The performance of a play is a live experience. It can be exciting, but extremely nerve-racking at the same time. One error could throw the entire production off track. You must portray your emotions so perfectly that everyone in the audience can feel it as well. These are things you would expect from a professional play performance, not from a highschool. However, the cast of this year’s play ,“Aladdin Jr.”, did an incredible job at bringing the fictional story to life.
Three hours a day, five days a week, the cast of Aladdin Jr. put a lot of hard work and dedication into this year’s play. The cast took a different approach on the beloved Disney story they gave it a more contemporary feel, hoping that the younger audiences would be able to relate to the story more.
Learning their lines, choreography, and characters were a difficult task for many. However, Senior Boris Vukovic says, “Honestly it wasn’t that hard to learn the lines because I had fun doing it. And, it was a great experience getting to better understand my character.” For Boris’ first time performing live, he did an amazing job. He took the time to better understand his character and that definitely showed on stage. He embodied “Jafar” both inside and out.
Even though the story of Aladdin was changed slightly, we were still able to see the original story within the play. Freshman François-Myron Wilson, who played “Genie”, says, “There wasn’t much of a difference [between the original and our version] just the few differences between the lines. Trying to make it more modern in today’s society.”
The modern-day feel certainly resonated with the younger audiences. Junior Aulani Garcia says, “I kind of liked the new storyline. It was still the original, but it was also something new and different.” Senior Minji Kim says, “It was fun getting to see all the characters of Aladdin in a different light than usual.”
Many cast members truly loved every second of this production. Senior Noelle Barclay says, “I really enjoyed our practice rehearsals, being around all the younger kids and my fellow Senior, Boris Vukovic. I felt like I was a part of something awesome before I leave this school.”
The play brought together those who have a common love for the story of Aladdin and the theatre. Barclay says, “It was my first time ever performing in a play, so it was really fun to finally act on my love for singing and acting.” From playing “Princess Jasmine”, Noelle learned more about her character and herself. Gaining a new found confidence within herself she said, “I know my younger self would be ecstatic and proud!”
Aladdin Jr. was an experience that many involved will never forget. They brought to life a timeless story and were able to give it a modern-day touch. Congratulations to all cast members on producing an extraordinary play.
