Grand, backfiring, spectacular, and downright magical, the musical Aladdin ticks all of our boxes by throwing its magic carpet in Montreal this week.
We know the story of Aladdin as told by the giant Disney. We’ve seen the 1992 animated film as well as the live-action film launched in 2019. However, we shed a different light and consider this story with the musical that will be shown at the Place des Arts until Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Deen van Meer
The main lines of the story remain the same: we follow the title character, a nice villain with a heart of gold, who falls in love with a princess worthy of the tales of the Arabian Nights. To try to conquer it, he will call upon a genie that has been stuck in a lamp for thousands of years and is capable of granting three of his dearest wishes.
But this time, in the spirit of Broadway, the action is doused with great musical numbers, stunning choreography, and plenty of sparkling glitter to better transport us to the dunes of Agrabah. And that’s the best thing to do, especially with the darkness — and cold — of winter that seems to be dying in spring.
Photo courtesy of Deen van Meer
Charisma and openness
It’s easy to fall under the spell of young Adi Roy, who embodies all the openness, naivety and liveliness that the role of Aladdin demands. Vocally very fit, he breathes additional depth into the character – unexpectedly even – especially through the very touching Proud of Your Boy.
But the star of the show is undoubtedly Marcus M. Martin, a fabulous and hilarious genius with impressive vocal ability. He lets us forget the character’s previous incarnations for one evening. Yes, even Robin Williams in the animated version.
Photo courtesy of Deen van Meer
Just the Friend Like Me number he’s holding tightly in his hand is worth the price of admission. Of course, the song A Whole New World – famous sequence on board the magic carpet – also comes along to elicit many “oohs” and very loud “aahs” from the amazed audience.
The only downside that was noticed during the premiere? Poor sound balance annoyed us, with the orchestra at times drowning out the performers’ voices on stage during musical numbers. But nothing to diminish our immense joy at getting that divine, refreshing and genuinely welcome burst of good cheer on our faces.
The musical Aladdin runs at Montreal’s Place des Arts until Sunday. The performances are in English.