Our tale of love, magic, and adventure takes place in the fabled city of Agrabah where unusual friendships are formed, heroes outwit villains, and true love conquers all. Whilst most of the world knows the story of Aladdin, nothing quite prepares you for the absolute extravaganza that is Aladdin: The Musical.
When it comes to a thing of extreme beauty, it’s sometimes hard to put into words the exact description of something so remarkably marvellous. Like a kid in a candy store, I was so enthralled by the performance that some numbers literally had me dropping my jaw to the floor and just staring in merriment. Every second from start to finish was carefully choreographed and planned in intricate detail, and it was simply a pleasure to watch. The costumes, the quick changes, the props, the colours, all wonderfully mesmerising, a real creative buffet for the senses.
The set design ought not only to be applauded but also to win some kind of accolade. I have never seen anything so spectacular on stage. The thought and preparation and absolute mastery that went into each design were exquisite. Never in all my years of seeing theatre shows has there been a moment where the audience clapped when a new set scene was unveiled…until now. Bob Crawley is a legendary set designer, so with him on board, I guess we could expect nothing less than out of this world breathtaking designs.
The performances were fabulous with the Genie played by Michael James Scott receiving a standing ovation mid-show after performing ‘Friend Like Me’. If ever there was a quintessential musical theatre genius, Micael James Scott would take the glitter cake. It was actually rather an honour seeing him perform, and his humble nature and raw emotion on stage made him even more endearing, a wonderful quality to have as a performer. Ainsley Melham was great as Aladdin, capturing his spritely nature, and adapting his own version of naive curiosity to the character. Hiba Elchikhe played Princess Jasmine and was an absolute pocket rocket. What she lacks in stature, she definitely makes up for in acting prowess, a true delight on stage.
If you want to stay one jump ahead of the crowd, Aladdin is definitely the hottest ticket in town right now. Expect excitement, thrills, spectacular sights, and a mysteriously magic flying carpet that may or may not be the real deal, thanks to Bob Crawley, we’ll never know.
Aladdin is playing at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre until Sunday, October 22nd. You can purchase your tickets here
The reviewer attended on the 20th of April
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