Aladdin Previews- Page 9

[bdn223]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 12:50am

I was writing a thesis paper on Disney's impact on Times Square and the Theater industry at the time. During my research I came across a New York Times article about it. I currently can't find the article though. It was about the fact that despite selling out its final month of performances before even entering August The Little Mermaid was still closing. It went on to discuss that Disney wanted to keep the show open, but had no theater to move it into and was not sure if it would survive and be able to cover the cost of a move. It also brought up Disney's broadway economics and that Beauty and the Beast's strong weeks were barley covering their lean weeks when it closed. Unlike Tarzan the show was not bleeding money, rather it was performing like a long running tourists show following the the Disney Broadway model, packs during the spring, summer and holidays weeks and lean during the late fall and winter. Would the show have lasted another 5 years? Probably not, but it would have likely run another year or so and recouped.

[mikem]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 7:17am

There is an article in the NY Post about the show that says:

Jafar’s evil, wise-cracking henchman made it to the stage, only as a man (played by Don Darryl Rivera) rather than a bird. The script includes a cheeky nod to the movie character, though, when Jafar shouts to the little guy, “Must you parrot everything I say?”

Is there any independent confirmation of that? I assumed Iago was still a parrot. I guess the musical doesn't make it clear if he is or not.

[binau]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 7:21am

The NYPost interpretation is consistent with my observation of the first preview. He isn't meant to be a parrot and that line was meant to make light of that (the audience found that line particularly funny).

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 2:19pm

Despite all the reviews and everything, I'd love to see this regardless but I'm just that type of person I guess. lol. Especially if it's Disney and Aladdin. The cast and music sound great in this new sitzprobe video:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/things-you-didnt-know-about-aladdin-jasmine-genie-and-jafar

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 3:37pm

"My husband said the same thing after seeing the show in Toronto. Surprised she wasn't replaced."

When this musical was first announced, a lot of people on here suggested her for Jasmine. It's too bad that she's not living up to most people's expectations. I think Melissa O'Neil, who played Eponine in the Toronto revival of 'Les Miserables' and is a pert of the Broadway revival's ensemble, would make a great Jasmine.

[ZoeM]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 6:36pm

In the Toronto version I saw, there was a line at the beginning warning the audience that there were no talking animals here. But that was probably said by Babcak/Omar/Kassim, so I guess it's gone if they've been eliminated as narrators?

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/11/14 at 11:51am

The orchestra and cast sound amazing! I don't like how they're making "Prince Ali" a jazz number




ALADDIN on Broadway - The Sitzprobe Updated On: 3/11/14 at 11:51 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 1:55am

So is Iglehart back?

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/12/14 at 10:54pm

Lyrics for Beyond these Palace Walls:

JASMINE
Suitors talk of love
But it’s an act merely meant to throw me
How can someone love me when, in fact
They don’t know me?

They want my royal treasure,
when all is said and done.
It’s time for a desperate measure
So I wonder

Why shouldn’t I fly so far from here?
I know the girl I might become here
Sad and confined
And always locked behind these palace walls

LADIES
[????] and devotion every day
And not second guess it

JASMINE
If a new emotion comes my way

LADIES
You suppress it

JASMINE
What would be your suggestion?

LADIES
Standing on your own two feet
And ask why a certain question keeps repeating

JASMINE
Why shouldn’t I fly so far from here?
I know the girl I might become here
Follow your heart or you might end up cold and callous

LADIES
Love comes to those who go and find it
If you must dream then stand behind it

JASMINE
Maybe there’s more beyond these palace walls
What if I dared?
What if I tried?
Am I prepared for what’s outside?

Why shouldn’t I fly so far from here?
Something awaits beyond these palace walls

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/13/14 at 9:46pm

I thought it was a pretty near top-to-bottom disaster. I'm not even sure where to start.

The book is absolutely atrocious. There's just no way to sugarcoat it. Awful, awful, awful. The jokes are so beyond terrible and the sensibility of the whole thing is way off. It's self-referential in the worst ways and I chuckled maybe twice. It also puts no real emphasis on...oh, you know...the plot. I almost felt like it assumed everyone knew the story from the film, so why even bother hitting on the plot points in a coherent and pointed way. It just kind of sailed along, with no real drive behind it. Just a lot of bad jokes.

The score from the movie is obviously phenomenal...the new songs however, while not necessarily bad, aren't up to the standards of the film score. They stick out like sore thumbs. The orchestra sounds very good. I especially liked the orchestrations for "A Whole New World."

The performances are mostly mediocre. Jacobs is a fine Aladdin, but he brings just as much charm as the next guy would to the part. He could be replaced with any chorus boy and you probably wouldn't even notice. Fine, but generic and bland. Reed was...not great. Vocally or in terms of her acting. Iglehart was certainly the best of them all, but you would have to do a lot of convincing to make me believe that he deserves a Tony for this performance. Freeman is saddled with an entirely non-threatening version of Jafar (I never once thought of him as the despicable villain he comes across as in the film) and a horrible fake beard and lazy costume design.

The rest of the costumes have the requisite glitter and pizzazz you'd expect. The sets were mostly nice, but I absolutely hated the skrims they pulled down for the scene changes. Particularly bad writing during those "let's stall while they change the sets" moments, as well.

The direction was messy, unorganized, busy, and uninspired. Uninspired is also an appropriate word for the choreography.

I liked "Friend Like Me" enough (even if it tries WAY too hard to be a crowd-pleaser), but for me the one number that stood out was "A Whole New World." At least the first half. It was beautiful and simple...up until they had to throw in the blinking lights, people flailing a sheet around under the carpet, and a rotating earth behind them.

This ranks pretty far down on my list of favorite shows this season. All it did was make me want to watch the movie. If you skip this one, you're not missing much at all.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/13/14 at 10:31pm

why would they remove the planets but still have the moon turn into the earth.... (ugh!)

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/13/14 at 10:31pm

why would they remove the planets but still have the moon turn into the earth.... (ugh!)

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/14/14 at 12:31am

"They want my royal treasure, "

Yikes!!! Bust out the glitter and the sass.

[ak72090]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 7:16am

any new updates on the show? has anyone gone to it recently?

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 8:10am

I am getting so nervous now for May. I really thought that Disney would have to learned this lesson by now.

At least, the directors of FROZEN are trying to get involved with the Broadway production, so it looks promising and not a let down like this.

[homeimp]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 11:10am

Personally I thought Tarzan and The Little Mermaid were equally as worthy as musicals as the other more "more successful" Disney shows. Wonderful scores, even if the majority of the music and much of the dialogue came from the original movies, engaging performances, wonderful production values.
I saw Aladdin in Toronto and strongly agree that the corny jokes could be eliminated, but just about everything else was delightful. The Lion King has sidekicks dispensing corny jokes as well.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 11:50am

The Lion King has sidekicks dispensing corny jokes as well.

Yes, but nearly every character in ALADDIN has at least one or two corny, groan-inducing jokes they need to sell. Not just the sidekicks.

Oh and I didn't even mention ALADDIN's "best friends." What a dumb, incomprehensible decision to add these three annoying roles into the story. There's just no other way to describe them. I couldn't even imagine them being the narrators, which they apparently were in Toronto. Awful.

[lambchop2]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 5:29pm

I really liked them as narrators, personally. I think that, since they're no longer narrators, it will probably make a lot of their jokes awkward at best, since many of their jokes were obviously meant to break the 4th wall and poke fun at the story. Like (off the top of my head) the slow-mo running or "I don't know what's came over us!" "It's the music."

I agree with you, homeimp, on Aladdin. It was the best night in theater I've had in a long time, minus a few things that needed tweaking.

Although I do wonder why the team has tackled all these other areas in the show (to the point of making a huge change like removing the trio as narrators and adding Genie in instead!) but they don't appear to have touched the climax, which was probably the biggest problem in Toronto? I don't think it would even need overhauling, just tweaks to add in some real tension...

[jnb9872]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 6:53pm

If the groaners in THE LION KING are any basis on which to pre-judge (and based on what I'm reading I think this even seems worse than that awful book), I'm not expecting to enjoy listening to anything in this show when the orchestra isn't playing.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 9:05pm

It sounds like Disney is not really making any changes to the writing which seems to be the biggest problem with the show. Did they learn nothing from Tarzan and The Little Mermaid?

[Kad]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 11:56pm

Just saw this tonight.

Can't add much more to what's been said.

It's blandly entertaining.

The standing ovation after "Friend Like Me" seems like it's started by audience plants. The number that came most to mind was "Springtime for Hitler," actually- a lengthy, self-aware comedic number with clearly defined sequences.

The show is VERY padded and feels it. The friends are completely pointless and serve no role in the plot. Even "Friend Like Me" (which IS the best number) is padded from a 3-minute sequence to one that's at least 10. But the film is so reliant on the flexibility of animation (and Robin Williams in his prime).

"A Whole New World" is impressive for a moment, and then it's two squeaky-clean actors on a swinging chaise lounge in outer space.

Honestly, just see the movie. It's tighter, more creative, has a climax that is earned, and doesn't feature a slew of bland songs. I didn't have a bad time, but I can't recommend it. It frankly has no emotional core. It's all ersatz. No real heart or magic.

Updated On: 3/16/14 at 11:56 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 12:02am

The standing ovation after "Friend Like Me" seems like it's started by audience plants.

I had the same exact thought.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 12:08am

Yeah. I mean, the first one to stand was a guy in the front orchestra who leapt to his feet the instant the song ended. I've never seen anyone do that after a song- and this one wasn't any more show stopping or special than, say, "Be Our Guest."

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 12:16am

I will say that the original "Be Our Guest" at the Palace was most definitely worthy of a standing ovation. It was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen on stage.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 12:22am

I should also say this isn't as good as "Be Our Guest" because that number didn't have a Dancing with the Stars or game show parody.