Do you need a great family-friendly idea for the weekend? Take the kids to see "Aladdin" at the Hollywood Pantages Theater, but only until March 31st. You have 3.5 weekends left to get tickets. My daughter and I saw this amazing Disney Broadway Musical last Sunday with another mom friend and her daughter. We had the best time on our little adventure in Hollywood. Most importantly, the kids absolutely LOVED the show.
What's not to LOVE! There was singing, dancing, comedy, magic, flying carpets, and lots of excitement. The show, with music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Tim Rice, lasted about 3 hours with an intermission and every minute was full of pizazz. We absolutely thought the Genie stole the show; he was so funny and energetic! He opened the show with a musical number and right away we knew it would be an event not to forget. Michael James Scott, the Genie, played on the fact that the Academy Awards were about to happen right down the street from us. He was telling the audience about the lamp where he lived but pulled an Oscar statue out of his pocket instead...OOPS! the audience roared with laughter. Several times during the show, the Genie interacted with the audience and we ate it up; such a funny guy and such a fun genuine way to pull the audience into the action. Our favorite number was at the end of Act I when the Genie sings "Friend Like Me' to Aladdin inside the secret golden cave. It was a full-scale Broadway production complete with tap dancing, a ton of magic, and a light show. What a way to end the first act and make you want to come back for more.
The actors playing Aladdin and Jasmine, Adam Jacobs and Isabelle McCalla, were amazing as well. We really loved the magic carpet ride at the beginning of Act II. It was the most magical part of the show and it made all the kids in the audience so thrilled. You could hear tiny screams all coming from all around the theatre. It was such a beautiful performance and beautiful to watch! The choreography, the dancers, and the gorgeous, colorful costumes and sets, made the entire show itself visually stunning. It was a feast for the eyes!
The Pantages Theatre, built in 1930, is full of architecturally stunning details and an art-deco glamour that reminds you of old Hollywood. The Hollywood Walk Of Fame lines Hollywood Blvd. and it's also fun to walk up and down to see if you recognize the person's name on the iconic stars. There are so much great restaurants and souvenir shops as well, you could spend the whole afternoon exploring Hollywood and telling your kids about the history of movies. We left very early on Sunday, in order to avoid the Oscar crowds, parked at the Pantages parking lot, and went to lunch at the nearby W Hotel. Afterwards, we checked out a few "stars" and headed home. The girls had such a fun time and have already said they want to come back to see "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "CATS", and "Cinderella"! If you are a "season ticket holder", there are 7 shows planned for the 2018-2019 season and they all look amazing! I LOVED all the Broadway shows my parents took us to when we were kids, and it has definitely left a love of musicals and theatre in my soul. Hoping my daughter will also enjoy seeing LIVE productions for many years to come.
Getting ready for the show to start.....the entire theatre was packed and there were lots of families and kids.
Excited to be on Mariah Carey's Star and standing across from the Pantages Theatre! Great day in Hollywood!
I was not compensated in any way to attend this performance and this review was of my own accord. We just wanted to spread the word about this amazing show...IT's A MUST SEE FOR KIDS!
