Singing “Arabian Nights,” the youth cast of “Disney’s Aladdin Kids” set a high bar for the rest of the show; the singing and choreography effortlessly and beautifully opened the musical.

Performing at the Wiesbaden High School’s Black Box theater, this Amelia Earhart Playhouse production was directed by Lexie Barnes and was a musical rendition of the classic Disney version of the movie “Aladdin.”

It was fun, nostalgic ride; entertaining to watch and well done by the young cast.

Aladdin (Nalia Echevarria Lopez) is a young street thief who desires more from life, and dreams of living the palace life with the Princess of Agrabah. Unknown to Aladdin, the evil vizier Jafar (Veda Macaulay) pulls him into a plot to take over Agrabah. He then discovers a magical lamp that contains a Genie (Anella Dabriel) who can grant him three wishes, which he uses to become a prince.

The young cast worked well together and brought their talent with great choreography and singing. In addition, the comedy was spot on, especially from the vizier’s bird sidekick, Iago (Mia Crittenden) who was well-spoken and sassy enough to make Gilbert Gottfried proud. The squawk was quite funny every time she exited the stage.

The well-thought-out costumes enhanced each character; from Iago’s flashy and feathery outfit to Genie’s sparkling magical costume, they gave each actor a unique personality.

There were three different settings: the palace, the streets of Agrabah, the entrance to the cave of wonders, plus special lighting and set pieces to simulate the interior of the cave and the emotive flying carpet scene.  

I have always been romantic at heart, and with that, the performance of “A Whole New World” struck a chord in my heart. The use of lighting and a special setting really gave the feeling of flying high on a magic carpet. Vocals were beautifully done from both Aladdin and Jasmine (Nora Small), whose wonderful singing voice came across in all her scenes.

With a fairytale ending – spoiler: the bad guy is defeated, and the heroes win – comes the lesson to be true to yourself and wishes will come true.

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