Tag: broadway

Posted on

Aladdin the Musical at the 2014 Tony Awards

One of the biggest changes to Broadway in the last 25 years was when Disney began to expand its entertainment behemoth onto the live stage. Following the success of its first Broadway production (Beauty and the Beast, opening in 1994) and most famous & successful so far (The Lion King, which has been running for over 20 consecutive years now), Disney has been adapting many of its beloved animated classics for the stage in recent years. One of Disney’s more recent additions to the Broadway scene was Aladdin the Musical. With an accessible story, fantastic music, and breathtaking set & costume design & staging (not to mention help from the original movie’s popularity), Aladdin was a big hit on Broadway, as well as on national tours. It should come as no surprise, then, that the production had a featured performance at the 2014 Tony Awards. (You can view the performance from the telecast of the Tonys here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UL0CDMhjj4)

For the performance at the Tony Awards, the Aladdin company performed “Friend Like Me”, Genie’s show-stopping introductory number. Taking place in the Cave of Wonders, the set certainly delivers on the expectations for what that might entail—with dazzling gold- and jewel-covered pillars and a menacing stone background, it’s a very detailed set that’s even more astounding when seen live. The set prepares the audience excellently for the spectacle about to unfold as Genie begins to sing. Throughout the number, all sorts of factors come together to make the performance stellar. Various jokes in the words, music, and staging—some obvious in the scene and some in reference to outside things, including a nod to the fact that the performance is at the Tonys (“Dance like you’re holding a Tony!”)—keep the audience laughing; some magic tricks and pyrotechnics (although much less than in the context of the full show!) wow the audience; the dance breaks give great, extended opportunities for the orchestra and the chorus (as well as Genie & Aladdin) to shine (literally, to an extent); the lighting cues add to the changes in pace throughout (with the most noticeable moment being when the lights go blue for Genie’s moment to rest from dancing to sing some “classics”—excerpts of songs from other Disney shows); and the music itself is just a blast.

It’s interesting to consider what the thought process was behind this song being selected for the Tony Awards performance. Most people wouldn’t argue with selecting this song to represent the production as a whole, and there are several good reasons for that. In my opinion, the number is representative of what the show appeals to in the audience: there’s an element of awe to it, it’s funny and over-the-top, and Genie steals the show. (Oh, and apparently the actor for Aladdin is good-looking, for what that’s worth from the comments on the video.) Having seen the production when it was on tour in Chicago, the scene in the Cave of Wonders was the one that stuck with me the most, so from that experience I would say it’s a great number to show off the show.

The number is also a great choice for performing at an awards show because it’s a spectacle number and a show-stopper. What makes it even more applicable to this particular awards show is that the actor featured most prominently in the number was nominated to receive an award for that year. Genie’s actor, James Monroe Iglehart, was nominated for (and actually won) the 2014 Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his portrayal of Genie, and this number shows why. Iglehart sings or dances (often both simultaneously) for almost the entire four-and-a-half minutes of the number, and he hardly seems to break a sweat! Commenter Mica Xoxo points this out, stating “How does he move around that much AND sing at the same time and not pass out[?]” Needless to say, Iglehart also sounds and looks great the entire time, adding to the impressiveness of his endurance.

“How does he move around that much AND sing at the same time and not pass out like I woulda been dead not even half way through the song” – Mica Xoxo, commenter

The only dissent to be found anywhere in the comments section regarding the quality of Iglehart’s performance is based solely on the popularity (and impression left on people’s hearts) of Robin Williams’s portrayal of Genie in the original animated movie, which, as commenter Kat Holland expressed, “is a shame…[because] these are two entirely different versions of the same song with different goals and different target audiences.” (Kat Holland’s comment was actually on the video with the Broadway cast album recording of the song, accessible here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HdwdptrmQQ)

“This is such a wonderful rendition of this song and I think it is a shame that people are comparing it to Robin Williams’ version instead of just appreciating the two completely separately.” – Kat Holland, commenter

As great as Williams’s performance is, one can’t deny that Iglehart has a lot more work to do in bringing the role to life than just voice acting. The two mediums require very different things of the actors, and the stage has very different limitations (as well as benefits) from animation’s limitations (and benefits). If this were a live-action movie instead of a live performance, there would be yet more completely different aspects available for comparison, but even as commenters discuss how everything seems to look for the upcoming Aladdin movie (featuring Will Smith as Genie), it’s not completely fair to judge them against each other as “better” or “worse” without addressing the differences in art form. (Anyone wanting to watch the version of the song from the original animated movie can do so here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Op1TaXmCw)

Often just as noteworthy as what a chosen number to perform at the Tonys does showcase is what the number doesn’t showcase about the production. There are a lot of leading and supporting characters who don’t participate in this number, with Jasmine & Jafar being the main two. In this particular case, there is no reason for me to question the validity of the decision considering everything said above, but it’s still interesting to point out (and perhaps someone else would want to expand on it).

Having seen the touring production on Broadway in Chicago twice during the summer of 2017, I can say with complete sincerity that this scene was even more spectacular live. The Cave of Wonders and the scene taking place inside it took my breath away and stuck with me both times. Commenter Caleb DeLaBruere agrees with me, stating: “I got to see this show live on Broadway, and let me say, the video doesn’t do it justice. It’s even better in person, and I’ve heard of instances when the genie gets a standing ovation at the end of this act.”



“I got to see this show live on Broadway, and let me say, the video doesn’t do it justice.” – Caleb DeLaBruere, commenter

Commenter mermermer123 brought to the attention of those reading the comments that “they made the song shorter for the Tonys!!!”, supporting how Iglehart’s performance is even more impressive in the context of the show by virtue of there being more that he does during the number. The number was indeed reduced to fit the slot for the Tony Awards, as is made evident by the length of the cast recording of the song. The Tony Awards performance is greatly reduced in length from the 7’35” recording, which itself is also cut down (as big numbers frequently are on Broadway cast albums) from the full version performed in the show.

“And just think they made the song shorter for the Tonys!!!” – mermermer123, commenter
Posted on

All I Ask of You

Music video can have a huge impact on the song — it can either enhance the feeling/meaning of a song or completely ruin the song. Of course, this is a based on subjective opinions. Andrew Lloyd Webber is most well-known for his Broadway music in his film productions. One of the most famous of them all is the Phantom of the Opera, which is also highly recognized for its incredible soundtracks. The song All I Ask of You is a great depiction of how the video/camera techniques work with the music itself to produce the music video that is highly praised by thousands of audiences.

The setting of the video already creates an atmosphere that relates to the character of the song, a snowy, dark day. It begins with an instrumental introduction that is a series of chords leading to the singing. The third chord is such a magical change that lines up directly with the drop of the rose. Once the singing starts, the camera switches focus depending on whose singing and that really allows the audience to engage with the music and video simultaneously. Worthy to note, the frame switches to a glance of Phantom at 1:20 and that enhances the intensity of the scene. Additionally, they do a good job of connecting the lyrics to the physical actions. For example, when Raoul sings “Let me be your shelter…” he hugs Christine and these little actions is what makes the song more powerful. Also, just throughout the video, the camera angle zooms out when it reaches more climatic moments, allowing the audience have a fuller sense of the atmosphere. One of the most heart-wrenching scenes is when Phantom sees Raoul and Christine kiss and the camera captures the entire frame, which makes the scene that much more captivating.

One comment said, “I always had a sinking feeling that Christine was betraying the phantom, that she left his deep devotion to her for a petty boy who gave her flowers and was nice to look at, until I realized just recently that Christine’s love for Erik is Stockholm syndrome, and Raul is leading her out of a lifelong deception and swirling nightmare geniusly designed by Erik to trap her. I listened to this song for the millionth time once and realized that until she loved Raul she didn’t realize what she had wasn’t true.” This person’s in-depth observation of this music video shows that Webber and film director succeeded in their production because the commenter was able to capture how the actions are related to singing to portray certain feelings. Their reaction is definitely a good representation of what the music video is trying to display. Another comment said, “Probably THE most romantic song I’ve ever heard.” This person’s reaction is clear that the emotions of the song were delivered effectively, in order for the audience to feel emotionally connected. Additionally, another viewer commented, “Andrew Lloyd Webber: a freaking genius.” Just this one sentence is enough to show how powerful the music video is. With all these positive reactions, along with many more in the comments section, it is clear that this video evoked their meanings and feelings successfully. On another note, as I scrolled through the comments and actually did not find any negative observations, which is also a sign that the video was effective. All these comments show that technology allows us to directly communicate our thoughts or find relatable comments to agree with. It also expands the diversity of audiences because everyone is able to search for it.

As we can see, this music video delivers a strong performance through the coordinations of the music, actors, and directors. This is personally one of my all-time favorites and a huge reason is because of how well every aspect of video comes together to create the memorable experience of one of the most romantic songs. : )