Aladdin Toronto previews- Page 2

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 11/2/13 at 7:19am

We understand that you have your job an everything, but I feel like you were just sort of teasing us. Not cool.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/2/13 at 8:04am

He feels since he writes for a publication on theater, that writing specifics would be wrong in previews. (And he's correct) He feels it would be the same as a reviewer releasing a review before opening night.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 11/2/13 at 9:09am

HERE'S THE CURTAIN
https://twitter.com/Tonktista/status/396455476751532032/photo/1

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 11/2/13 at 9:14am

I hope they get a better curtain for Broadway.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/2/13 at 2:55pm

That curtain is fugly.

[Alan Henry]

Posted: 11/2/13 at 3:20pm

This picture is a terrible representation of the intricate detail work on that curtain.

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 1:04am

I just saw tonight's preview! For those wondering about the Song List:

ACT I
Arabian Nights - Babkak, Omar, Kassim, Company
One Jump Ahead - Aladdin, Crowd
Proud of Your Boy - Aladdin
Arabian Nights (Reprise) - Babkak, Omar, Kassim
Call Me a Princess - Jasmine, Female Attendants
Call Me a Princess (Reprise) - Jasmine
Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim - Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim
A Million Miles Away - Aladdin, Jasmine
Diamond in the Rough - Jafar, Iago, Aladdin
Friend Like Me - Genie, Company
Arabian Nights (Reprise II) - Babkak, Omar, Kassim
Act One Finale (Friend Like Me/Proud of Your Boy - Reprise) - Genie, Aladdin

ACT II
Prince Ali - Babkak, Omar, Kassim, Genie, Company
Arabian Nights (Reprise III) - Babkak, Omar, Kassim
A Whole New World - Aladdin, Jasmine
High Adventure - Babkak, Omar, Kassim
Somebody's Got Your Back - Aladdin, Genie, Babkak, Omar, Kassim
Proud of Your Boy (Reprise II) - Aladdin
Prince Ali (Reprise) - Sultan, Company, Jafar
Genie's Exit (Somebody's Got Your Back - Reprise) - Genie
Finale Ultimo (Arabian Nights - Reprise IV/A Whole New World - Reprise) - Company

And the Standby/Understudy/Swing List:

STANDBYS
For Jafar/Sultan - Merwin Foard
For Genie/Babkak - Michael James Scott

UNDERSTUDIES
For Aladdin - Joshua Dela Cruz, Trent Saunders, Bud Weber
For Jafar - Dennis Stowe
For Genie - Donald Jones, Jr.
For Jasmine - Lauryn Ciardullo, Tia Altinay
For Kassim - Jaz Sealey, Yurel Echezzareta
For Omar - Andrew Cao, Michael Mindlin
For Sultan - Dennis Stowe
For Iago - Adam Kaokept, Michael Mindlin

SWINGS
Mike Cannon, Lauryn Ciardullo, Michael Mindlin, Jennifer Rias

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 2:14am

Thank you! I was sort of hoping that they would find a place for Jasmine to sing "To Be Free." From that list it doesn't look all that different from the Seattle production. They moved "Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim" (which was a good idea since it felt like the original version had 3 opening numbers) and they replaced "Why Me" with a new song.

Personally, I didn't really have any issues with "Why Me." Was "Diamond in the Rough" any good?

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 4:51am

Is the genie blue in this production?

[HorseTears]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 8:02am

Is there a cast list available? I couldn't find one on the official website, just a link to buy Toronto tickets. I hate to be THAT guy and I know that this is fictitious, exaggerated version of the "Middle East", but are there any actors of middle eastern descent in the cast? It was difficult to tell from that rehearsal b-roll. It does look like a very diverse cast, which is awesome, just curious about whether they managed to cast any actors of middle eastern descent.

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 9:37am

@CATSNYrevival, I did not follow the Seattle production so have no comparison, but I can say that I thought it felt weird that Jasmine's first song (and also her only solo besides the Reprise) was Call Me a Princess. I understood what the number was supposed to be doing, but to me it didn't really convey how Jasmine was trying to turn off her suitors. When she first enters the scene after overhearing the Sultan and the princes talking about, she dresses up all crazily and (to me at least) acts immature to get rid of them; then she suddenly does this sultry jazz song. It was an odd sudden tone shift. I just looked up 'To Be Free' and kind of wish it was still in the show, it wouldn't make me question Call Me a Princess as much. Aladdin gets a nice backstory song with Proud of Your Boy, and it would have been nice to get an honest song from Jasmine too.

Updated On: 11/3/13 at 09:37 AM

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 9:42am

Does Jasmine seem more 3 dimensional in this show? She comes off as a brat in the film and yeah you feel for her a bit, but I was really hoping this new musical would go deeper into her emotions.

Also, can anyone comment on the special effects?

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 9:47am

Also, I just looked up Why Me?, and I prefer Diamond in the Rough better. In the show, Jafar and Iago get in disguise to confront Aladdin, and sing the song to convince him to steal the lamp. It's quite funny (Jonathan Freeman and Don Darryl Rivera have fantastic chemistry), and advances the plot more (it introduces the notion to Aladdin that he needs to impress Jasmine with wealth and power).

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 9:51am

@Younger Brother, the Genie does not wear blue makeup, but he wears various outfits that are blue. Except towards the end: he wears white when he's enslaved by Jafar, then when reenters after being set free and before he heads off, he's wearing tourist vacation wear (shorts and shirt) like in the end of the movie.

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 10:06am

@HorseTears, Here's a link to a shot I took of the head shots and names of the ensemble. The show had one of the most ethnically diverse ensembles I've seen, and it does seem there were a few people of Middle Eastern descent.




Ensemble Updated On: 11/3/13 at 10:06 AM

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 10:23am

@N2N Nate., Songwise, I feel Jasmine would have been more deeply characterized if they kept To Be Free. Call Me a Princess alone gives an incomplete picture of her, and as I mentioned previously it kind of keeps her out of balance with Aladdin who has Proud of Your Boy. That being said, she comes off less of a brat as in the movie, and there are scenes throughout that help show her yearning to explore outside of her princess life. However, I always felt this from the movie, but Jasmine really doesn't do much in the story.

As for special effects, there is smoke whenever Genie pops out of the lamp, which with the help of a real fancy trap door, is very cool. There's some pyro during Friend Like Me (which was a showstopper). Jafar gets some quick changes towards the end as he rises to power which were fun. A Whole New World was absolutely breathtaking, the magic carpet ride was beautiful. Whatever the rigging system for it is, you can't see any of it and it really is a magical effect.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 10:56am

To be Free would act as a nice counterpart to Call Me a Princess and would work as a reprise for Genie.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 10:57am

There seems like there is a lot of padding/exposition in the first act. Considering that Aladdin meeting the Genie is the catalyst for, yknow, the whole plot, it seems strange that it takes 9 musical numbers to get there.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 11:08am

@funnyman2, completely agree on Jasmine being off balance with Aladdin. I always felt like that was one of the flaws with the movie. Jasmine isn't the hero of the film, but she still should be seen as Aladdin's equal,character wise. I just listened to "to be free" and I didn't care much for it, but it's better than "Call me a princess".

Would you say the new songs are good assets to the old ones? I really don't want to see another "Positoovity" disaster.

Could you go into detail about "Friend like me"? It's the showstopping number and it looks like from the video, they made it a tap number? Or maybe I am thinking of "Prince ALi"?

Updated On: 11/3/13 at 11:08 AM

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 11:44am

I hope they include To Be Free before opening on Broadway as it shows Jasmines emotions and feelings better.

Is there an overture and en'tractre too?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 12:04pm

4 songs and a ton of reprises in Act 2. ???????

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 12:18pm

Jasmine has always lacked an I want number. It would make sense to include To Be Free.

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 12:48pm

@N@N Nate., I've already commented on Call Me a Princess (didn't like) and Diamond in the Rough (liked), and overall the rest of the songs worked fine in the show, both for entertainment and for plot purposes. Some felt kind of forced; for example, halfway through Act II seemed like an odd place to suddenly have a buddy number, which Somebody's Got Your Back is (in the context of the show, Aladdin uses his second wish to free him and his friends from being Jafar's prisoners, and after reiterating that his third wish will be used to free the Genie, they all sing the song) but it was fine. A Million Miles Away was a pretty (if not a bit derivative) duet, and I appreciated it for giving Jasmine more depth. All of the stuff with Babkak, Omar, and Kassim was hilarious, especially High Adventure (when the three decide to save Aladdin and Jasmine, then follows their pursuits as they prepare then storm the palace) which was a ton of fun.

Friend Like Me was indeed a showstopper. It became this huge sprawling number, and was adapted kind of like how Be Out Guest from Beauty and the Beast was for the stage; throughout the song the Genie would demonstrate all the different things he could do, and all these various acts of different styles would come in and out (including a few surprises that I won't ruin). The song ended with a big tap sequence, and the entire thing was fantastic.

[funnyman2]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 12:52pm

@mikeyb16, there is indeed an Overture and Entr'acte, both very grand and good at setting the mood. Overall the score was good, with a mix of different musical styles, and I really liked the reorchestration of a lot of music to give everything a bit more prominent Middle Eastern flavour.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 11/3/13 at 12:55pm

"Friend Like Me was indeed a showstopper. It became this huge sprawling number, and was adapted kind of like how Be Out Guest from Beauty and the Beast was for the stage"

I got the biggest smile on my face. So glad to hear that, funnyman2.