Steadstyle Chicago
	July 2009 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
	Disney's Aladdin It's summer fun at Navy Pier again as Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings Disney's "Aladdin" to its stage.  It's 75 minutes of pure magic for children of all ages.  Based on the Disney film, all of our favorite characters are brought to life by a cast of eleven (it seems like a lot more) solid actors who can sing and dance up a storm making the music of Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice come alive.  Director and choreographer Devandand Janki uses his cast and stage to perfection and keeps the flow of action moving well enough to keep the interest of the little ones in the audience.  This is no easy task, but succeed he does! The sets by Brian Sidney Bembridge and costumes by Debbie Baer add to the magic and charm of the production and musical director  Ben Johnson and his three musicians never overpower the actors.  You will think that there is a full orchestra with the amazing sounds of these four musicians, Maria Honigschnabel, Tim Lenihan, Bob Garrett and Mr. Johnson.  And what a cast.  Tony Clarino is an adorable Aladdin, a clever street urchin who meets and falls in love with Princess Jasmine.  Melissa Espinosa is charming and has a powerful voice.  Aladdin is locked in a cave where he finds a magic lamp, rubs it and a genie appears.  The wild and crazy Bill Larkin handles this role with  an amazing comic touch. If you know the story, you know that there is also a villain, Jafar (played by an actor who plays evil better than most, Larry Yando) and his sidekick , Iago (a puppet handled by Derek Hasenstab).  Jasmine's father, The Sultan is deftly handled by Joseph Anthony Foronda, one of Chicago's finest who also plays other roles, as does most of the cast other than Jasmine, Aladdin, Genie and Jafar.  The ensemble, one of the hardest working groups I have ever seen, takes on all the other roles and makes some of the quickest costume changes I have ever seen.  Sean Blake, Alex Goodrich, Erik Kaiko, Jillian Jocson and Karissa Barney are wonderful. The story features songs such as "A Whole New World" (with a magic carpet ride), "Why Me?" and the hysterical show stopping "Friend Like Me".  Jafar has rigged the law so that if Jasmine doesn't find her Prince by a deadline, she must wed him and he will take over as Sultan and have "the Power".  Aladdin, using his wits must end this threat so that he can marry Jasmine and allow the people of the town to live in harmony and be free to make their own choices.  A marvelous message for our children and some of our adults to learn! "Aladdin" will run through August 30, 2009 at Chicago Shakespeare on Navy Pier.  Performances are Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., Thursdays , Fridays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Sundays  2 p.m.  Tickets are $18 for children 12 and younger and $23 for adults.  It is suggested that children under 5 may have a problem with this, but based on some of the kids I spoke with at 4, they loved it, so perhaps that number could be 4.  You know your child, base it on them.  To purchase tickets call the box office at 312-595-5600 or online www.chicagoshakes.com.  After the show, kids can meet the actors in the lobby for autographs and there is discounted parking available.  Navy Pier is easy to reach by public transportation and of course the free  trolley runs all summer long (pick up at Illinois and State).  Navy Pier is a great place to enjoy your summer with rides, shops and entertainment for all ages, so make a day of it and enjoy the Navy Pier experience.   About Alan Bresloff Alan Bresloff, once an actor himself, has been covering the Chicago Theater Scene since 1993, first as the Theater and Arts critic for LaRaza newspaper, then with Salsachicago.com and then onto Extra Newspaper and The Epoch Times.  He also writes for ElImparcial and TeleGuia.  His reviews can also be seen on www.theatreinchicago.com.  Alan does not call himself a "critic" but a "reviewer" as he tries to educate the reader about theater itself, what is a good value, what to look for in a play or musical and more.  "Exposure to theater is a very important part of a young person's life" he says. "Learning about the arts and culture is in fact learning about life" and he tries to explain more in his reviews than just if it is good or bad.  Even some of the poor productions have some value, he often says and he would love your feedback on shows that you have seen.  You can write him here or at albresloff@sbcglobal.net.