Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. The magic, excitement, and of course the music captured my attention immediately and I was hooked! This classic movie, despite its controversies, was a thrilling masterpiece that I still enjoy to this day. Even this year's live adaptation, with its fresh take on the classic, was refreshing and worth the rewatch! So when I realized I could watch this in musical form, I knew I couldn't pass this opportunity!
As this was my first musical, I didn't know what to expect. When the music started, I started to get goosebumps. The first song was absolutely magical with exciting music and bursts of color on stage. It was different than what I expected but it was a great start!
Out of all the songs, "Friend Like Me" was my favorite! The magical energy of this musical number was contagious! The gold and glitter of the background only added to the excitement of the song. The cast was amazing! The choreography and costumes were spectacular! I was amazed throughout this performance.
Other than "Friend Like Me", I liked all the other songs. But for some of them I didn't quite like how they were presented. I felt like "Prince Ali" was not as grand as I expected. I didn't really feel the same energy I usually get when I hear this song. It was definitely a good performance, but I felt that it was underwhelming for such a high energy number. Even still, I enjoyed all of the music, especially the interesting additions to the classic songs.
But the music wasn't the only thing that was different. Some of these other changes weren't exactly my favorite. I didn't quite like that Aladdin's pet monkey, Abu, was replaced, especially since Abu had a significant role in the movies. As much as I liked that Aladdin had actual human friends in the musical, it was weird that his beloved monkey wasn't a part of this show. Other than that, I didn't quite like Iago. To be honest, I just felt that he was better as a parrot. Despite that, I enjoyed seeing Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie. They were as good as their movie counterparts.
Overall, I enjoyed this musical and how it turned. Even though I liked the movies better, this was a fun adaptation to watch and something worth watching.
