Shaler Area Middle School students will take audience members on a magic carpet ride when they raise the curtain on “Aladdin” in February.
The middle school students will present the Broadway musical version of “Aladdin,” which is based on the 1992 Disney animated film of the same name. The musical follows the adventures of the title character, played by eighth-grader Max Milligan, a street urchin who rescues and befriends Princess Jasmine, played by seventh-grader Katie Kemper, while she was exploring the streets of Agrabah.
Aladdin’s adventures escalate after discovering a magic lamp and releasing a genie, played by Joshua Clark, and eighth-grader. The musical also features seventh-grader Ryan McGaffick as the sultan, eighth-grader Luka DePasquale as Jafar, the sultan’s trusted advisor, and seventh-grader Ayla Hursen as Iago, Jafar’s minion.
The Shaler Area Middle School production will include added songs from the stage production, including “Somebody’s Got Your Back” and “Diamond in the Rough” as well as a second duet between Aladdin and Jasmine, “A Million Miles Away.”
The performances will be 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the middle school auditorium, located at 1810 Mount Royal Blvd. There also will be a special preview performance for senior citizens at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
New for this year’s musical are special reserved seating tickets. Reserved seating tickets may be purchased in advance for $9 each at the middle school activities office starting Feb. 5. All other general admission tickets are available at the door — $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, and $3 for students. Doors open one hour before show times. All ticket sales are cash only.