A Whole New World...

Disney's Aladdin is one of my absolute favorite movies from my childhood. My princess of a cat is even named Jasmine after my favorite character. So I was shocked and thrilled yesterday when Stewart showed up at my office with surprise tickets to Aladdin: The New Stage Musical at the 5th Avenue Theatre. I was super excited to combine several things I adore into one fantastic evening: suprises, theater, Disney, and (of course) Stewart!

The 5th Avenue Theatre’s highly anticipated premiere of Aladdin was adapted from Disney’s hugely popular Academy Award-winning animated feature film. It still tells the well-loved story of a street-smart commoner whose whole life changes with one rub of a magic lamp – but with a few new twists. It incorporated all of the beloved songs from the film’s Oscar-winning score, plus some brand new numbers. And yes, I still sang along under my breath to all the songs I memorized as a kid.

Replacing one of my favorite movie characters, Abu (Aladdin’s monkey companion), the stage production introduced a trio of characters who played the part of Aladdin’s best buddies: Omar, Babkak, and Kassim – who provided a ton of comic relief. The show also featured Jonathan Freeman as the Royal Vizier Jafar, the role he originally voiced for the film. The rest of the casting was absolutely spot-on with Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, and James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie who was particularly hilarious. The actors, scenes and musical numbers were all amazing, and the entire experience was magical – just as I remember it was when I first saw the movie when I was only 11.

If you’re looking for a night out on the town I highly recommend discovering a whole new world at this amazing show!