From Broadway to the Bord Gáis: Disney’s Aladdin Dazzles Onstage

If you thought I was finished mentioning New York, I’m afraid you were wrong!

Back in January I was whisked away to the big apple on a surprise trip. It was a dream, and while we were there my Mam and I went to see the magical Aladdin on Broadway. 

I knew that the UK tour of Aladdin would be making its way to Dublin in April, so I already had my Dublin tickets when my Mam surprised me with this trip. My excitement only doubled as I love having the chance to see a production twice, especially in different places as small changes can be made. If you’re a theatre lover like me then seeing these little changes will fascinate you. 

Let me start with the obvious. Aladdin onstage is a beautiful show. The costumes are bright, vivid, and they sparkle beautifully. The stage comes alive with colour and movement from curtain up to curtain down. It is a magical spectacle. The story of Aladdin is one we know and love, and the classic songs from the Disney movie are complemented by the songs that were composed for the stage production. If you’re a fan of the movie then you will love the show. It really is as simple as that. 

Similar to the movie, the stage show is filled with pop-culture references as those references are part of what makes the role of the genie so iconic. This is where seeing the show in two different places becomes really interesting because in New York, some of the crowd work was catered to NYC landmarks, whereas those references were amended to make sense to an Irish audience in Dublin. These little details fascinate me as I love seeing all the ways a show can change and move. 

The story of Aladdin is one that I believe will always have a timeless quality to it. 

Aladdin is a poor, kind, young man who has no family and he has to resort to stealing and getting into mischief to survive, but beneath his bravado and schemes, there is a heart of gold. 

He is earnest, he is charming, and he will always try to do the right thing. Aladdin and Princess Jasmine connect because they both feel trapped. Aladdin cannot do anything because he has no money, and people look down on his efforts to survive. Jasmine, while she acknowledges that she lives a privileged life, she too feels trapped because of the royal protocols that she must follow. The stage show takes the time to specifically illustrate her fears about being forcibly married off to a stranger. I appreciate this aspect of the stage show, because I think in stories where love interests come from two very different classes, it can sometimes be hard to relate to the person who has the wealth and the privilege, because while of course everyone can have struggles no matter their class, it is undeniably easier to deal with those problems when you have money, shelter, power and influence. 

While Jasmine does not have the same financial struggles as Aladdin, the fear of being married off to a stranger and living a life in which your voice is never listened to is a real fear, and her desire to run away and live her life on her own terms is easy to root for because of how well the stage show illustrates her arc.

 Jasmine and Aladdin also match because they both mirror each other’s desire to be fully seen. Aladdin wants to be seen for who he is as a person instead of being seen as nothing more than a poor man. He is viewed as a street rat and his worth as a person is dismissed entirely because of his station, whereas in Jamine’s case, her station is all that people see. They see her wealth, they see her title, they see the power they will have through associating with her and her father and they don’t care about who she is as a person or how she truly feels or what she has to say. So they both feel alone and when they meet, for both of them it is the first time that anyone truly listens to how they feel and understands it. Their plan to run away together is sweet and very earnest and their common ground makes them a very likeable couple. 

It is a story filled with magic and love. When Jafar, the sultan’s crooked advisor, learns that Aladdin is the diamond in the rough that he needs to help him procure a magic lamp, he tricks Aladdin into retrieving it for him, manipulating Aladdin’s wishes to make his late mother proud of him. Of course Aladdin ends up rubbing the lamp instead so now he has a new friend in the genie who is going to change his life with three wishes. 

While I adore Aladdin and Jasmine, the genie is the best character in the show. He is funny, he is full of energy. Huge props to all actors who have played this role because it is non-stop. The genie plays so many key roles in the show. He narrates, he does crowd work, he delivers larger than life performances, and he is the mentor character to Aladdin. He is significant to Aladdin’s emotional arc throughout the show, and it is the genie who helps Aladdin discover his self-worth and helps him understand that wish or no wish, he was a Prince all along because of his kind heart. Jasmine loved Aladdin before he made his first wish, and the genie helps him see that. 

His role as Aladdin’s mentor is doubly touching because Aladdin is an orphan who misses his family, so the genie gives him the loving, parental guidance that he is missing. 

From beginning to end, this show will have audiences completely in awe.

I am so thrilled that I had the chance to see this show twice. I would go again in a heartbeat. 

It is dazzling, funny, and filled with magic. Perfect for date night or if you have a Disney lover at home. If you get the opportunity to see Aladdin don’t miss out. 

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