Aladdin brought a cinematic and inviting experience that left me in awe. I was so impressed with everything from the production value to the costumes.

I will have to admit, in the first 15 minutes of the musical I wasn’t sure about it. It may have been the initial setting, starting off with a narrator explaining the basis of the story. A man with a deep voice, who we would discover to be later in the musical was actually the genie, explained that “a fair princess found the richest and truest love in the poorest of men….” and then went on to explain part of Aladdin’s common theavery and why Jasmine couldn’t find a man. I found this to be pointless and almost cheesy, because almost everyone knows the story of Aladdin since it is based off a popular Disney musical. I also did not like this beginning because it spoils the initial climax and surprise for the main characters (both Aladdin and Jasmine) coming out on the stage for the first time.

After the narrator introduced the story, the real story began. Aladdin emerged onto the stage in a Egyptian town where the police were running after him for stealing an apple. The chase introduces us to his three best friends, and everyone involved in the city. They then go into the beautiful “Arabian Nights songs” with everything from belly dancers to beggars dancing along. This song was written by the by the legendary Howard Ashman who has won Tonys for his contribution Beauty and the Beast.

The story then goes into the princesses struggles on finding the right man. The suitors are all masked by Jazmine’s beauty, and do not seem to care about inner beauty. She is tired of being forced into a relationship and she wants the right to decide her own destiny. She decides to run away, and this is where she finds Aladdin.

The transition between the palace and the small Arabian town left me in awe in how fast the crew members could transform the stage. It was extremely impressive.

The story continued on with the loveable tale everyone knows and loves, until the true main character stole the show. When the Genie was revealed in the dark cave, the whole mood switched in the play. It went from a typical musical to an hilarious upbeat story that kept you on the edge of your seat. The “Never had a Friend” number was personally my favorite part of the whole show. The Genie had such a presence about him and his voice filled the every corner of the theater. The costumes the dancers had on were so sparkly and unique. The whole song had to go on for 10 minutes as they added “Dancing with the Stars” in the middle of it. He even referenced the new popular movie “Black Panther” All of the effects, the dancing, and even the confetti that flew into the crowd couldn’t help but put a smile on your face.

The next couple scenes revealed both Jasmines and Aladdin’s true singing voices. I thought that Jasmine had a wonderful voice that went along with her character perfectly, but on the other hand Aladdin had an almost girlie or abnormally high singing voice. It threw me off and made it hard for me take him seriously through certain important scenes.

The next memorable scene was a “whole new world.” The stage was transformed with a real magic carpet and a smoke effect that made it appear as if they were actually soaring through the sky. Stars covered the backdrop and added to the romantic setting and where Jasmine discovers that prince Ali is actually the poor Aladdin she originally fell in love with.

Overall, this was a exciting, hilarious, and engaging musical that is perfect for any family. I would recommend to anyone who wants to hear a heartwarming story filled with laughs and cool costumes.