What's Happening in Cincinnati, OH…

The Walt Disney Company has had great success turning its animated films into live musicals - first it was Beauty and the Beast, then The Lion King, and now Aladdin. The magic carpet has already touched down in Cincinnati, but there is still time to see the show, which is this year’s final offering in the Broadway in Cincinnati series.

Adapting a cartoon for a live cast is a challenge, because cartoon characters can do things (and survive things, like the anvils that fall on Wile E. Coyote’s head in the “Roadrunner” cartoons) that are impossible to replicate on stage, no matter how clever the special effects may be. In addition, audiences may not welcome the kind of changes necessary to bring a beloved cartoon to life.

The challenge was accepted by Chad Beguelin, who wrote the script for the stage show. In the cartoon, the voice role of the genie was played by the late Robin Williams. Beguelin had to come up with a more balanced story. He found a way to make it work by eliminating some characters, changing others, dropping three songs and adding four new ones, all the while keeping the classic fable intact.

Aladdin is playing now at the Aronoff, but the run ends June 10. Events like this can benefit if managers work with a poster printing company to create colorful advertisements for the show.