Aladdin The Musical: Coming To Australia?

is aladdin the musical coming to australia

The magical world of Aladdin has captivated audiences around the globe, and Australia is no exception. Based on the beloved 1992 Disney film, the musical adaptation of Aladdin brings the fictional city of Agrabah to life with dazzling spectacle and beloved songs. With a successful run on Broadway, the show has also enchanted Australians, with tours in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, enchanting audiences with its tale of a young man, a genie, and a wish that changes everything.

Characteristics Values
Premiere Date 2011
Location Seattle
Theatre 5th Avenue Theatre
Production Company Disney Theatrical
Genre Musical
Basis 1992 film of the same name
Book Written by Chad Beguelin
Music Composed by Alan Menken
Lyrics Written by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Beguelin
Setting Fictional Arabian city of Agrabah
Story A poor young man is granted three wishes by a genie, which he uses to win a princess's heart and defeat the sultan's evil Grand Vizier
Notable Songs "Friend Like Me" and "Proud of Your Boy"
Notable Performers Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, Michael James Scott, Ainsley Melham, Arielle Jacobs, Adam Jon Fiorentino, Troy Sussman, Adam Di Martino, Shubshri Kandiah
Notable Locations Chicago, The Hague, Mexico City, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, Adelaide, Singapore
Notable Dates 2017-2019 Australian Tour
Autism-Friendly Yes
Notable Features Choreography, sets, costumes, magic carpet

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Aladdin the Musical's Australian tour dates

Aladdin is a stage musical based on the 1992 Disney movie of the same name. The musical features songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack, as well as new songs written specifically for the stage.

Australian Tour Dates

Aladdin the Musical first premiered in Australia in 2017, with performances in Sydney and Melbourne. The show then toured to Brisbane and Perth in 2018, playing at the Crown Theatre in Perth from 21 July 2018 to 28 October 2018. The Australian tour concluded in 2019 with a run at the Adelaide Festival Theatre in Adelaide in April, before the show transferred to a New Zealand production.

The musical has received positive reviews from critics, who have praised the choreography, sets, and costumes. The production value and performances are said to captivate the audience's imagination and transport them to the land of Agrabah.

For those who missed out on the Australian tour, there may still be opportunities to catch the show in other countries, as the musical has been produced globally since its Broadway debut in 2014.

Travel Time: Australia to PNG

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The cast of Aladdin the Musical in Australia

The original Australian cast included Ainsley Melham as Aladdin, an Australian native who originated the role. He was later replaced by Graeme Isaako. American actors Arielle Jacobs played Princess Jasmine and Michael James Scott played Genie. Other notable cast members included Adam Murphy as Jafar, who was later replaced by Patrick R. Brown, and Gareth Jacobs as the standby for Genie/Babkak, who was replaced by Anthony Murphy.

The ensemble cast was also made up of talented performers, including Jakob Ambrose, Andrea Arena, Caleb Bartolo, Max Bimbi, Will Centurion, and Ross Chisari, to name a few. The show also had a team of understudies ready to step into various roles if needed, including Ben Gillespie and Sean Sinclair as understudies for Aladdin.

The Australian production of Aladdin the Musical also presented an autism-friendly adaptation, making adjustments to lighting and sound to create a more supportive environment for autistic patrons. This version was performed in Sydney and Melbourne before the show toured to other Australian cities like Brisbane and Perth in 2018.

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Autism-friendly adaptations of Aladdin the Musical

The Theatre Development Fund (TDF) has hosted Autism-Friendly Performances (AFP) since 2011 as part of its Accessibility Programs. These performances are designed to create a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals on the autism spectrum, with sensory sensitivities, communication challenges, and/or learning disabilities.

The Broadway production of Aladdin participated in the program, presenting an autism-friendly adaptation of the show. This included the removal of strobe lighting and pyrotechnics, the reduction of any jarring sounds, and the house lights being dimmed instead of turned off. Slight adjustments to lighting and sound were made, and there were break areas staffed by specialists in the mezzanine and downstairs theatre lobby for anyone who needed to leave their seats during the show.

The Sydney and Melbourne productions of Aladdin in Australia also performed an autism-friendly adaptation of the show, which included the same adjustments as the Broadway production. This took place in 2017, followed by an Australian tour in 2018 that included stops in Brisbane and Perth.

Aladdin Jr. is another stage adaptation of Aladdin, specially made for youth theatre.

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The musical numbers in Aladdin the Musical

Disney's *Aladdin* is a musical theatre adaptation of the 1992 animated film of the same name. The musical premiered in 2011 at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington, and has since been produced globally, including in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Spain, and Australia. The music was composed by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Chad Beguelin. The book was also written by Beguelin.

The musical includes 21 musical numbers, three of which were written for the original film by Ashman but not used, and four new songs written by Menken and Beguelin. The opening number, "Arabian Nights", welcomes the audience to the Middle Eastern city of Agrabah, a place full of magic, glamour, revered nobles, misfits, and villains. This is followed by "One Jump Ahead", where we meet Aladdin, a young misfit who steals food from the marketplace to survive with his friends Kassim, Omar, and Babkak. After being referred to as a "worthless street rat", Aladdin expresses his dreams of showing the world he's more than just a common urchin in the reprise of "One Jump Ahead".

Another notable musical number is "Friend Like Me", which is performed by the Genie to showcase his powers and display his limitations. This tap-dancing number is an homage to Busby Berkeley's 1933 classic movie musical, *42nd Street*. The Genie is also featured in the finale, "Finale Ultimo: Arabian Nights/A Whole New World" (reprises), as he prepares for a long-awaited vacation after Aladdin and Jasmine fall in love and get married.

Princess Jasmine, who is scolded by her father, the Sultan, for refusing suitors, laments her situation to her handmaidens in the musical number "These Palace Walls". Meanwhile, Jafar, the Sultan's Grand Vizier, and his assistant, Iago, search for a way to enter the "Cave of Wonders" and find the "diamond in the rough" who can enter the cavern. They discover that it is Aladdin, and the ensemble performs "Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim" as Jafar and Iago set out to find him.

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The set and costume design of Aladdin the Musical

The set and costume design of Disney's Aladdin the Musical are integral components of the show's success. The musical is based on the beloved 1992 Disney film of the same name and brings to life an exotic world of adventure and comedy. The set and costume design play a crucial role in transporting the audience to the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah.

The musical's set design is elaborate and chameleonic, transforming seamlessly from the vibrant marketplace to the glittering palace of Agrabah. The set pieces are designed to be colourful and glowing, enhancing the magical atmosphere of the show. The set design also incorporates elements of traditional Arabian architecture and culture, such as the use of turbans, jewelled hair ornaments, and tiaras, paying homage to the story's Middle Eastern setting.

The costume design of Aladdin the Musical is just as spectacular, featuring intricate and magical costumes that are brightly coloured, beautiful, and encrusted with over two million Swarovski crystals. Costume designer Gregg Barnes envisioned a world that sparkled and dazzled, taking inspiration from various sources, including belly dancers, 'Dancing With The Stars', Hollywood MGM musicals, and ancient Middle Eastern garments. Barnes wanted the costumes to stand out and be a visual treat for the audience, with each costume requiring an inner layer and modern construction techniques to withstand the demands of stage performance.

The process of creating the costumes was meticulous and time-consuming, involving over 32 workshops and a global sourcing of fabrics from countries like Morocco, France, India, China, and Japan. The costumes in the palace scenes are particularly intricate, with hand-painted and beaded designs, requiring collaboration between dressmakers, painters, and jewellers. The Swarovski crystals, a prominent feature of the costumes, were applied by specialised artisans, adding a dazzling dimension to the garments.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, the Aladdin musical has been performed in Australia. It premiered in Sydney before opening at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne on April 15, 2017. In 2018, it was performed in Perth and Brisbane.

The musical is based on the 1992 award-winning movie by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It features a full score, including five songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack, as well as new songs written for the stage. Set in the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah, the story follows a poor young man who is granted three wishes by a genie in a lamp, which he uses to woo a princess and thwart the sultan's evil Grand Vizier.

Reviews for the musical have been mixed to positive. Elysa Gardener of USA Today gave the show 3.5 out of four stars. Thom Grier of Entertainment Weekly gave the show a "B" and praised the "eye-popping production numbers" and "spirited choreography". Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal praised Iglehart's performance during the number "Friend Like Me" but wrote that "nothing else in the first act can touch it".

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