Disney’s Aladdin – Review – Bradford Alhambra
By Christine Goode, August 2024
Avid musical theatre fans have eagerly awaited Disney’s Aladdin to tour local theatres, and now, finally, our wish has been granted. I had the pleasure of seeing it at Bradford Alhambra, and it not only lived up to but also surpassed all my expectations. Hundreds of enthusiastic Disney fans of all ages flocked to this wonderful venue, excitement was high, and we couldn’t wait to get to our seats.
It is a given that anything Disney produces is full-on and unforgettable, with award-winning musicals such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen being testament to this. So, at last, Aladdin has finally flown into Yorkshire and sprinkled that special Disney magic we all know and love.
As we took our seats, the house curtain was replaced by an array of richly coloured red carpets, not giving much away but luring us in and setting the scene for our adventure to Agrabah. The overture began, and as the carpet curtain rose, we were off on our journey with Aladdin.
“Slick and highly polished”
The original 1992 animated film, featuring the unforgettable Robin Williams, is a firm favourite, and with the remake in 2019 featuring Will Smith having great success, a catchy musical score followed, leading to the musical premiering on Broadway in 2014.
Aladdin, played by Kerry Spark, and Jasmine, played by Desmonda Cathabel, are both excellent and have great chemistry, with superb vocals, especially during “A Whole New World”, which was just magical. However, stealing the show is The Genie, played by Yeukayi Ushe, with a flamboyant, show-stopping performance during “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali”. He is an absolute joy to watch, and when I realised I was sat grinning like a Cheshire cat, I quickly looked around to see I was not the only one.
Jafar, played by Adam Strong, is the ultimate baddie, along with his sidekick Iago, played by Angelo Paragoso, both giving strong performances with lots of laughs along the way. The ensemble cast are slick and highly polished, with sharp choreography by Casey Nicholaw, and are remarkably like real-life Disney characters.
The show itself is a visual spectacle with vivid sets, impressive scenery, and props, along with the most beautiful costumes that are heavily embellished with sequins and sparkles. In fact, I have never seen such a sparkly show, ever! Costume design by Gregg Barnes is first-class; using rich fabrics such as damasks, velvets, and chiffons, he has captured the true authenticity of the Middle East, along with magnificent set design by Bob Crowley, who has created jaw-dropping scenes that at times are quite unbelievable. All this is enhanced with vibrant lighting by Natasha Katz.
“Showstopping numbers”
The production maintains high energy throughout, with squeals of excitement from the audience as we watched magical surprises that both impressed and delighted us. The music is well-known from the original film and includes some new additional songs for the musical, such as “Proud of Your Boy”, “Diamond in the Rough”, and the very catchy “Somebody’s Got Your Back”.
There is so much to see, you could easily watch it repeatedly. I usually know in the first five minutes of a show if it’s one to watch again, and after the showstopping numbers and the scale of this production, for me, it certainly is.
At times, it was easy to forget we were at home in Bradford and not in the West End. We are extremely lucky to have such high-end productions visit our local area, giving us the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful family night out at the theatre.
Disney’s Aladdin is at Bradford Alhambra until Sunday, 1st September
