Posted: 1/12/18 at 4:54pm
Saw Aladdin yesterday at the Pantages. Never seen the show before, and amazed that it took Disney four years to get it to LA. Looking forward to Frozen at the Pantages in 2022.
I thought Courtney Reed would be in, but I didn't read close enough - she joins the LA cast tomorrow, and Isabelle McCalla is in the first handful of shows. Michael James Scott is already here, and wow - he's fantastic. I have no one to compare him to in the role, but he is a blast.
Jacobs didn't leave much of an impression on me. He's very good, sounds great - perhaps it's the role? McCalla sounded like she was fighting a bit of a cold, but overall she was great.
While I'm glad Iago is a human and not a parrot, every one of the villain scenes was painful to sit through.
The real stars of the show are the ensemble, who work their tails off from start to finish and nailed the fab choreo while shuffling through what seemed like dozens of costume changes. Costumes and sets are stunning, of course.
We saw the show via lotto tickets, for which there appears to be little competition (unlike Hamilton - five months of entering for every single show, never a win). Front row isn't the best place to sit for this show and that was obvious from the opening, but seeing the costumes and faces up close was a real treat.
Also that carpet was just feet away from me and I still couldn't figure it out. Only explanation is witchcraft.
My biggest complaint would be that every single cast member spat out their lines at light speed. You would have thought they were getting a bonus for finishing early.
Audience seemed be about a third children, who were exceptionally quiet and well behaved during the show. The audience reacted to every little thing on stage like they were at an Oprah giveaway show.
Overall show is a lot of fun, and when it works - Friend Like Me, High Adventure, Arabian Nights - it REALLY works. I suspect the success of the show rides on the Genie - luckily Scott is more than up to the task.
