Aladdin The Musical — Reviews & Information
Do you want to see a story about magic, genies, evil plotting viziers, and a princess that gets saved by a street-smart bad boy? Well, “Aladdin: The Musical” is just the thing. It is perfect for all ages — from those 90’s kids that grew up with Disney’s animated movie and the TV series, and who are now parents, to their little kids, who are just visiting a Broadway show for the first time.
Yes, “Aladdin the Musical” is the descendent of that iconic Disney movie. We owe the stage incarnation to Chad Beguelin (book), Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Beguelin (lyrics). All the action takes place in the “New Amsterdam Theatre”, or should we call it — Agrabah Theatre?
Plot Summary
Review of ACT I
Act I opens as iconic as it can — with “Arabian Nights”. Then the Genie introduces Agrabah. He introduces the Middle-eastern city as diverse, and probably that is why we are introduced to a couple of different scenes — Aladdin, along with his gang — Kassim, Omar, and Babkak, who are nothing more than a band of street thieves. And then we have Princess Jasmin, who is nagged by her father — the Sultan, for refusing yet another royal suitor.
At this point, we’re probably missing the villain. He’s the Grand Vizier, and he’s very busy plotting on how to overthrow the Sultan. He and Iago the parrot want to find “Cave of Wonders” and gain its immense powers. But it can only be entered by a “diamond in the rough”, who turns out to be Aladdin. They get an unexpected opportunity to “acquire” his services after he gets arrested for hanging out in Jasmine. They are discovered in his hideout, where they share their hardships after running into each other (without knowing who they are) in a locale. Aladdin takes up the task as a gesture of gratitude since Jafar saved his life.
Aladdin manages to find the lamp but is tempted by the treasures of the Cave. The powers of the Cave get angry and they seal Aladdin inside. Engulfed in darkness, he rubs the lamp and unleashes the Genie! He offers Aladdin three wishes (excluding murder, romance, resurrection, and…more wishes). And Aladdin does what he does best — he tricks the Genie to free them without actually making a wish, so the Genies colds him. Aladdin then proceeds to make a proper wish — to be a prince, so he can marry Jasmine!
Review of ACT II
There is a new suitor for Princess Jasmine — Prince Ali of Ababwa! His presence is announced by his loyal royal men — Genie, Babkak, Omar and Kassim. Jafar, suspicious of the new suitor, shows him the chambers of the Princess. Note that, it is against Agrabah law for the Princess to have such visitors in her quarters. Prince Ali takes Jasmin to a ride with his super awesome flying magic carpet. When they return from their trip, she recognizes Aladdin, who lies that he’s a real prince, who likes to dress as a commoner. They kiss and part, but Aladdin gets arrested for entering the princess’ room. He’s thrown in the dungeon along with Babkak, Omar and Kassim, but he gets them free with his second wish.
Aladdin gets an official greeting by the Sultan, where he gets his blessing for their marriage. Since he’ll become a Sultan himself one day, Aladdin tries to save a wish “just in any case” but this upsets the Genie and he returns to his lamp. This triggers the final chain of events. Aladdin throws the lamp away, but Jafar finds it. He then wishes for Jasmin in chains and the crown. Both wishes are granted. But then Aladdin does it again — he tricks Jafar for wishing to become a genie himself. And he becomes a genie of immense power! But trapped in a lamp. Aladdin the proceeds to free the Genie with his last wish.
“Aladdin” gets the happy ending that both the characters and the audience deserve — Aladdin and Jasmine are married, Babkak, Omar and Kassim, and the Genie prepares for a vacation.
Reception and acclaims
“Aladdin the Musical” is loved by young and old, audience, and critics. Since its introduction on Broadway in 2014, it has received mostly positive reviews, mostly due to its sweet, positive nature and great musical numbers. The only negative stated by the critics is that the show is way to child-orientated. Is it a sin to be nice and funny?
Today’s cast is pure perfection — young, funny, and with amazing singing voices. Ainsley Melham starred as our lovable street(smart) thief Aladdin not once, but twice — once in Australia, and once on Broadway. Arielle Jacobs is superb as his royal wife — Jasmine.
“Aladdin the Musical” won one Tony Award out of its five nominations. James Monroe Iglehart received the honor for his role as the almighty Genie.
Music
The original cast recording was released on May 27, 2014, by Walt Disney Records. It reached #45 on the Billboard Top 200. It contains iconic numbers like “Arabian Nights” and “A Whole New World”. These numbers tend to “hit” the visitors aged 30 to 35 right in the feelings. Nostalgia is a powerful tool…
Aladdin the Musical Seating Chart
New Agrabah is located at 214 West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Did I say New Agrabah again? I mean New Amsterdam. The venue is currently operated by Disney Theatrical Group. It is quite large, with 1 700 seats, separated into an orchestra, mezzanine, and a balcony.
Ticket Availability and Prices for Aladdin on Broadway
The starting ticket price for Aladdin is $57 per seat in the side Balcony. Obviously these tickets do not offer the best view but they are substantially cheaper than the rest of the show. If they are available, try to buy seats in the front of the center balcony.
The most expensive seats in the theater (the premium seats) are sold at $169.
Our suggestion is to try to purchase tickets in the middle range — offering good view of the stage and will not break the bank. The optimal trade-off is probably to buy tickets in the side orchestra for $89 — $99.
You can see a full list of Aladdin ticket prices and availability and buy it directly online here.
When to purchase tickets for Aladdin
How long in advance should you purchase your tickets?
Based on the sales and offers data from 2020, you should try to purchase your seats at least 3–4 days in advance. The box office at the New Amsterdam Theatre typically sells out a few hours prior to to start and if you wait to buy your seats on the same day you will only have access to about 15% of the seats.
Conclusion
Nostalgia, along with the great acting, singing, sweet humor, and the general magical vibe make “Aladdin the Musical” the best pick for both young and old. We highly recommend this show to you and your children. We’re sure that “Aladdin” will get them hooked up on Broadway for life! So, do not hesitate — jump on the magic carpet and fly to Agrabah to meet Aladdin, Jasmin, the Genie, the Sultan, even Jafar, and Iago!
Further Reading
You can find all of our Broadway resources here.
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