Disney’s hit animated version of Aladdin hits the
stage, and Kroc Kids tackled this junior version of the show at the Kroc Center
with Director Siobhan Sullivan’s short-but-sweet production of Arabian
Nights full of magic and romance and a flying carpet and a street rat who
falls for a princess.
I caught the dress rehearsal/school-day show featuring the
understudy cast full of young performers learning the trade and learning it
well. They were led by Kian Liss as Aladdin and Hannah Pettersen
as Princess Jasmine, both delivering their lines well as the two get to know
each other in the marketplace. Kian has a good royal wave going on as “Prince
Ali” parades into the city in a big Prince Ali number complete with
large exotic animals strolling down the aisles, and he does a nice job when
figuring out that it’s best to be yourself even if that means not always
getting exactly what you want. Hannah has a nice singing voice and demeanor.
Together they team up for a good A Whole New World (in a nice touch,
Aladdin and Jasmine clones do an interpretive dance to the song as the carpet
flies, a chorus around the perimeter joining in).
The colorful supporting cast includes Clelia Cabezas
as the Genie that Aladdin discovers, leading Aladdin on his first magic carpet
ride (and providing for a good, humorous airline stewardess) and is impressed
with Aladdin’s bad side (cleverly getting himself an extra wish) and tries to
guide him toward his good side when Aladdin’s plans for winning Jasmine’s hands
aren’t doing too well. Sean Boyd and Haley Fletcher team up as
the evil Jafar and his evil sidekick parrot Iago, with Sean’s Jafar coolly evil
and Haley sporting some good humor and personality as she mumbles whatever’s on
her mind or tries to mimic the evil laughter of her boss (which gets her stared
down by her boss).
Elsewhere, Antonio Hays makes for a fun and
charismatic Sultan. Chloe Campbell is great as a sassy little flying
carpet who tells the Genie where to get off. Connor Boyd is a tough head
of the royal guards, even when Jasmine is pushing him around. Jasmine’s
princely suitors do well, as do their crazed female admirers who are especially
nuts over Prince Baba of Ganoush played up well by Leo Azzazi wearing a
muscle suit. And the Singing Narrators (Alexandra Van Cleef, Emily
Ford, Jessica Merghart, Natali Monks, and Mary Oliverio)
nicely lead us through the story as they lead the ensemble through the show,
the young actors even doing well after a pause following the microphones going
out, the group handling the problem professionally and jumping right back into
the moment when the technical difficulties were all fixed up, with everything
else going smoothly as the cast perform the many of the terrific songs from the
film including Friend Like Me, Prince Ali, and the finale of A
Whole New World.
Performs May 22 - 24, 2009
Rob Hopper
National Youth Theatre
~ Cast ~
Aladdin: Kian Liss
Jasmine: Hannah Pettersen
Genie: Clelia Cabezas
Jafar: Sean Boyd
Iago: Haley Fletcher
Dream Jasmine: Kelly Dang
Carpet: Chloe Campbell
Razoul and the Guards:
Parke Funderburke
Christian Hahn
AJ Parks
Connor Boyd
Royal Court:
Leano Azzazi Tristan Kent
Iris Morketter
Antonio Hays
Michael Van Cleef
Jacob Goldman-Needham
Ben Sichel
Luke Babbitt
Singing Narrators:
Alexandra Van Cleef
Emily Ford
Jessica Merghart
Natali Monks
Mary Oliverio
Narrators:
Sierra Nicole Rains
Alex Kelly
Olivia Chaffee
Lindsey Aiello
Katy Johnson
Audrey McPherron
Keilani Joy Spahn
Rhiannon Reed
Morgan Sigismonti
Megan Robertson
Kylie Greaves
Madalyn Rauh
Rylee Olson
Sophia Rogers
Grace Fields
Kira Farquar
Sabrina Guitierrez
Harem Girls:
Tabetha Constancio
Aminah Al-Jaber
Emma Jane Lam
Organ Grinder, Abu the Monkey & Onlookers:
Emily Arkin
Jamie Trevino
Allison Ogul
Christina Isaacson
Jr. Harem Girls:
Evelyn Salayandia
Kelly Dang
Molly Deutschman
Annie Buckley
Aliya Maestas
Yasmina Devos
Chloe Campbell
Monique LeBaron
Groupies:
Allison Walker
Carlee Sichel
Lindsey Aiello
Megan Weber
Kristetn Legerton
Leah Murphy
Isabella Wagner
Cassie Isaacson
Olivia Chaffee
Alexis Robles
Danielle Delgado
Kaitlin Hall
Director: Siobhan Sullivan
Co-Director/Musical Director: Rayme Sciaroni
Assistant Director: Sarah Durrand and Lauren Long
Choreographer: Spencer Powell
Stage Manager: Anna Ashmore
Costumer: Carol Qualin
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