Review Roundup: National Tour of ALADDIN Launches; What Did the Critics Think?

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The National Tour of Aladdin recently launched at Proctor's in Schenectady, NY.

Aladdin, the hit musical based on the Academy Award®-winning animated film, 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 14 New Amsterdam Theatre house records. Worldwide it has welcomed more than 14 million people, and can be seen currently on Broadway, in Tokyo, the Netherlands, Mexico City and Stuttgart.

Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and six-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).

Find out what the critics think below!

Proctor's Theatre - Schenectady, NY

J. Peter Bergman, The Berkshire Edge: Add into the mixture, that human yeast which makes the whole show rise into the perfect confection, Marcus M. Martin could easily steal any show he appears in, but his spectacularly talented Genie threatens to do so. Instead he is one of the chief ingredients in what comes across as the perfect wedding cake, a present to this great bride and groom. He is funny, graceful, a good singer and actor, and he moves into the picture and stays there where he obviously belongs. Martin is the perfect man for the job. I can almost guarantee you will fall under his spell for the entire two house and 30 minutes you are in the theater.

Bill Kellert, Nippertown: Young and old alike, this production offers something for everyone. Children will be mesmerized by the sets, swirling colors, and the songs which have become part of their musical lexicon. The audience at Saturday's performance was filled with many under the age of 14, who all sat with rapt attention throughout the nearly two-and-a-half-hour production. For the adults, we were treated to the addition of many jokes and gags that will certainly pass over the heads of many of the younger audience members.

Paul Lamar, The Daily Gazette: I don't think I will see "Aladdin" again after my maiden voyage into the Disney franchise, but I found much to enjoy about the production from a purely theatrical point of view while not investing much thought in the story (book by Chad Beguelin) or the music (by Alan Menken). (I will observe, however, that the values kids can take away from the dramatic events - friendship, self-discovery, honoring a promise, freedom, imagination, cooperation - are ones even curmudgeons still need to be reminded of.)

Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts - Hartford, CT

Hartford Courant

Clowes Hall - Indianapolis, IN

The Marriage Matinee, BroadwayWorld: You can't be drawn into Aladdin without a top-tier Genie, and Marcus M. Martin did not disappoint. He grabbed the audience from his first syllable to his last, and it made the whole experience that much more engaging. It's hard to pinpoint the magical recipe that creates a performance that is comedically accomplished without being too over-the-top, but he churned out one delicious rendition of Genie. What personally drew me in most was his vocal resonance. It helped to create that all-powerful presence that Genie requires. He also owned every inch of the stage. There was never a sense that he was following some predetermined blocking but that he moved, talked, and tapped 100% as Genie, not an actor simply portraying a role.

Shea's Performing Arts Center - Buffalo, NY

Peter Hall, Buffalo Rising: I was hoping that this current production would be as thrilling, the Genie just as funny, and the big dance numbers just as "wow" as when a Broadway tour of Aladdin last came to Shea's in 2018. It was. Marcus M. Martin in his national tour debut as the Genie was a big and loveable as ever. And he loved the audience back with his huge smile and big voice.

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center - Appleton, WI

Daniel Higgins, Appleton Post-Crescent: The stage performance isn't a scene-for-scene recreation of the 1992 movie. Attempting such a thing would be a foolish disaster. However, the key elements remain. All of the movie's original songs get sung. Where the show differs, the writers did a good job of enhancing the storytelling. Updated jokes and pop culture references including a medley of Disney Renaissance-era (1989-1999) songs during "Friend Like Me" also freshen up the 30-year-old movie. Overall, the musical remains true to the spirit and themes of the animated film original that propelled it to be the top-grossing film the year it was released.

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts - West Palm Beach, FL

Palm Beach Daily News, Mary Damiano: Roy and Ahmady have terrific chemistry and both get a big solo in the first act that showcases their vocal prowess and explains their personal plight. Their best scene is their duet of "A Whole New World" performed while soaring above the stage on a magic carpet. The beloved ballad comes to life, with the staging illustrating the lyrics in an enchanting spectacle.

Adrienne Arsht Center - Miami, FL

Mary Jo Shore, Miami's Community News: The musical retains the family-friendly plot of the Disney film, sweeping audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. We couldn't help but sing along to our favorite songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack and. enjoyed the additional songs written specifically for the stage.

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall - Sarasota, FL

Jay Handelman, Herald-Tribune: But the biggest and most welcome change is with the Genie played by Marcus M. Martin. There was no way a stage show could compete with the memory of Robin Williams, who used his voice to inspire the shape-shifting depiction of Genie seen in cartoon form.

Kay Kipling, Sarasota Magazine: There's also a quieter charm to the familiar duet "A Whole New World" (yes, a flying carpet is involved) and "A Million Miles Away," but chances are it's those big dance numbers you're going to remember most. I'm sure some adjustments were made to the original Broadway staging to make touring more efficient, but it doesn't feel like anything was skimped on here. And the cast members all have opportunities to stand out and make the most of them.

Robinson Performance Hall - Little Rock, AR

Eric E. Harrison, Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette: You've never seen a genie like the one heading up the cast of the national tour of "Disney's Aladdin." Marcus M. Martin grabs the show by its turban from the very opening and shakes it -- and himself -- until gold practically pours out of its theatrical ears. The show is gorgeously staged, choreographed and costumed, to the point to which it would put a Vegas revue to shame.

Bass Concert Hall - Austin, TX

Bob Abelman, The Austin Chronicle: It's also a lot to perform and, quite frankly, the very busy ensemble seemed a bit shell-shocked themselves upon taking the Bass Center Hall stage after four months on the road with short stays in lots of cities and the long travel in between. Out of the gate, their performances were lackluster and rote. So was the early work turned in by Colt Prattes, Ben Chavez, and Jake Letts, who play Aladdin's buddies and provide much of the comedy throughout the show. Also problematic was the poor sound mixing, which is typical of the opening nights of touring shows. It allowed the talented orchestra under James Dodgson's baton to drown out much of the singing and dialogue which, in turn, called undue attention to Alan Menken's occasionally inspired but largely forgettable score, which made it hard to get lost in the musical.

Playhouse Square - Cleveland, OH

Roy Berko, BroadwayWorld: The touring company is a visual delight of Arabian night costumes, sets and music. However, the cast, who mostly are making their professional tour appearances, is either tired from a long tour, doesn't have the needed experience, or just doesn't have the singing and acting chops to carry the show to its potential dynamics.