Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ (Dual Language Edition) @ The Firehouse Theatre
Photos by Jason Anderson/Pendleton Photography
—Hannah Kneen
We’re all probably familiar with the colorful streets of Agrabah, home to the clever street-rat Aladdin and his strong-willed princess Jazmin. But you may not have encountered this story in quite this way before. The Firehouse Theatre is bringing Disney’s Aladdin: Dual-Language Edition to the stage this summer, with direction by Pamela Anglero and musical direction by Daniel Hernández.
The plot follows the story of the 1992 Disney movie closely, with the exception of an additional language. Headstrong princess Jazmin (Whitney Lucio) is being pressured into marriage and feels trapped. She escapes into the marketplace and meets Aladdin (Brian Vazquez), who is on the run for stealing a loaf of bread, and they quickly ally themselves to escape the palace guards. They hit it off despite the fact that, in this edition, they speak different languages.
Fortunately, their animal companions Abu the monkey and Rajah the tiger (Danny Vanegas and Tiana Shuntae Alexander) make for good translators. Aladdin and Jazmin’s budding romance becomes an obstacle to Royal Vizier Jafar’s (John Sanchez) schemes for power. Fortunately, Aladdin’s encounter with everyone’s favorite Genie (played by Jason Philip Solis) gives him an opportunity to beat the villain and win the girl—if he’s clever enough.
In my experience, TFT does a fine job of keeping its shows moving; there’s seldom a dull moment. The ensembles are are capable and well-rehearsed—and the company never seems to lack talent. I have yet to see Jason Philip Solis, for example, perform in a role I didn’t enjoy, and his performance as the Genie does not disappoint. This show also boasts a strong Aladdin and Jazmin, as well as some great teamwork between Brian Vazquez’s Aladdin and Danny Vanegas’ Abu. John Sanchez’s Jafar was good fun as well, and it was a pleasure to see him interact with Doug Fowler’s Iago—that noisy parrot always has a comeback or a snarky comment at the ready.
Designers Logan Uhtenwoldt and Maggie Sproul have done a simple set for Aladdin (multi levels, a trio of useful arches), and with the addition of Dayna Dutton’s costumes the show has plenty of color. My personal favorites are the Genie’s and Jafar’s costumes—and their makeup. Whoever did up John Sanchez’s face to look like the cartoon Jafar did a fantastic (and hilarious) job. The dancing wasn’t always perfectly clean (and I fully acknowledge I’m a bit of a ballet snob so take that with a grain of salt), but it was still very well done and I want to give kudos to choreographer Rachel Nabarrete and dance captain Evan Taiclet for that, as well as all the performers of course.
If you’re a monoglot like me, the “dual” aspect of the show might give you pause. But don’t worry—you don’t have to be multi-lingual to enjoy this Aladdin: the two languages are wonderfully integrated throughout. I don’t know a lick of Spanish but never had any trouble following along, and I imagine that also held true for audience members who speak Spanish as their first language.
My favorite part of the multilingual edition is that the languages are tied into the story beautifully. The language barrier between the royals and the common people apparently has its roots in a wish Jafar made before he threw the Genie’s lamp at Iago. It keeps the humans of Agrabah from being multilingual, and separates them from their only-Spanish-speaking rulers. But here’s the clever twist to the plot: because Jafar never completed his list of wishes, the animals of Agrabah can speak both Spanish and English.
Between them and the two entertaining Royal Translators (Jaqueline Castillo and Lucas Haupert) there is never a lack of commentary to clarify what’s happening for us monoglots in the audience. What’s more, it adds another thematic layer to the story. Our heroes aren’t just separated by class and circumstance but by language, too. They must find a way to understand each other and help bridge the gap between the people and their royalty.
Aladdin is a show full of glitter throwing and cape swishing and simple fun, but it does not lack substance. At its core, this story is always about love and overcoming barriers. The integration of multiple languages enhances the storyin many ways—so if you’re keen to see these beloved characters in a new light or, rather, through a new language, this is a good show to see.
WHEN: June 20-July 7, 2024
WHERE: 2535 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch TX
WEB: https://thefirehousetheatre.com/
