Korie Lee Blossey is no Robin Williams, or even Will Smith, for that matter, but he gives his all to imbue the Genie in “Aladdin” with the same mad-cap, rat-a-tat-tat delivery of two of history’s funniest comedic actors, both of whom shaped an iconic character to their respective personalities, whether animated or live-action.
And, for the most part, Blossey succeeds in winning over the audience in “Aladdin,” a Disney Theatrical Production directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
But the Genie is not the reason to go see this familiar story performed live.
That honor belongs to both the magic carpet and to Reggie De Leon, who plays Iago, a character in the animated classic portrayed as a wise-cracking scarlet macaw.
Iago, as a human sidekick to Jafar (Jonathan Weir), is hysterical and provides a consistent and much-needed blast of subversive glee to the musical.
“If at first you don’t succeed, kill everyone,” he says at one point, conveying wisdom his mother imparted.
“Genies are a myth,” he says later, “like werewolves, dragons and happy marriages.”
Yes, if you were at the Friday night show, that was me who cackled.
Look, I get it. This is a Disney show. Of an a hugely popular film from the studio’s archive. You know the story well — Aladdin (Jonah Ho’okano) is a street hustler who meets cute and falls for Jasmine (Kaenaon Alani Kekoa), the princess daughter of the Sultan (Jerald Vincent). Aladdin retrieves a magical lantern, which he rubs, freeing the Genie, who grants him three wishes. Aladdin wishes to be a prince to win his love’s heart. Cue “A Whole New World”…
But would it be too much to ask for there to be some dramatic tension? Or a hint of danger when Aladdin and his crew fend off a handful of the Sultan’s guards? Or even some actual fight choreography?
“Aladdin,” at least for me, plays it too safe. And that’s okay.
If you have children of a certain age, especially those that still watch Disney animated films on repeat, they will love this show. It’s bright, packed with gorgeously rendered backdrops splashed with color, funny and fast-paced, especially in the second act. Odds are even teenagers will enjoy it too. And if you have a daughter, “Aladdin” should resonate nicely given the fierce streak of independence that fuels Jasmine. Alani Kekoa is excellent as the princess. She holds Aladdin accountable, expects the truth and demands respect. You can’t ask for a better role model in today’s world.
But there aren’t enough “wow” moments, except for the magic carpet ride.
Set to the aforementioned love theme duet, the magic carpet delivers exactly what “Aladdin” needs most, it transports you outside Carol Morsani Hall and allows your imagination to take hold. As the carpet began to float against a beautiful backdrop of stars while the rest of the stage went dark, I felt like a kid again. I leaned forward, engaged.
As memorable moments go, that’s what I suspect a lot of people will remember the following day.
To come full circle, you can’t talk about “Aladdin” without addressing the big blue elephant at the heart of the story, and Blossey does a solid job as Genie. He helps guide the audience through the story. He never fails to rock each new costume change. And, at times, he completely breaks the fourth wall to directly address the audience, even asking for more applause.
Blossey’s Genie might not be unpredictable like Williams or as big of a personality as Smith, but he works the stage with confidence and leaves it all on the floor singing and dancing during the first act finale of “Friend Like Me,” and second act introduction of “Prince Ali.”
John W. Allman has spent more than 25 years as a professional journalist and writer, but he’s loved movies his entire life. Good movies, awful movies, movies that are so gloriously bad you can’t help but champion them. Since 2009, he has cultivated a review column and now a website dedicated to the genre films that often get overlooked and interviews with cult cinema favorites like George A. Romero, Bruce Campbell and Dee Wallace. Contact him at Blood Violence and Babes.com, on Facebook @BloodViolenceBabes or on Twitter @BVB_reviews.
This article appears in Dec 19-26, 2019.