Disney's 'Aladdin,' coming to the Fox Cities PAC, has 'something for everyone'
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APPLETON – A stage adaptation of the beloved 1992 animated film Disney's "Aladdin" comes to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Dec. 6 through Dec. 11.
This is the first time "Aladdin," which toured the country from 2017 until 2020, has made its way to Wisconsin. The run in Appleton will also be the show's only performance in the state during the 2022-23 season.
The musical appeals to audience members of all ages and backgrounds, said actor Marcus M. Martin, who plays Genie.
"I think people hear Disney, and so they automatically assume that it's mainly for kids," Martin said. "When I tell you there's something for everyone in the show, I'm completely serious. I mean ... when we were in rehearsals, a cast full of adults, we're cackling so hard at some of these jokes."
Martin said adults that grew up watching the animated Disney film may have even more appreciation for the show than younger audiences.
"Aladdin" tells the story of the titular character, a poor young man who steals bread from the streets of the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah to survive. When he finds a genie in a lamp and is granted three wishes, Aladdin uses them to try to step into the world of the city's wealthy elite and woo Princess Jasmine, who must find a prince to marry.
It's a tale about appreciating who you are and that you never know what others are going through — even those whose lives might appear "perfect," Martin said.
As Genie, Martin said he's been able to incorporate some of his own personality.
"This character is so iconic, and so many amazing actors have done great things with this role. But the cool thing about our creative team is that they give me the freedom to add some of my what I like to call 'Marcus-isms' to the role," he said. "So I kind of get to honor the legacy of what was done before, and then add some of my own things to that legacy."
In "Aladdin" the musical, Genie is a lively, dynamic character with powerful vocals and boundless energy. According to the musical's website, when the 1992 animated Disney film was in development, the genie was originally imagined as a character influenced by 20th century Harlem jazz greats like Cab Calloway and Fats Waller. While this character concept was ultimately changed for the movie, it was brought back for the Broadway musical, which first premiered in 2011 and made it to the Broadway stage in 2014.
Martin said Genie's biggest number in the show is the song "Friend Like Me," which involves close to 15 minutes of nonstop talking, singing and dancing. Martin calls the number "a marathon."
"In preparation for the role, I would sing 'Friend Like Me' on the treadmill and on the elliptical, so that I could build the stamina to get through the song eight times a week," Martin said.
"Aladdin" first launched its North American tour in 2017. It then halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was set to return in fall 2021, but was delayed another year. The current cast started rehearsals in August and kicked off the tour in Schenectady, New York, in October.
While the cast has only been touring a couple months, Martin said "Aladdin" has received positive feedback from audiences.
"It's a good old fashioned Broadway spectacle. It has the flashy costumes, it has the amazing choreography, and it has comedy, it has romance," Martin said. "It really is everything you think about when you think of a big Broadway musical. I think audiences have really been responding to that well so far on the road, and I think that's what Appleton's going to enjoy."
Tickets for "Aladdin" can be purchased online through Ticketmaster, by phone at 800-982-2787 or through the Fox Cities PAC ticket office in-person or by phone at 920-730-3760. The PAC ticket office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Disney's 'Aladdin,' coming to Appleton's Fox Cities PAC on Dec. 6-11
