Shining bright on Pantages Theater, the cast of Broadway Musical Aladdin evoke laughter and joy amongst the audience. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, this musical brought the classic animation to life, creating a witty and charming show.

Over the past years, many classic Disney animations have been brought into the world of theater with hit Broadway Musicals like The Lion King and The Beauty and the Beast. The 1992 original film of Aladdin was recreated into a Broadway Musical and came to Los Angeles for the first time through the dates of January 11 to March 31.

With the show in the City of Angels, the Los Angeles audience members had the opportunity to watch the Broadway actor who originated the role of Aladdin, Adam Jacobs. “There’s a lot of cool stuff that I think Disney fans will appreciate,” Jacobs says. “It makes for a good, well-rounded story because we have 2½ hours as opposed to 90 minutes in the film, so we get to flesh it out and have some good character development.”

Watching the show on it’s final week in Los Angeles, the musical truly incorporated the meaning of the original film while adding their own minute twists that allowed their show to sparkle. The show featured some of the famous songs from the original film like “A Whole New World” and added songs and scenes that were cut from the animated film.

The scene of “A Whole New World” showcased Aladdin and Jasmine on a magic carpet that flew around the stage. Special light effects made it seem as if they were in a sky full of bright stars, allowing for a Disney Magic feel. In addition, the relationship between Aladdin and Jasmine has matured in the show, as they portrayed more of a young adult romance rather than young teenagers.

Iago, originally shown as a villainous parrot alongside Jafar was portrayed by a smaller man instead on the Broadway stage. Iago is portrayed by Reggie De Leon and was a character that brought laughter and feel-good comedy to the audience. De Leon states, “From 2004 to 2015, I was working at Disneyland as a stage performer. To then have the dream continue and make it to Broadway, I really did get to rub the lamp and have three wishes.”

Watching the show at Pantages Theater left a surreal feeling of wonder and awe. With talented performers who portrayed the unique characters of Aladdin, audience members left with a satisfied feeling. Swift dance moves, thrilling special effects, drastic stunts, and effortless vocals are just four descriptions of this amazing show.

<Aaron Kim Los Altos HS 10th Grade>