Inside the Royal Palace gates in the faraway city of Agrabah, Princess Jasmine prepares to choose a husband (“Arabian Nights”). Against Jasmine’s wishes, her father, the Sultan, insists that she pick from among three visiting Princes by tomorrow. The Princes’ public introduction is interrupted by a fleeing bread thief. Wandering among the crowd, the poor street urchin Aladdin suddenly finds himself holding the stolen bread and pursued by Guards. Amidst the commotion, Jasmine adopts a disguise and seizes the opportunity to escape into the bustling marketplace, where she bumps into Aladdin (“One Jump Ahead”). The two runaways share their experience of feeling “trapped” and become attracted to one another. The chase ends when Razoul, head of the Royal Guard and the Vizier Jafar’s right-hand man, corners them. Princess Jasmine removes her disguise and demands Aladdin’s release, but Razoul takes Aladdin into custody anyway (“One Jump Ahead” – Reprise).
In Jafar’s chambers (“Arabian Nights” – Reprise 1) the villainous Vizier and his sidekick parrot Iago secretly rewrite the law so that the Princess will have to marry the Sultan’s highest-ranking official – Jafar – if she fails to choose a husband within the time allotted (“Why Me?”). With the dungeons all full of prisoners, Razoul and the Guards take Aladdin to one of Jafar’s caves on the outskirts of Agrabah (“Arabian Nights” – Reprise 2). There Aladdin finds an old lamp and rubs it, releasing Genie (“Friend Like Me”), who helps his new master escape the cave on a Magic Carpet. Genie then grants the first of Aladdin’s three wishes by turning him into Prince Ali Ababwa, which Aladdin hopes will help him woo Jasmine. Prince Ali enters with fanfare and impresses the Sultan (“Prince Ali”), but Jasmine remains reticent to follow anyone’s orders. Informed by Razoul about Aladdin’s escape from the cave, Jafar and Iago suspect that Prince Ali may be a fake – and in possession of a genie.
In another part of the palace, Prince Ali gains Jasmine’s trust and invites her to ride the Magic Carpet (“A Whole New World”). Returning to the Princess’s chamber, they agree to marry in the morning and bid farewell. As Aladdin revels in his success, Razoul’s Guards seize him. Aladdin uses his second wish to freeze the Guards, then runs to hug Genie, accidentally leaving behind the lamp. The Genie confesses that he longs to be free himself. Iago finds the lamp and shows it to the elated Jafar (“Why Me?” – Reprise). The next morning at the wedding, Prince Ali confesses his true identity. Jafar seizes the opportunity to reveal the law that he forged and claim Jasmine as his bride and himself as Sultan (“Prince Ali” – Reprise). With Jafar in possession of the Lamp, Aladdin tricks him into wishing to become the most powerful genie of all time – and forever trapped! Aladdin then uses his last wish to free Genie and promises to give all his love to Princess Jasmine, if she’ll have him. The initially reluctant Sultan now grants his consent, and everyone lives happily, and freely, ever after (“A Whole New World” – Finale, “Friend Like Me” – Bows).
