Theatre--Review (Musical Theatre) (CYT)

Summers are usually a restorative time for me as a teacher, but I never realized how transformative the summer of 2009 was. I directed for IPAL (Iberia Performing Arts League) my first summer youth musical, Disney’s Aladdin Jr. This foray opened my eyes to the myriad dramas often associated with teenagers, but it was still a wondrous experience overall. I have since directed Beauty and the Beast, Jr. and will direct Mulan Jr. this upcoming summer.

Therefore it was with some trepidation that I attended CYT Lafayette’s final performance of Aladdin Jr. Could I be objective with a play I had previously directed? Would it obscure the wonderful memories I had built during those two months of seemingly-endless rehearsals? Would I constantly compare the two: what if my production was better? What if theirs was? I am happy to report it was a pleasant mixture of both, for I definitely appreciated things I had done and now wish there were things I could incorporate from this fine production.

Let me preface this review by mentioning that I have reviewed CYT productions before, most notably The Sound of Music. I praised that show for its excellent music and numerous actors on stage being exposed to theatre, but I faulted the production’s lack of character development and underwhelming acting when it came to the non-singing portions of the play. I felt then, as I still feel now, that teenagers, no matter how close to eighteen they may be, should not be directing plays. They lack the experience and ability to pull off the four pre-requisites for a youth musical: acting, singing, dancing, and blocking. On its website, CYT is “dedicated to developing character in children through training in the arts and by producing wholesome family entertainment, all of which reflect Judeo-Christian values.” It also claims as one of its five values and objectives “Providing a quality product without compromising a wholesome environment.” Acting and blocking are crucial elements of a quality product, and as such their shows should attempt to tackle all four items listed above. This production did a nice job of singing and dancing, but could still benefit from a more seasoned director’s eye for acting and blocking. Just one example will suffice: at the end of a musical number, Aladdin and Jasmine jump from a ledge, and then promptly begin the next scene… in the exact same spot from where they had jumped. That blocking not only defied logic, it flouted physics and laws of gravity.

I noticed in Aladdin Jr. a new problem not associated with CYT productions: a disregard for the lines being given. In Act I, Scheherezade, the narrator nicely played by Andrew Palmintier, mentioned that two cloaked figures in the Arabian heat were certainly suspicious. That would make sense, if only Andrew were not standing alone on stage, for the characters of Jasmine and Aladdin, to whom he was referring, were nowhere to be seen. Scheherazade exits, and only then did the pair grace the stage, but he was NOT in a cloak, making a mockery of the lines about two cloaked figures. Later in the same act, Scheherazade describes how the evil Jafar is plotting with Iago in his chamber room, except the audience is inexplicably not watching the chamber room, but twelve female performers dancing across an empty stage. It matters not how nicely they danced—and they did, by the way—it made no sense to add dancing there. It did not promote the plot, and director Kallie Broussard had other opportunities where she used those dancers to great effect.

This is one of the few times I’ve witnessed Aladdin, Jr. where the Genie did not steal the show. Decked from head to toe in a blue body suit, Rex Jones did a fine job as the Genie, but the show-stealer was a 4th grader from Woodvale Elementary. Issac Dowden as the Sultan had more spunk in him than most of the cast combined, and he seemed a natural on stage. Though he has an amazingly rich voice, Andre LaFleur was given little to do as Jafar, usually a wickedly delightful role, except to say lines drolly in an almost bored tone. In the hands of a gifted director, I’m certain LaFleur would be a phenomenal actor. Christine Soileau and Dean Yarborough were both pleasant as Jasmine and Aladdin respectively, but again character development was lacking and they wandered a bit aimlessly.

The play did exceed my expectations with its stagecraft. CYT has always excelled with its drop scenery, and this time was no exception. I marveled when Jones glided through the air as a flying genie and when Yarborough and Soileau flew the magic carpet. It did not matter that the black wires were visible—they were just as visible when Mary Poppins flew around the stage in New York City—but they added an element of magic that was unavailable to me when I directed. The play’s best moment came during the rousing song “Prince Ali” where Kallie Broussard herded the entire cast—ninety actors!—on the stage in a good display of organization. It was a fine example of CYT meeting its mission mentioned earlier.

I wish I could give my hearty recommendation to attend this production, especially for students of all ages, but I caught the last performance. It’s a sign of the strength of theatre in this area that there were so many productions from which to pick in the same weekend. At Theatre 810, Bria Hobgood directed A Woman’s Journey, two plays by Kim Nagle that are playing again next weekend, and Burke Hall is putting on a production of Rent that is also running next weekend. Aladdin Jr. was a good production; hopefully CYT will continue to excel and grow, making it capable of even greater ones.
---Vincent P. Barras