REVIEW: ‘Disney’s Aladdin’ brings high adventure to the Hobby Center

By Emily Nichelle Wolfe On Jun 30, 2019 634 0

PHOTO: A group number that has male dancers "flying" in the air while the townspeople of Agrabah cheer them on and play various musical instruments.Photo courtesy of the Hobby Center and Deen Van Meer. — “Disney’s Aladdin” opens with “Arabian Nights” a musical number that welcomes the audience to Agrabah and hints at the brilliant set design that will appear later on in the musical. Photo courtesy of the Hobby Center and Deen Van Meer.

From June 26 to July 14, The Hobby Center’s Sarofim Hall transforms into the fictional world of Agrabah, the setting for “Disney’s Aladdin” as part of the Broadway show’s United States tour.

“Aladdin” is the story of how the thief Aladdin (played by Clinton Greenspan) falls in love with Agrabah’s Princess Jasmine (played by Kaenaonālani Kekoa) and befriends Major Attaway’s Genie. The plot is moved forward by manipulations of the Grand Vizier of Agrabah, Jafar, and his loyal henchman Iago, portrayed by Jonathan Weir and Reggie De Leon respectively.

Featuring the songs by Alan Menken, Tim Rice, and Howard Ashman from the 1992 animated Disney film “Aladdin,” the theater production recruited book writer Chad Beguelin and composer Menken to craft additional songs and lyrics. Songs cut from the animated film such as “Proud of Your Boy” and “Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim” are finally brought to life in the musical.

The show’s director and choreographer, Casey Nicholaw – the masterful and Tony Award-winning genius behind shows like “Mean Girls,” “The Book of Morman” and “Something Rotten!” – allows Agrabah to come alive in front of audiences.

Aladdin, Genie and Babkak are diamonds in the rough

PHOTO: A close-up of Major Attaway's Genie; complete with a golden staff, over the top makeup and a blue velvet suit with gold accents and a red sash belt. Photo courtesy of the Hobby Center and Deen Van Meer. — Major Attaway’s star power embodies the character of Genie. A veteran of the character, Attaway gave Houston a few shout-outs and made the audience feel like the show was created just for them. Photo courtesy of the Hobby Center and Matthew Murphy.

Attaway’s performance as the Genie was the shiniest jewel in the show’s cave of wonders. After three years on Broadway in the role, Attaway has learned exactly how to dissolve the audience into laughter and how to force them into a reverent silence as he continually steals the show. His loyalty to the character, originated by Robin Williams in the 1992 version, is evident, but he makes the character his own by including pop culture references from “Moana,” “Black Panther,” and “Dancing with the Stars” among numerous others.

Attaway is not the only diamond when it comes to acting performances, Greenspan embodied everything fans love about Aladdin. He understands how to charm audiences without coming off as cocky and arrogant and his comedic jokes feel natural and unforced. His performances in “One Jump Ahead” and “Somebody’s Got Your Back” are full of energy and charisma, while his solo, “Proud of Your Boy” and its reprises are nuanced and emotional without being sappy.

PHOTO: A focus shot of Aladdin (Clinton Greenspan) smiling at the audience while bathed in purple and pink light. Photo courtesy of the Hobby Center and Deen Van Meer. — The setting of “Disney’s Aladdin” takes place in a fictional world, a few months after Aladdin (Clinton Greenspan) loses his mother. It tells the story of how he promises to act in a way that would make his mother “proud of [her] boy.” Greenspan’s emotional solos contrast well to his carefree demeanor he presents to the rest of Agrabah. Photo courtesy of the Hobby Center and Deen Van Meer.

Not every actor has the comedic genius of Attaway and Greenspan. While Kekoa’s emotional and musical turns are fantastic, her jokes seem pained and strange. Additionally, Weir’s portrayal of Jafar is inviting and comedic, which makes for an unnatural and uncomfortable version of the usually cold and sinister villain of Disney lore.

The subtle greatness of supporting characters like De Leon’s Iago, Ben Chavez’ Omar and Colt Prattes’ Kassim allow for the main characters’ to be the focus of the show, but they also have a few spotlight moments of their own. In particular, Zach Bencal’s Babkak manages to be the standout member of Aladdin’s group of friends by delivering his lines in fits of perfect comedic timing.

Disney’s transformative vision of Agrabah

Beyond the acting, “Disney’s Aladdin” is simply stunning. The production is sublime. The show paused for a few minutes in order to deal with technical difficulties, but beyond that, the lighting and projections were a sight to behold.

While “Disney’s Aladdin” is a musical, the random dance sequences are limited and most of the movement on stage comes from the sword fighting and chase scenes, highlighted best in “High Adventure” and “One Jump Ahead,” respectively. Nicholaw has mastered the ability to keep audiences guessing without creating unnecessary clutter that might make following the storyline difficult.

The sets are minimal, with a lot of forced perception and projections used to bring the story to life, which allows for the choreography and special effects to be utilized to their full potential.

Parts of the musical difficult to manifest on stage, like the Cave of Wonders scene or the Genie’s show-stopper “Friend Like Me,” are encouraged by special effects in order to make the stage seem larger and more extravagant than reality allows.

One of the best moments in the musical is the iconic “A Whole New World” scene which featured moving performances by Greenspan and Kekoa, and benefited from the unobtrusive set design. With only the two leads, a floating carpet and the moon and stars, Nicholaw focuses the attention of the song and makes the audience feel like they are flying alongside Jasmine and Aladdin.

The production’s lighting worked well with the costumes’ glitter and sequins, which allowed for the audience to be stunned by the extravagance of Agrabah’s elite. In particular, the costumes used for Jafar’s quick changes in the later part of Act II is mesmerizing with the sequins blinding the audience into a stunned silence.

“Disney’s Aladdin” is a show-stopping musical that tells the story of daring sword fights, far off places and a pauper in disguise. There are many moments in the production that could come off campy or over-the-top, but it does not fall victim to those possibilities. Under Nicholaw’s direction, the show manages to be as thrilling as the 1992 film, but with a lot more emotional heft. The scenes are brilliantly framed as the actors embody the iconic roles. “Disney’s Aladdin” is truly a diamond in the rough.

For more information on “Disney’s Aladdin” visit: https://www.aladdinthemusical.com/.