Review: TWISTED: THE UNTOLD STORY OF A ROYAL VIZIER at Orange Rose Productions

If you know anything about Starkid productions, you know how highly entertaining they are. Established by Darren Criss and his college friends, Starkid creates parodies of pop culture subjects—like Harry Potter and The Oregon Trail—featuring original music.

Orange Rose Productions recently put on Twisted: The Untold Story of the Royal Vizier, which parodies Aladdin and the Walt Disney Company as a whole. A quick content warning: while I have never seen a Starkid production before, this one starts off strong with language, content, and references that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Apparently, all their shows are like this. I was not personally offended—in fact, I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard—but if you are sensitive to this type of content, be aware of it before attending a Starkid show.

Warnings aside, I was highly entertained. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time; my friend and former colleague, whom I brought with me, and I were in tears at moments. 

The plot reimagines the story of Aladdin through the eyes of Jafar and his backstory. There are many nods to Disney, and as a former cast member and a self-described "Disney adult," I appreciated every joke directed at "The Mouse." I feel this show was a love letter to both. For example, Princess Jasmine says, "I don’t want to be prepared. I’m not some creepy old lion." There was also a parade of Disney villains in the second act.

My personal favorite performances were Sherrazade (Madeline Rae Soriano) and Prince Achmed (Owen Ware). 

The cast as a whole was excellent; as a parody, the key to the show is comedic timing, and everyone nailed it. 

Although this show has closed, Orange Rose Productions put on an entertaining production. If you come across another production from this company or a Starkid show, you will not be disappointed!