Chicago Theatre Review
Aladdin: Classic Disney story is flashy family fun
Aladdin
t-size: medium;”> at The Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire
Runs July 14-August 14
Box Office (847) 634-0200; $15
Recommended
Classic Disney story is flashy family fun
Review by Darcy Rose Coussens
The best examples of theater for young audiences are those that captivate all audiences. Marriott succeeds in delivering a fun performance for the whole family, including favorite songs and plenty of laughs. This “for young audiences” version of Aladdin provided a wonderful theatrical experience for a range of youngsters.
The portrayal of such beloved characters can be tricky (I’ve had a thing for Aladdin forever, and I revered Jasmine as a young girl) and the actors did a fine job with this Disney musical. Although our Jasmine (Christine Bunuan) and occasionally Aladdin (Jameson Cooper) fell into the cartoon-like fake voices so often used with kids, the cast was great overall. The Genie (Bernie Yvon) especially stood out, bringing a giant gust of energy to an antsy audience upon his arrival, and constantly laughing and joking with the characters and the kids. Iago the parrot and his puppeteer (Debbie Laumand-Blanc) also interacted with the audience, keeping them engaged for the duration of the show.
The young audience members certainly enjoyed the performance, with questions and even a statement after the show: “I love you Jasmine.” Parents enjoyed the performance as well. I even overheard one parent’s remark about the high level of quality “for a children’s show.” It’s great to see theaters respect kids. I’d like to see Marriott tackle something a little less mainstream, since Disney is already so accessible. According to the Q&A session most of the audience had been there before, and hopefully many will return.
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