It has been about a month since I last
went to the theatre; I know what you are thinking, how does a theatre addict
like myself last a month without going. Well luckily my treatment includes lots
of Elaine Paige on Sunday, BBC WestEnders, musical films and bad singing to get
through it. It has also been a long time coming for me and my Beez (Kaz) to
have a theatre trip. We had been anticipating the long awaited Broadway
transfer of Disney’s Aladdin in London, which I will come on to. Was great
catching up with ma Beez, giggles the whole way to London, despite my gas
(sorry Beez) and the T**T that hit Kaz’s wing mirror. Thankfully after driving
2 miles while holding it through the window (hilarious) it clipped backed in.
We had a little trip to the Victoria and Albert museum in Kensington for their
special Curtain Up exhibition which celebrates 40 years of London theatre, part
of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Olivier Awards. Was
great walking around, looking how times have changes, history of programmes,
mixing the sounds and my favourite part trying on the costumes. We then had a
relaxing chill in Leicester (a.k.a Lichester) Square where we mulled in the
sun; having devilish thoughts. Then it was time for Aladdin.
The Prince Edward Theatre is in the
heart of the LGBT community on Old Compton Street. I have been to this theatre
a few times, first to see Mamma Mia with Nanny Cora before its move and more
recently in 2014 to see the latest production of Miss Saigon. It is a lovely
theatre holding over 1600 audience members each performance and owned by Delfont
Mackintosh. It has hosted some of the most well-known musicals in the West End
including Evita, Chess, Anything Goes, Crazy for You, West Side Story, Mary
Poppins and Jersey Boys. Now it hosts Aladdin. Disney transferred the much
loved 1992 animated musical film into a stage production. In launched in
Seattle in 2011 and then to produce regional and international productions. It opened
on Broadway in 2014 at the New Amsterdam Theatre. I have not discussed the plot
as I thought everyone reading this blog would know it. If you don’t, why not? It
tells the tale of young homeless Aladdin who is coerced into finding a magic
lamp, who finds out this magic lamp contains a genie and Aladdin uses three
magic wishes to win over the beautiful princess Jasmine. Aladdin was nominated
for 5 Tony’s in 2014 including Best Musical, Best Book (Beguelin), Best Original
Score (Menken, Ashman, Rice and Beguelin) and Best Choreography (Casey
Nicholaw) with James Monroe Iglehart winning the Tony for Best Performance by a
Featured Actor in a Musical as the Genie (well deserved). The album was later
nominated for Best Musical Theatre Album at the 2015 Grammy’s (won by
Beautiful, The Carole King Musical). It will be interesting to see how Aladdin competes
at the 2016 Olivier’s Awards, but I would bet on Trevor Dion Nichols being
nominated for his portrayal of the Genie.
I have to start by mentioning how
blown over I was with Trevor Dion Nichols who played the Genie, an iconic
character anyone will admit, being portrayed by the late and great Robin Williams
in the 1992 animated film. Nichols had played the Genie on Broadway, I think as
an understudy or replacement, but recently relocating to London to star in the
West End production of Aladdin. He was by far the most charismatic, talented,
funny and wonderful person on that whole stage. He certainly was the star of
the night and that showed in the response he got from the audience, most standing
to applaud such an energetic performance. He has the best song in the show, ‘Friend
Like Me’ and boy does he do it justice. A 7 minute, non-stop musical number,
with a Disney medley honouring the work of Disney legends Howard Ashman,
Stephen Swartz and Alan Menken with Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas and The
Little Mermaid, being featured. This was also one of the most visually amazing parts
of the show. It involves magic, glitter, quick changes, illusions and an
explosion of confetti into the audience. I cannot get over this one scene; I
want to see it over and over again. There are clips on the Internet of the Tony
performance but this does not capture one bit how amazing it is to sit among
it, plus it is a snippet of the full scene. If you do not enjoy anything else
about Aladdin, Nichols’ performance will have you gagging for more and he will
draw you in to the Arabian magic.
I have to admit apart from Nichols
I was not blown away by the rest of the cast. I had seen Dean John-Wilson
recently at the St James’ Theatre in Miss Atomic Bomb where I thought he was
really good. Thus I was really looking forward to seeing him as the protagonist
in this show which had received fantastic reviews. I am not sure what it was
but I thought his voice was not the best and no way compared to Nichols’. The
same was said for Jade Ewen playing Jasmine. A former Sugababe I was having
high hopes for this performance, again I was completely underwhelmed. The songs
sung by Ewen and John-Wilson did nothing for my inner romantic side, so ‘A Whole
New World’ was disappointing, vocally, not visually (wait!). Jafar was played
by Don Gallagher who is a well-known TV and stage actor but I felt this
performance was very panto-esque (I love a panto, but there is a place and time).
Whether this was aimed at the kids I am not sure. I enjoyed Peter Howe as Iago,
who does the most fantastic human version of an animated parrot, the reference
to Iago as a parrot in the film was good and he even sounded like the Iago in
the film. Irvine Iqbal played the Sultan, who albeit not in it much had a
really amazing voice so it was a shame he only really has one (big) number. Instead
of the monkey Abu as Aladdin’s side kick he has three mates, Babkak, Omar and
Kassim (I liked Kassim, played by Stephen Rahman-Hughes), and I understand it
would have been difficult to portray a tiny monkey on stage, but I think I
would have preferred a monkey as opposed to three mates, although there is a
reference to Abu in the Prince Ali number. Also there is no tiger (Rajah).
I think the creatives of Aladdin
outweigh the cast by a million, excluding Nichols’ of course. With the hero of
Disney, a god of musical theatre and a talent not many can top, you can’t
really go wrong when you have Alan Menken writing the music for a stage show,
and again this is something he has exceeded in. With old classics such as
Arabian Nights, One Jump Ahead, Friend Like Me, Prince Ali and of course A
Whole New World what can go wrong. With lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, Tim
Rice (another fantastic Disney and Musical theatre lyricist) and Chad Beguelin
(who also writes the book) it really is a fantastic score. It was great to hear
some of Ashman’s work that was cut from the original animated film, the song
Proud of Your Boy I have fallen in love with and High Adventure is a catchy
little number too. I always think it is hard to beat the classics and the newer
songs which were written for the stage version don’t live up to the classics. A
Million Miles Away was a bit flat for me, although hearing it on the Broadway
cast album does sound better and ‘These Palace Walls’ has been forgotten.
Some of the scenes were absolutely
beautiful and were mesmerising which is not an over exaggeration at all. Scenic
design was by Bob Crowley, illusion design by Jim Steinmeyer, and Lighting by
Natasha Katz. The scenes start to become out of this world with Diamond in the
Rough leading to Friend Like Me. The stage turns into an actual Sahara goldmine.
Everything is so sparkly and dazzling, the lion sand monster comes to life and
you just do not know where to look. The transformation of the stage during
Friend Like Me and the illusory effects are just fantastic and it really gives
off that magical vibe. I cannot give too much away as it will spoil the show if
you see it. Katz does an amazing job with A Whole New World, again the stage
transforms into the night sky, with shooting stars, perspective changes and the
love between Jasmine and Aladdin comes to life with the lighting arrangements.
It really was a spectacular moment, and yes there is a magic carpet ride,
beautiful!
All of this wonder is added to by
the gorgeous costume design by Gregg Barnes. From the dramatic bold colours off
all the characters to the innocent and rich white of the Prince and his
entourage they were all so beautiful. The Arabian feel for costumes was definitely
captured within the costumes and there was so much bling it was fabulous. Some of
those costumes are bound to have weighed a ton (I should know I spent a good 20
minutes at the V&A trying them on). And I am assuming this would be down to
make-up design (Milagros Medina-Cerdeira), anyway whose ever idea it was to put
glitter on the bald head of the Genie, for me this was the icing on the cake,
or the glitter on the head (haha! Bad joke sorry). If (or when) I go bald at
least I have the comfort of knowing I can sparkle in the light of having no
hair with body glitter on my head, YES!
I do feel I have been over critical
to Aladdin. I really enjoyed the show but it was definitely the creatives, set
design, illusions, costumes, sparkle, glitter and of course Trevor Dion Nichols’
performance as the Genie that won the show for me. Aladdin is currently selling
at the Prince Edward Theatre until June 2017. It really is a lovely production
to SEE. Please get in touch on Twitter fellow musical fans, AaronBurgess89
