Overture/Arabian Nights
Genie, Company
One Jump Ahead
Aladdin, Ensemble
One Jump Ahead (Reprise)/Proud of Your Boy
Aladdin
These Palace Walls
Jasmine, Isir, Manal, Rajah
Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim
Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim, Ensemble
Friend Like Me
Genie, Ensemble
Prince Ali
Genie, Entourage, Ensemble
A Whole New World
Aladdin, Jasmine, Ensemble
High Adventure
Babkak, Omar, Kassim, Ensemble
Prince Ali (Reprise)
Jafar, Iago, Ensemble
Music has a way of unlocking secrets. When music is combined with theater, a special kind of mystery is revealed. For centuries upon centuries, the art of musical theater has provided, to audiences and performers alike, not only entertainment and relaxation, but also a window into some of the deepest and most universal elements of the human soul. From the most sublime comedy to the most heart-wrenching tragedy, when music and drama come together in union on the stage, we have the chance, for at least an evening, to escape the stress and monotony of mundane reality and get absorbed into the lights and sounds of a world more magical, mystical, and mysterious than the one we are faced with in our day-to-day existence.
What I find so wonderful and compelling about the score for Aladdin, Jr. is how exquisitely matched the music is with the story. From the Middle Eastern melodies that evoke that sense of magic and mystery; to jazzy, cabaret-style tunes that create a fun and joyful ambience, this music truly mesmerizes me. Listen closely and you might even hear the rhythm of the merchant’s camel, trodding through the desert.
You may notice a change in the way the music is performed this year. Rather than using a live orchestra, this production features a recorded orchestral accompaniment played by an ensemble consisting of professional Broadway musicians. Though many of us in the cast and crew felt a tinge of disappointment at the absence of the live band, there are also some significant benefits to using the “canned” music. In particular, it gave us the opportunity to focus our musical rehearsal time on developing our singing, which I feel has paid-off, and I hope you will agree.
Our student performers worked especially hard this year, in spite of certain obstacles–not the least of which being the excessive amount of snow days we experienced! But even with the scheduling challenges brought on by weather, sports, illness, family conflicts, and of course school work, we were able to assemble as a cohesive team and put together a show that we are proud of.
I hope you enjoy our rendition of Disney’s Aladdin Jr. Now please, sit back and let yourself be transported to an exotic and mystical world full of laughter, romance, intrigue, magic, and music.
--John Storms-Rohm
