Aladdin on broadway

Socioeconomic disparity,  oppression of a patriarchal society, and the hopes and dreams it spawns. As most people know, Aladdin is an award-winning musical produced by the Walt Disney Company. It is a fun and engaging story that follows the protagonist, aptly named "Aladdin," through his journey of self-discovery. With the movie being a huge success, the next logical step was obviously to squeeze every last dollar out of the IP and make it into a Broadway musical. As a child, watching Aladdin the animated film, I took the film for what it was,  a sweet story about a “diamond in the rough”. However, as I watched the Broadway rendition, I realized there were so many lessons to be learned from this fun musical!

Aladdin is given the nickname of 'street rat' throughout both the musical and movie, a title used by people who view him as beneath them. This raises a greater discussion of the social climate of "Agrabah." Like in many Asian countries, there is often a huge wealth disparity between the lower and upper classes. Some prominent examples of this are countries like China, India, and Vietnam. “Agrabah” seems to follow this wealth gap where the Sultan and his advisors live in the palace among great wealth and lower class citizens like Aladdin are left to fend for themselves. Rags-to-riches stories idolize the use of hard work and determination to rise above, but messages like these aren't translated into fairy tale settings. The musical follows the line of reasoning that Aladdin escaped his situation due to his good heart. However, thousands of others may have been just as kind, and maybe even more deserving of the opportunity that Aladdin got. The musical never truly addresses this rampant poverty, which I saw as a shortcoming. While the initial story is true, that a good person can rise above their circumstance and be rewarded, it is just as important to remember the handwork that is really required to grow in modern society. 

Something that separates the musical from the movie is the fleshed-out story of Aladdin and his childhood. Being born into a poor family, then orphaned at a young age forces Aladdin to resort to thievery. Aladdin reveals in the song, “Proud of Your Boy,” that he does not wish to be in this life of crime. In future scenes it is shows that if given the opportunity, he would go straight but similarly to the animated film, he is seen as nothing more then a street rat. As I have observed from personal experience, restrictions help foster desires and drive. These restrictions can range from: Intellectual (Lower IQ), Emotional (Lower EQ), and most prominently show in Aladdin economical (Money/Resources). Aladdin’s lack of money not only forces him to use his cunning to survive, but also causes him to strive to do better, motivating his actions throughout both the movie and musical.

Similarly, to Aladdin, Jasmine faces a form of oppression. This is the gendered oppression of her as a woman. As Desiree Bryan said in the article, “Women in the Arab World, A Case of Religion or Culture?”,  the oppression that women in the Middle East encounter is ultimately best understood through hybridity. As Ms. Bryan says,  “Hybridity is a term often used… to refer to the interdependence of colonizer and colonized in the production of the identity of each. Because of this… [the] colonizer or colonial subject ceases to exist.“ In places like Saudi Arabia, women are seen as second class. With the concept of hybridity, we can determine that Religious beliefs are, in this case, the colonizer, permanently effecting the views on how women are treated. These beliefs are carries over to Aladdin, as Jasmine is seen as unfit to rule due to her gender, and is required to find a prince to rule with her. While this treatment is not exclusive to the Middle-East, it is clear that the writers/directors made a point to highlight this aspect of life. The main question is if these ideas were included as an deeper message, or as a way to reaffirm harmful stereotypes, which is a concept that will be discussed in a later blog.

While at first appearing to be a simple musical, Aladdin is full of complex themes, and nuanced undertones. While both the musical and movie aren’t perfect, they help/helped teach important lessons to kid and adults alike. Though jagged at the edges, the themes and ideas of Aladdin cause it to be quite an overlooked, “Diamond in the Rough.”