Aladdin

Who: Me, my MIL, and a cousin | Me, myself, and I

What: Disney's Aladdin | tickets

When: September 2014 | May 2017

Where: New Amsterdam Theatre, New York | Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago

Why: Because Disney!

Excuse all the blurry Playbill selfies. Anyone have tips for a good selfie in these dimly lit theatres?

Thoughts: 

On seating: I'll preface everything by saying in general, my preferred theatre seating is front orchestra left. I often buy "limited view" seats to get a great view at an even better price. With Aladdin, this is not the way to go. When I saw the show on Broadway with family, we had nosebleed mezzanine seats. When I went solo in Chicago, I purchased my usual limited view orchestra left seating. Aladdin is a very glitzy show that uses every inch of the stage, so for once, I think sitting a little further back (preferably more towards the center) gives a better "big picture" experience vs. sitting close up to enjoy details like costuming and facial expressions.

On the show: I saw it twice, so it can't be too bad, right? I adored the original Broadway cast (this was also the first show I stage doored and the actors were all super nice), and the Chicago/touring production retains all of the magic. Having Adam Jacobs, Broadway's original Aladdin on the tour certainly contributes to that. I do prefer Broadway's Jasmine (Courtney Reed) to the actor in the role on tour, but overall, this is still an amazing production worth anyone's time. The story is close to the film with a few tweaks and some "new" songs (the old is new in this production, a lot of the content was actually cut from the film, but I think it's lovely on stage).

Broadway. Fun fact: Disney shows at the New Amsterdam Theatre have this "Showbill" instead of a regular Playbill

Touring (Chicago)

See my entire Broadway history to date here. Have you seen Aladdin on stage yet? Let me know in the comments! Enjoy the original cast recording here.