‘Aladdin’ Lets the Genie into the Marcus PAC

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Photo by Deen van Meer © Disney

Disney's Aladdin North American tour

Anand Nagraj as Jafar and Aaron Choi as Iago in Disney's ‘Aladdin’

Audiences, take note: The Genie is in the building! The Marcus Performing Arts Center to be exact. On stage. Front and center. And delighting everyone in attendance in a high-energy, exciting and excellent musical production of Disneys’s Aladdin. 

Of course, there’s the cast of characters that make up the fabled fairytale of Aladdin: of course, the poor boy turned prince as he woos Princess Jasmine under the watchful eye of her father, the Sultan—and ... the evil Grand Vizier. The storyline is timeless, but Disney has made it contemporary with dazzling special effects and a modern-day sensibility—and comedy—that makes this musical one of the very best in the Disney catalog.

Set in the fictional city of Agrabah, the storyline follows Aladdin as he thieves on the streets to survive with his three sidekicks and gets tricked by the Grand Vizier into retrieving that famous lamp from the Cave of Wonder that contains You-Know-Who (or What). Along the way, me meets the feisty princess (in disguise) and everything in is set in motion. In this case, literally. That famous magic carpet ride is one of many high points in this magical joyride of a show

This production showcases the very best of that ol’ yet new Disney magic: the top notch choreography, gorgeous costumes, spectacular lighting and sets, state-of-the-art special effects, memorable musical score and the stellar ensemble of actors—major to supporting roles. 

Marcus M. Martin is simply a multi-talented powerhouse as The Genie. He so fully inhabits the role that it’s easy to forget that he’s human (we double checked, and he definitely is!)  The pinnacle of a perfect performance as he moves, sings, dances, jokes, addresses the audience (much to the delight of the children at opening night’s performance). We just wait to see what he’ll do next, and it continues to entertain—and then some.

But there are plenty of other great performances as well;  Adi Roy hits the mark as the youthful, boyish, wiry Aladdin, a flawless fit to the spirited, feisty Jasmine, played so beautifully by Senzel Ahmady. And then there’s that really, really bad guy the Grand Vizier!  Anand Nagraj is a tall, imposing figure in black. But that voice! Deep, dark and so delightfully malevolent There’s a very funny bit where he and his comedic sidekick, Iago (well-played by Aaron Choi) practice their evil laughs. Nagraj builds that full throaty laugh into something truly maniacal. And that is just of so many funny moments Aladdin. 

Aladdin also contains three new numbers and that went unused from the 1992 film composed by the great songwriting team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. And it’s a good reminder of what great songwriting is all about.  Ditto the creative dance moves by Broadway veteran Casey Nicholaw who also directs this production. 

Disney’s Aladdin is not just a family friendly production but a show that appeals to all of us, keeping us young at heart. 

So, if it’s a magic carpet ride you’re looking for—and Genie who can do anything, certainly on stage—Disney’s Aladdin is that magical journey that will take you there—and beyond. 

Disney’s Aladdin runs through Oct. 22 in Uihlein Hall at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Run time: two hours, 30 minutes with one intermission. Recommended for ages six and up. For more information, call: 414-273-7121, or visit: www.marcuscenter.org

Marcus M. Martin is starring in the role of the Genie in the production and finds that preparing for the role take a whole lot more work than simply “opting out of a lamp.”

“The Genie is a beast of a role, so getting a proper warmup is important,” he explains. “I stretch a lot, get my voice warmed up, and check in with my cast. I'm a pretty happy guy so getting into the mood to play the Genie isn't too hard.”

The Genie is the “good guy” who helps Aladdin try to win the heart of the princess while battling the Sultan’s evil Grand Vizier. And the two fast friends have to accomplish all of that with just three wishes. But much of the fun of Aladdin is the journey in getting there, and Martin definitely sees the character of the Genie evolve through the show. 

“We get to see Genie humanized a little bit,” he says. “We get underneath the surface of the glitz and the glamour. We see his insecurities and vulnerability in a way that we haven’t in the past.”

With the animated version, the Genie can appear and disappear and move in all sorts of magical ways. With this staged version, there are no special tricks involved other than plenty of that “shiny stuff.”

“No prosthetics, but the make up for this role is quite extensive and requires a lot of glitter!” Martin points out. “It takes our make-up supervisor Haley Richardson about 15 minutes to get my Genie face on. I can’t wait for audiences to see how our Genie looks.”

So, how does the actor keep the role of the Genie interesting for himself performance after performance?

“For me, playing the Genie is all about Joy and honesty! Joy and honesty is what he brings to the audience, Joy is what he brings to Aladdin in a time he desperately needs it,” he says, adding “As long as those two things are at the forefront, I’ll be OK!”