Posted: 5/14/17 at 5:37pm
Steve C. said: "Casey Nickolaw saved Aladdin."
Interesting... I think Casey Nicholaw was the PROBLEM with Aladdin.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 5:48pm
Thanks for the casting info.
I guess I should have defined "saved" as being successful enough at tweaking the show and getting it "tourist friendly". I do think Aladdin has trouble in the "story and character" department at times. But CN did dress it up.
(But I still have "nightmares" about "LM"; I've never left a theater feeling more sorry for the actors than Mermaid) I hope they were paid well.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 6:07pm
songanddanceman2 said: "Let's be honest, Australian productions are cheap at the best of times.
"
It is often not great - certainly not to the level of NYC (which is what brings me back so often). But Disney shows are theme park rides and every set piece, lighting cue etc. will be nearly identical. Besides some criticism of potential acting performances Disney are very careful not to make the experience differ significantly between productions. The OP's criticisms probably do reflect more the actual show and production as presented in NYC than any Australian bastardisation.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 6:18pm
Didn't they have the magic carpet in Australia? There are no visible wires on Broadway. Stage magic indeed. And The Lion King is one of the best theatrical experiences ever.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 6:25pm
songanddanceman2 said: "Let's be honest, Australian productions are cheap at the best of times.
"
Australian TOURING productions.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 6:58pm
And yet Tarzan ran for five years in Hamburg.
While Aladdin in Australia is technically a tour, to my knowledge it only plays three cities, and is nearly identical in construction to the North American tour.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 7:03pm
The Little Mermaid and Tarzan were significantly worse than Aladdin. I found Aladdin an enjoyable enough evening, with the production bolstered by the presence of the outstanding James Monroe Iglehart. I have no idea how well the show works without him because he was easily the highlight of the evening for me.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 7:32pm
i liked alladin, and was lucky enough to see the OBC. maybe the tour production was weak.
my ranking of disney musicals best to worst:
Aida (everyone forgets this was disney and it was amazing!)
Beauty and the Beast
mary poppins
newsies
alladin
lion king
tarzan
little mermaid
Posted: 5/14/17 at 7:40pm
It has to be the first case of the theme park version (at California Adventure) being far more theatrical and elaborate than the actual Broadway show.
The show looks tacky as hell, and the book is non-stop cringey. I was almost offended when I finally saw it at all the talk from creatives about honoring Howard Ashman.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 7:49pm
Scarywarhol said: "I was almost offended when I finally saw it at all the talk from creatives about honoring Howard Ashman. "
Imma go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe Ashman would be happy that his contributions -- many which were cut from the film -- made it into the stage production. Also, just maybe the people who knew him personally and worked closely with him would have an idea of what he did and did not like.
Posted: 5/14/17 at 7:56pm
Not all Australian productions are cheap or awful this Aladdin is the same as whats on stage in the USA, The Bodyguard on the West End was also a cheap looking musical save for the cabin setpiece.
As for The Lion King, the opening eight or so minutes purely stunning, sadly what follows is a start stop show that doesn't flow, annoying characters some who you want to slap off the stage and nothing that matches the incredible opening
