My family and I went to go see it after Thanksgiving. We trooped into the city and made our way to the New Amsterdam theater. Our performance played to almost a full house, which was nice. Even if the person a few seats down from me spent nearly the entire show on his or her cell phone until the usher flashed them to put the phone away.
Let’s go ride on a magic carpet into a whole new world of SPOILERS!
The show opens with the Genie (James Monroe Iglehart) setting the scene in “Arabian Nights.” He then turns things over to Aladdin (Adam Jacobs), who has to duck the palace guards again after making off with some bread (“One Jump Ahead”). He gets help with his friends—Babkak (Michael James Scott), Omar (Jonathan Schwartz) and Kassim (Brandon O’Neill). No, Abu is not appearing in this production—though there are plenty of references to him. His friends are eager to share his bread…but then he gives them to a beggar lady. Babkak, Omar and Kassim go off to find their own food while Aladdin returns to his humble abode, dreaming of a better life. One that makes his late mother proud (“Proud of Your Boy”).
Meanwhile, the Royal Advisor Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) has a problem. His lackey Iago (Don Darryl Rivera) reports that the Princess has been with a potential suitor for a while now. If the princess finds a husband, Jafar won’t be able to inherit the throne. But he needn’t worry—the suitor soon comes out and insists that the princess will never marry. The Sultan (Clifton Davis) tries to smooth things over, but it’s useless. The prince storms off.
Jasmine (Courtney Reed) then comes out. She wants a husband who will treat her like an equal and who will love her. The Sultan just wants her to find a husband. Jasmine storms off. Jafar likes this turn of events.
In her room, Jasmine vents to her attendants. She feels trapped and wants to go be free somewhere else (“These Palace Walls”). Her attendants help her dress in commoner clothes and encourage her to sneak out. Jasmine thanks them.
Jafar consults his magic book in order to find out how he can become sultan. The book tells him about a genie in a lamp hidden in the cave of wonders. But only a “diamond in the rough” can get the genie’s lamp. The spooky voice shows Jafar Aladdin and so the vizier plots to get to the poor boy.
Out in the marketplace, Aladdin convinces his friends to go straight. They are going to earn money the honest way by being street performers. So they turn the marketplace into a dance party (“Babkak, Omar, Aladdin and Kassim”) where Jasmine and Aladdin meet. It’s love at first sight for him. He befriends her and they end up running from the palace guards together.
Aladdin takes Jasmine back to his humble abode. They find they have a lot in common—namely the urge to explore, to change their lots in life (“A Million Miles Away”). The guards find them and Aladdin asks Jasmine if she trusts him. She does and takes a leap with him.
They end up in the marketplace. When Jasmine takes an apple, a vendor gets upset. He tries to have her punished but Aladdin saves her with Jasmine playing along. But guards come along, forcing Jasmine to reveal her true identity. She orders them to release Aladdin but they don’t take orders from her. They return her to the palace and prepare to haul Aladdin to the dungeons.
He’s rescued, though, by Jafar in disguise. Jafar convinces Aladdin to go into the Cave of Wonders (“Diamond in the Rough”). When he does, though, he touches a necklace he thinks Jasmine would like. The Cave of Wonders crumbles down around him, cutting him off from Jafar and Iago.
Inside the cave, Aladdin rubs the lamp and reveals the Genie. The Genie introduces himself in the very definition of a showstopper (“Friend Like Me”). At the end, he tells Aladdin his rules about wishing and Aladdin tricks Genie into getting them out of the Cave of Wonders without using a wish. He then asks Genie to make him a prince so he can woo Princess Jasmine. The Genie agrees as we go to intermission.
When we come back, Jasmine is dismayed to learn that Jafar had Aladdin killed. She runs off as the Sultan scolds his vizier. They are interrupted by the arrival of Prince Ali of Ababwa. Genie leads a great parade that also features Babkak, Omar and Kassim (“Prince Ali”). “Prince Ali” meets the Sultan and Jafar, who realizes Aladdin took the lamp. They discuss Princess Jasmine, who is not too thrilled to be discussed like a purchase. She wants nothing to do with Prince Ali.
Aladdin begs his friends for help. They advise him to tell the truth. But Aladdin thinks that’s a horrible plan. So his friends return to the marketplace and Genie takes a break while Aladdin tries to figure out what to do next. He runs into Jafar, who grills him about himself and his country. Aladdin manages to bluff his way through. He then lets Jafar convince him to go up to Jasmine’s room. This is a trap though: no suitors are allowed in Jasmine’s chambers.
Jasmine is not pleased to see “Prince Ali” in her rooms but he begs her for a second chance. She’s not too sure until he says something that makes her realize it’s Aladdin. Jasmine agrees to a magic carpet ride (“A Whole New World”). By the time she returns, she’s ready to marry Prince Ali—even though Aladdin is now lying about why he was in the marketplace. But it gets worse. Jafar enters the princess’ room and has Aladdin arrested for being there.
Babkak, Omar and Kassim hear about Aladdin’s imprisonment and go to help him (“High Adventure”). They manage to storm the palace and fend off some of the guards but in the end, they are all captured. They are shackled next to Aladdin, who apologizes to them. He also reveals he has a genie and uses a wish to free everyone. Aladdin promises Genie that he will free him with the third wish and they sing a song about their friendship (“Somebody’s Got Your Back”). They are so engrossed in singing, they don’t notice Babkak, Omar and Kassim being kidnapped. Aladdin promises to come clean with Jasmine (“Proud of Your Boy (Reprise)”).
The next morning, the Sultan talks to Aladdin about ruling Agrabah ase they prepare for the wedding (“Prince Ali (Sultan’s Reprise)”). Aladdin realizes it’s a big responsibility. So he summons the Genie and reveals he can’t let the Genie go. He believes he’ll fail without the Genie. Disappointed, the Genie disappears to sulk. His lamp, though, is stolen from Aladdin and brought to Jafar.
Jafar emerges with Jasmine, Aladdin’s friends and the Genie in tow. He wishes to become sultan and the Genie grants it. Once Sultan, Jafar reveals that Prince Ali is just Aladdin (“Prince Ali (Jafar’s Reprise)”). He gets ready to banish Aladdin when our hero gets an idea. Aladdin tricks Jafar into wishing that he become a genie. The Genie grants it, trapping Jafar in his own magic lamp. Agrabah is saved!
But Aladdin has been outed as a fraud. Jasmine, though, still loves him. Genie offers to let Aladdin use the third wish to erase everyone’s memories so he could be Prince Ali again. Aladdin uses the wish…to free the Genie like he promised. Since he did save the country, the Sultan relaxes his rules and lets him marry Jasmine. Happy endings all around! (“Finale Ultimo”).
First things first: James Monroe Inglehart definitely deserved his Tony. He carries the show. Even more so than Jacobs who plays the title character. His Aladdin is affable and charming. He is able to convey how torn Aladdin is between doing what is easy and what is right. Reed as Jasmine was good enough but I wish Jasmine had more to do. And Freeman, reprising his role as Jafar, relishes in the camp allowed him in this medium.
How’s the music? As good as you remembered. All the classics are in there. There are also songs Alan Menken worked on with Howard Ashman before his untimely death, like “Proud of Your Boy.” There are also some new songs written by Menken and Chad Beguelin, like “Million Miles Away.” All the music blends well together, helped by the fact that Menken played a role in each song. But you also wouldn’t know that there were three different lyricists involved either.
The dancing was entertaining and it’s up there with Newsies on the list of dance-heavy Disney shows. The sets and costumes were beautiful and the flying carpet scene was pure Disney magic. So go ahead—see this and enjoy it.
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