Unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings. Those aren't terms usually used to describe scrolling through a meme list, but miracles happen every day, especially when you have a lamp to rub!
I am a fan of Disney on Broadway. The Lion King is iconic and perfect for kids, families, and foreign tourists who have never seen a Broadway show before! It opened on Broadway in 1997, and I don't think it'll close anytime soon. The only other Disney Broadway show running right now is Aladdin, which serves a similar niche. The dance numbers are so extravagant that even if the audience members don't know English, they can still enjoy the show. The audience is full of families and little kids who have watched the movie a million times and are entranced by seeing the characters come to life. They aren't always the best-behaved audience on Broadway, but what can you expect from an audience that is more accustomed to Disney World than they are to Tennessee Williams?
Seeing Aladdin on Broadway was a truly magical experience for me personally. The special effects for the magic carpet ride still hold up to this day! It really looks like they're flying, and the cast and crew have done an excellent job of keeping the magic a secret so that fans don't know how it actually works. Contrast that with Elphaba's ascent in Wicked. Cast meCast members have accidentally exposed the secrets behind the special effects that make her fly at the end of Act 1 because they didn't know they weren't supposed to reveal them. Disney is way too strict to let that happen with one of their theatrical productions.
My random matinee of Aladdin was magical not only because of the show's content, but also because of what happened afterward. After the curtain call, the Genie called up an audience member on stage so that he could propose to his girlfriend in front of the whole crowd. He said their love story reminded him of Aladdin and Jasmine's (whatever that means; perhaps he is poor and she is rich), and she said yes! I don't think I could imagine that happening at any other Broadway show! I was so happy for that couple, and I hope that they're doing great wherever they are!
There have been a lot of rumors about Aladdin closing on Broadway, but I am not sure that will happen anytime soon. A show that's been running for years (it opened in 2014) and ranks as the 7th highest-grossing Broadway production of all time isn't going to close without a good reason. At this point, it is a money-making machine, and I question whether Disney would evict the show for a Disney musical that's not a sure thing. Heck, even a show based on Frozen couldn't stay open on Broadway for longer than 2 years. Maybe a revival of the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical would do as well as Aladdin, but I hate that show so much more for reasons I can't even get into this week. Maybe I'll do some Beauty and the Beast memes next week and elaborate, but for now, I hope you enjoy these Aladdin memes.