Disney Aladdin ~ The Hit Broadway Musical ~ Review

Can we just take a moment to give Shea’s Buffalo a big round of applause! I swear every time they make a show announcement, it’s something HUGE!!! Bravo Shea’s! BRAVO! Makes this broadway obsessed gal happy that she no longer needs to invest in a jet so she can head to NYC for quality theater since it’s finally making its way to Buffalo! I swear I was going to go broke booking those NYC theater trips!

A few weeks ago my daughter and I had the pleasure of checking out Disney “Aladdin” during a matinee performance in Buffalo! Would it live up to all the hype that magazines like Cosmo have been raving about for months? Find out below!

Disney Aladdin

Inspired by the Middle Eastern story, “One Thousand and One Nights”, and the 1992 Disney animated film, “Aladdin” is a mystical coming of age story of an orphan that makes his wildest dreams come true, with the help of a magic genie. Aladdin quickly learns that fame, fortune, and love don’t come easy, and sometimes staying true to yourself will find you true happiness, even without the lamp.

Most Disney fanatics will notice a few differences from the film. Some of these differences I will consider improvements and some not adding much to the story at all. My favorite inclusion was that of Aladdin’s partners in crime. Babkak, Omar, and Kassim. These three added great comedic moments to this musical. The song “High Adventure” when they storm the castle to save Aladdin from Jafar, left the whole audience in tears from laughter. Another great addition to the story was the inclusion of a cut song from the original film, “Proud of Your Boy,” when Aladdin reflects on his mother and future.

There were also a few changes that left me scratching my head. I understand cutting Abu the monkey and Rajah the tiger in order to put focus on other characters. Jasmine’s maidens and Aladdin’s friends substituted those roles that were originally filled by these non-speaking characters. However, Iago, the snarky parrot of Jafar, was made human which only took away from an iconic character.

MY OPINION

Honestly, I had one fabulous time with my daughter!!! I love the movie “Aladdin”. I wanted to name my daughter Jasmine, but my husband was anti Disney princess names. Boo!! So it was definitely fun to fly with Aladdin and Jasmine to “A Whole New World” on the magic carpet, travel down into the Cave of Wonders to get the lamp, and tap along with the Genie in the showstopper “Friend Like Me.”

​However, “Aladdin” will never be my favorite of the Disney musicals. It's by no means a failure, but Disney’s “Aladdin” is not a producer's masterpiece like "The Lion King," nor a charming work of great artistic accomplishment like "Beauty and the Beast".

If you’re someone who attends shows regularly like myself, I would say “Aladdin” is a must see. You will have a blast checking off another hit musical off your bucket list. However, if you’re not a Disney lover or if your someone who just never makes it to the theater, I would recommend checking out “The Lion King” instead. That musical will leave you speechless.

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Have you seen Disney Aladdin ~ The Hit Broadway Musical?