Arguably one of the best shows to ever be on Broadway, contending with The Lion King, is the new Disney adaptation of Aladdin. As of now the show is out of the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City with tickets starting at around $100.
Seated in the balcony section the one problem seating wise would be one that many may experience and that is that it is tight. There is very little leg room, especially for a spectator that is six feet tall. Secondly, the way this particular theatre is designed made it feel as though you were seated on an angle as if the entire time you were fighting the force of gravity in your seat so that you wouldn’t be pressed up against the person seated next to you.
However, although the theatre may not have been the most comfortable in existence, this did not affect the performance in any way. Aladdin was done so well that it would no longer matter whether or not you were comfortable – the only thing that would matter is getting to the next part of the show. Aladdin brought everything to the table for the audience, making them feel pity for Aladdin himself, bringing joy to the audience, bringing especially laughter to the audience, and so many other reactions that made the show nothing less than brilliant.
The performance of all of the actors was great, but one that must be talked about is Aladdin – after all it is named after him! Adam Jacobs plays the role and it is obvious as to why he was cast for it. His role was flawless and definitely reached out to the audience who shared his pain through his struggles. Jacobs definitely did a great job with this role, and, from the talk of the audience after, they were very pleased with his performance.
The greatest character, after listening to the audience after the show that seemed to be in agreement, was of course the Genie. Danielle Coppola, a student at Colonia High School said, “The Genie was wonderful!”
Tony award winner for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, The Genie, James Monroe Iglehart.
The Genie is most definitely the funniest character of the show. To many this makes him the best character. Everybody comes to love him regardless of any preconceived notion from the Disney Movie. Of course he is no Robin Williams, but the actor James Monroe Iglehart is highly qualified for the part and easily compares to Williams with his Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical that he received for the role. Not only does he successfully recreate the sarcasm and comedy originally portrayed by Disney’s Aladdin but in his performance he includes subtle puns of the modern world such his adaptation of Disney’s song to include Adelle’s famous line “Hello from the other side”. There are more of these puns that the audience recognizes and earns the actor a roar of laughter followed by a genuine roaring applause. In fact at the end of the show during the bows the main character, Aladdin, was shown up by the Genie with the volume of applause – as the Genie’s applause came after Aladdin’s.
Another group of characters that must be mention would be the villains – particularly Jafar and his accomplice Iago. The performances of the two antagonists were done very well. The audience could definitely feel the evil coming from Jafar. His tone of voice and his slow gestures were recreated perfectly just as the original Disney producers made it. His tiny accomplice Iago, however, had a very different affect on the audience. Iago was another form of comic relief for the audience. A side dish to the evil of Jafar which seemed to be the one thing needed of the partners to pull together the act as a whole and it was done flawlessly.
Finally, the last character that deserves special mention is of course, Jasmine. Jasmine’s performance was not bad; however, it was incomparable to the rest of the cast it seemed. After the show numerous members of the audience were saying that they were disappointed in the performance. Coppola, as previously mentioned as a student at Colonia High School, is also the Stage Manager for the theatre program at the school, after being the assistant stage manager for her sophomore and junior year of high school. This gives credibility to her statement to Jasmine’s performance, as Coppola’s job here at Colonia High is to analyze, critique, and improve the performance of actors. Coppola says she was disappointed in the Broadway performance of Jasmine because “she did not have good breath control.” Jasmine would have a sudden exhale after every line, possibly to add emphasis to her worried mood, however if this was the case she gave the wrong affect.
As a whole Aladdin was a spectacular show despite small disappointments in the performance. The fact that if you see this show means you get to see the hilarious Genie and that alone makes the price per ticket worth it. Aladdin and the Genie make the show perfect and make it worth any other slight problems some may find with the show. Even though Coppola said that she did not like the Jasmine performance, she still felt “the show was absolutely amazing.” Though it is obviously not realistic, everybody should see this show as it was such an amazing recreation of the original Disney movie, and possibly even more enjoyable than the original. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
