REVIEW: Aladdin The Musical

I had very high hopes for Aladdin: The Musical and I’m pleased to report that—while it’s not quite a diamond in the rough—ALADDIN is certainly a precious gem. ALADDIN is packed full of humor and comedy, largely thanks to Anthony Muprhy who plays the role of Genie.  Anyone who has seen Disney’s original animated feature will know that it would be impossible for anyone to fill the tiny elf shoes of Robin Williams’s indelible Genie.  Rather than risk certain disappointment, those familiar with Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will definitely recognize Tituss Burgess’s influence in this new incarnation.  The new twist on what was expected of Genie was a fantastic choice. The casting of Aladdin was also spot on. With his 1,000-watt smile and heavenly voice, Adam Jacobs played the perfect cartoon prince. As he joined this tour after playing the role on Broadway, there’s no doubt he’s likely the best out there for the eponymous street rat with the heart of gold.

The show features many fantastic songs from the movie and plenty of new songs written for the stage production (i.e., unnecessarily filler to extend the show’s length). “A Friend Like Me” was definitely the showstopper and has more pizzazz and fireworks than the Fourth of July.  ALADDIN is worth seeing for this alone.  I expected “A Whole New World” to also be a favorite, but it seemed to lack the substantial emotion to really take off.  What did take off, however, was the magic carpet that Aladdin and Princess Jasmine flew on during this piece.  Disney dumped a Cave of Wonders-worth of money into making this scene truly awe-inspiring.  It was so good that my husband couldn’t go to bed without scouring the internet to find out just how they did it.  I won’t reveal the answer here, but it’s an impressive feat of Disney’s trademark Imagineering that evokes the same childlike wonder from crowds of all ages.

Aladdin is at The Orpheum Theatre through October 8, 2017. Tickets start at $39.

DEAL ALERT: Rush tickets will be available for all performances excluding weekend matinees.
2 tickets per valid student or educator ID. $25 per ticket, cash only. Available at the box office two hours prior to showtime. Subject to availability.