Day 1637: Aladdin Chicago

I'll openly admit that I've never really liked Aladdin. If asked, I'll be the first to suggest that A Whole New World is probably the most overplayed song in the history of Disney Music (closely followed by anything from The Little Mermaid), and that while some of the characters are interesting, there's just nothing special about them that's truly appealed to me in my 21 years of life. In fact, and no one murder me for saying this, I realized recently that the most likely reason I've never really enjoyed the film is that the chemistry between Aladdin and Jasmine seems forced and unrealistic in the film, among other things. I do love Genie though, so there are some redeeming qualities here. 

Obviously, my feelings toward the film made me cautious going into the musical. I've only listened to the soundtrack a handful of times (mostly to avoid hearing A Whole New World for the 8 millionth time), and other than watching a video here or there over the past year out of curiosity about Adam Jacobs, I kept away from the show altogether. My family does, however, have a history of taking in the newest Disney musical when it arrives in Chicago, and that meant that at some point before September 10, we were bound to make the four hour drive to see the show. 

Overall, I'll say this about Aladdin: It was good, but not the showstopping extravaganza Hamilton is, with the exception of Friend Like Me and Prince Ali. In fact, Friend Like Me might just be one of the best things I've ever seen on stage, and that's saying something. The near 10 minute Genie feature is full of glitter and glam and everything you'd expect from the Genie. The dance breaks (specifically the tap) are full of energy and honestly, the entire number looks just plain exhausting, but is equally musical, hilarious, impressive, and magical. 

Prince Ali is similar, with bright colors and a high-energy atmosphere that brings the audience right back into the story at the opening of the second act. It was also in this number specifically that I marveled at the quick costume changes for the entire swing company. It's obvious that the creators of the show spent their time working on this piece in particular to bring to life one of the best-known moments in the film, although I do wish the elephant had made an appearance. 

The new additions to the musical lineup are nice, specifically Proud Of Your Boy, Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim, and High Adventure. The entire added Aladdin subplot actually did a lot for me in terms of the story as a whole, as it gave some depth to the character that was missing before. However, that same depth is missing for many of the other characters, but this story is about Aladdin himself, so it was helpful nonetheless. 

Not to continue to bash on A Whole New World, but per usual, this is where I thought things were lacking the most. Perhaps it's because I'm not a fan of the song itself, but this number was extremely underwhelming in comparison to the others in the show, and after seeing the Disneyland production multiple times, where the carpet literally flies out into the audience, the on-stage carpet did little to dazzle me. From a production standpoint, I completely understand the point of this, because flying out over the audience severely impacts the viewing of well over half the audience, but there was just so much that could have been done with this number and wasn't. A Million Miles Away was a welcome addition to the show though and added some of that chemistry I was missing in the film, so a few bonus points there!

Plus, seeing Adam Jacobs in person almost makes up any faults in the show. For those of you that aren't constantly following the Broadway Facebook Pages or Cast Lists, Adam Jacobs is best known for originating the role of Aladdin on Broadway, and he's since moved to the Chicago production. It was an honor to see Jacobs in the title role, and his portrayal of Aladdin is spot on in every way. Plus, he's not too bad on the eyes...or did you not notice that he hardly wears a shirt in the entire show? 

So does Aladdin rank among some of the greatest musicals of all time, even the Disney ones like The Lion King and Mary Poppins? I'd say so, but it's also not something I'll be rushing back to see immediately. Then again, that may just be my dislike of the film talking, so make your own decision on the show by checking it out on Broadway or at the Cadillac Theatre in Chicago (through September 10), and when it's finished there, Aladdin will head out on a national tour, so watch for when it comes to a city near you soon! 

If you've already seen Aladdin, leave your thoughts in the comments below! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1598: Hamilton

When I was first debating audition for the Knights on Broadway, I was neck deep in lyrics from the hit musical Hamilton. I'd spent a good portion of the summer making an attempt to learn every last word in My Shot, had a good handle on The Schuyler Sisters, was currently obsessed with Burn and was just beginning to aquatint myself with Guns and Ships, not to mention the numerous other numbers in the show. In fact, My Shot became one of the two songs that got me through auditions, as I distinctly remember listening to it on repeat alongside I Have Confidence from The Sound of Music as I got ready for and headed to callbacks. As we opened our Christmas show, it was My Shot that played in the opening video, Alexander Hamilton that we performed on stage, and Hamilton: An American Musical that provided the basis for the backstory to our show. All in all, one could say that Hamilton provided me with the encouragement to not throw away my own shot, and it brought me right back into the world of Broadway that I'd sort of lost in the years previous. 

So when the idea of surprising Megan with tickets to see the Chicago production just wouldn't leave me alone, I sought out some balcony seats for a performance in May and prepared myself for the long months of waiting ahead. The worst part about waiting though? Not telling Megan. In fact, all of Knights on Broadway knew about the surprise and our director almost let the secret slip at one of our Christmas performances, but somehow I managed to keep things under wraps until Christmas Day, and needless to say, she loved the surprise.

When our chance to be in the room where it happens finally came around, it was absolutely one of the most surreal experiences of my life. In fact, the closest feeling I can compare it to was when we visited Great Sand Sand Dunes National Park last July, when even as we drove away, it still didn't feel real. Seeing a show like Hamilton is an experience in itself, in more ways than one, and something tells me it's not an experience I'll be able to replicate anytime soon. 

First and foremost, Hamilton is an award winning show...one of the biggest actually. It won a near record number of Tony Awards in 2016, and has jumped to the top of the National Stage faster than most shows of its kind (who remembers 1776?!?). Hamilton has gained a dedicated fanbase, has impacted the way our population looks at musicals, and may just be one of the most important musicals of all time. When you see a production like that, it's incredibly inspiring. 

Second, for someone like me, who has a very real personal connection to the show (how many people get to say they've had an opportunity to perform part of the show), it was incredible to see it come to life for real in front of my own eyes. There's something strange about forcing yourself to stop from singing the lyrics because you're so used to performing them (whether that be on the stage or in your car), and when you finally get to see a musical that you've loved for so long and has impacted you so much, the feeling is indescribable. 

Hamilton is a musical for a new generation of Broadway Fans and Musical Lovers alike, and combines so much of what we've learned in the many years of Broadway with the identities of our country and world. It brings what we thought we knew about history into new light, and tells the story of those history overlooks. And above all else, Hamilton has inspired us to not throw away our shot, whatever that chance or opportunity might be. It sort of reminds me of the way Disney has consistently taught us to keep dreaming and moving forward, encouraging us to make the most of every door that opens to us, which is probably why Lin Manuel-Miranda fits in perfectly with Disney Legends we've been adoring for years (check out his work in Moana and the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns). 

If you haven't had a chance to see Hamilton, it's now playing in three cities across the United States - New York, Chicago, and San Francisco - and will soon open a production in London as well as a touring company throughout the country! Tickets aren't necessarily cheap due to popularity, but trust me when I tell you that it's worth every penny...or ten dollar bill, if you get my drift. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1131: Santa Fe

I still remember the day I met my freshman roommate Megan and she told me that she loves the Disney Broadway Musical Newsies, which I had never heard of aside from discussion here and there and the memory of seeing the advertisement in Times Square when I visited New York back in 2012. From there, she got me completely hooked on the story of the newsies of 1899, and then I got my best friend into it, and now it's become a huge thing.

So, as you can imagine, when we found out that Newsies would be visiting our local performing arts center, we knew we had to get tickets ASAP, and we did! My parents, Megan (best friend Megan, freshman roommate Megan is in Ireland...too many Megans!), and I went to see Newsies, and when we left I was tap dancing along to "King of New York" and humming "Santa Fe" all the way home.

It's pretty easy to say that I love the musical much more than I love the movie, especially since it has one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack: "Watch What Happens," and features some extremely elaborate dance routines that keep you on the edge of your seat. As for everything else, I don't want to give away too much because I highly recommend you go see this amazing show for yourself as it continues its tour around the United States!

This does bring my Disney musical total up to four though too, as I've previously seen The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Beauty and the Beast. I've actually seen The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast twice, and I'd love to catch another showing of Mary Poppins, my personal favorite Disney musical, at some point in the future. What I'd really love, however, is to someday see a performance of the discontinued Hunchback of Notre Dame, which features some of my all time favorite Disney music in addition to new songs created for the musical adaptation. As of right now, it's not showing anywhere and it's not headed to Broadway any time soon, but it's definitely on my Bucket List!

In summary, Newsies was amazing, and you need to seize the day and see it for yourself!

Have a magical day!

Day 1067: Finding Neverland

Not completely a Disney thing this time, but I still felt it was worth mentioning. A few weeks back one of my friends at school had me listening to the soundtrack for the Broadway Musical Finding Neverland, which I followed on Twitter some time beforehand because it sounded interesting. That was about it though, and I didn't think much else of it until I actually heard the soundtrack. Because I have Spotify now, it's more than easy to find just about any album I want. 

Honestly, there's several reasons that I'm probably in love with this soundtrack and musical. First, the fact that it's Peter Pan inspired really gets to me. That's just awesome (from a Disney perspective, but especially a fairy tale perspective), especially since it's about the creation of Peter Pan. I like all things Hook, so that helps too, and then you throw in a little Matthew Morrison and some inspirational music and you've got me, well, Hooked. 

Personally, I'm completely in love with the song "Stronger," but I regularly listen to the entire soundtrack. In fact, for a couple of weeks I ended up listening to "Stronger" just about every morning on my way to class as motivation for my day (considering the fact that I'm still alive, I assume it worked well). 

So now Finding Neverland is on my list of shows that I just really, really want to see, although I do wish Matthew Morrison wasn't leaving in the near future. It sort of puts a damper on things, but it's still a brilliant musical and maybe someday, just maybe, I'll be able to catch a performance of it. 

If you haven't listened to it, you can find the Album from the original Broadway cast HERE on Spotify! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).