Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ is Magical in Every Way

If you can’t imagine the lengths of detail you could put into a Disney musical, look no further than our cover photo. Costumes, set design, stage presence, and incredible music make Disney’s Aladdin the most magical music in Disney’s repertoire.

Aladdin opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim on March 20, 2014, and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 12 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming over seven million people worldwide. Its global footprint has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London, and Brisbane, in addition to the two U.S. productions.

Thursday Night’s press performance was absolutely amazing. The newly adapted musical boasted new musical numbers outside of usual “Friend like Me” and “A Whole New World.” Songs such as “Proud of Your Boy” and “Somebody’s Got Your Back” were received well by the Fox Theatre audience.

Aladdin, played by Clinton Greenspan, was excellent all-around. With all the running, climbing, jumping, and dancing he did, his singing was still on point. You could tell by Aladdin’s glistening man-chest that Greenspan put in a full workout and his effort did not go unnoticed (he received quite the ovation at the end). We got to know Aladdin’s band of merry mates, Babkak (Zach Bencal), Omar (Philippe Arroyo), and Kassim (Jed Feder) which were new to the musical and found themselves in as many hijinx as our open-vest wearing hero. Abu’s absence was noticed immediately but that was in no way a downer.

Because how could you feel down in the least bit when you have a genie. A fantastic genie. A genie, like the animated movie, that completely steals the show! Trevor Dion Nicholas deserves a thousand applauses for what I witnessed last night. His booming voice and modern dance infusion were amazing. When we saw fireworks onstage, they were during his performance. When a canon shot streamers into the audience, again, that was during his performance. All the grandiose effects and performances all revolved around his genius. A genie that’s not only comical but can sing and dance after rattling off multiple lines like an auctioneer? I’ll take that along with his blinged-out garbs and dabbing exit.

I give Disney’s Aladdin a 9.5 out of 10. Unlike most productions that come through Atlanta, Aladdin will have a two-week stay at The Fox Theatre. For those that remember the original animated adventure, the musical will make you feel like a kid again. Just a reminder, college students can take advantage of $30 student rush tickets. I could think of a better production to kick off the 2018/19 season.

-Jon J.