, it also has the right quintessence and spirit, being one of humanity – good triumphs bad. It also wouldn’t be Disney with out a ‘happily ever after’ ending. It may be an old formula but it is always the story’s journey that gives the appeal.
Just add a touch of ‘how did they do that?’ magic and you have a hit musical.
Word is that The Jungle Book, Frozen, and Pinocchio are next in line to hit the stage. One has to wonder if they could ever get 101 Dalmatians onto a stage? Knowing Disney, they probably could!
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