Hey There Love Bug!
It seems like I have been waiting to actually attend Aladdin on Broadway at the New Amsterdam theater in Manhattan, NY for an eternity. As soon as the album became available on iTunes, I immediately downloaded it and fell in love with the music (of course I know all of the lyrics to every song on the album now). I also saw various videos of the main stars (I know….obsessive) on YouTube and wished and hoped that one day my dream of seeing the show would come true.
Well…..fast forward two years later and I have been given the opportunity to visit the Big Apple! Woooo hooo!!! When my friends asked me what Broadway show we should see I jumped up and screamed “Aladdin!”. Needless to say, there was no discussing this further. We would be seeing the show I had been wanting to see for so long now! I was not going to be cheap with it either. I opted for the front orchestra seats, while my three friends opted for the highest balcony (cheaper) seats. I am sooooo glad we purchased our tickets a few months in advance because this show is practically sold out every single day! Don’t wait until the last minute to purchase your tickets because chances are you won’t be able to go at the last minute!
As soon as the show commenced, I was uncontrollably emotional, and cried tears of joy during A Whole New World and at the end of the play too. I’m sure the kids next to me were thinking I was a weirdo the entire time. As the show continued I watched my childhood favorite movie of all time come to life with costumes full of bling, songs that were sung with the most beautiful voices, scenes constructed to perfection, and pyrotechnics beyond believable (especially since there was a REAL magic carpet flying around the stage). I felt completely immersed in Agrabah with the detailed sets too! Aladdin was by far the most beautiful show I have ever seen on broadway.
Aladdin (played by Adam Jacobs) and Jasmine (played by Courtney Reed) were absolutely perfect together. Not only did they have great chemistry, but their portrayal of the iconic characters of the 1992 film were played to perfection. Courtney also did a fabulous job singing! It’s not easy to hit Jasmine’s high notes, but she nailed it! I also loved that Jafar was played by the original voice from the 1992 film, Jonathan Freeman. He did a fantastic job with his sidekick Llago (played by Don Daryl Rivera), who had the audience laughing constantly. Speaking of laughing constantly, I have to give it to Tony award winner James Monroe Iglehart, who plays the hysterical Genie. He TOTALLY took the audience to a whole new world (pun intended…get it?). His comedic performance earned a standing ovation from the entire audience. No wonder he earned a Tony award!
The music was one of my favorite parts of the entire play. Alan Menken, the mastermind behind the music of the original film, is also behind the music of the show. He brought the deleted songs of the original film into the play, so there are some new scores for those that are familiar with the music from the original movie. Two of my favorites were Proud of Your Boy and A Million Miles Away. The dancing was also superior and impressive. There are a number of dances performed that had the crowd clapping and cheering. My jaw dropped for many of these dances, but the ultimate show stopper is Friend Like Me. The tap dancing during this number is beyond incredible!
During the intermission, I ran up to where my friends were sitting and they all stated how jealous they were of my seat up at the front. They all agreed that they wish they would have spent a little more to get great seats because they were blown away at the quality of the show! Goes to show you that Disney does it right every time! Next time you’re in New York City, you have to put Aladdin at the top of your broadway to-do list.
If I could rate this show out of more than five stars I would give it 50, but since this is a 5 star scale, it gets a full five from me!
Have you seen Aladdin on Broadway? What did you think?! Comment below!
XO, NAT
Disclosure: All images and opinions are my own.
Nati Meets World 
I haven’t seen the show but it is my dream to see it! I will be going to London to catch its premiere next Summer though. It is possible that some of the current leading cast will reprise their roles in the West End. I so want to see Friend Like Me and A Whole New World.
That is great Chow Kim Wan! I hope you are able to see the original cast, but if not, I am sure it will be fantastic anyways! Those two songs were my absolute favorite in the show!