Aladdin and his Winter Wish
Aladdin and his Winter Wish is an American panto version of the Middle Eastern folk tale Aladdin.[1] The panto's book was written by Kris Lythgoe and its music is based around classic pop tunes by artists such as Ray Charles, Coldplay, and Starship. Aladdin and his Winter Wish premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse on December 11, 2013 and ran through December 29 of the same year.[2]
Plot
The story follows the general Aladdin fairytale with some additional characters. Wishee Washee is Aladdin’s brother and Widow Twankey plays Aladdin’s mom. The character of Widow Twankey is played by a man in a similar role to Edna in Hairspray. The story is moved along with the inclusion of Pop tunes and being a Panto, the 4th wall is broken and the cast regularly include the audience to cheer for Aladdin and Boo the Wicked Magician.
Songs
Act 1
- Jai Ho - Ensemble
- I'm Too Sexy - Widow Twankey
- Break My Stride - Aladdin and Wishee
- You Don’t Know Me - Aladdin
- Old Time Rock’n’ Roll - Widow Twankey
- What Makes You Beautiful
- Call Me Maybe - Princess
- Billionairre - Aladdin
- Fantasy - Genie
Act 2
- Treasure - Aladdin
- Viva La Vida - Abanazar
- Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Aladdin and Princess
- Walking on Sunshine - Aladdin and Princess
- Merry Christmas Everyone - Ensemble
Reception
Reception for Aladdin and his Winter Wish was positive.[3] The Los Angeles Times gave it a positive review, stating that adults would be likely to enjoy it as much as their children would.[4] Los Angeles magazine and LA Weekly also praised the work,[5] with Los Angeles citing Ben Vereen's performance as a highlight.[6]
References
- ↑ "Aladdin and His Winter Wish, Starring Bruce Vilanch and Tony Winner Ben Vereen, Begins Performances at Pasadena Playhouse Dec. 11". Playbill. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ "'Aladdin And His Winter Wish' Debuts In Pasadena". CBS Los Angeles. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Wood, Alex. "Aladdin and His Winter Wish (review)". Time Out Los Angeles. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Nichols, David. "Review: 'Aladdin and His Winter Wish' a fun ride at Pasadena Playhouse". LA Times. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Deborah, Klugman. "Aladdin and His Winter Wish (review)". LA Weekly. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ↑ Byrd, Craig. "Curtain Call: Ben Vereen has Some New Magic in Aladdin—and a Winter Wish". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 9 March 2014.