A Magical Journey

Mahar Presents A Fall Musical Version Of Aladdin

Yasmin Gomes | Staff Reporter | November 21, 2024

Published November 21, 2024Story by Yasmin GomesStaff Reporter

MAHAR - As the autumn air settles in, students at Ralph C. Mahar are filled with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming fall musical: a vibrant adaptation of the Disney movie, Aladdin. Students participating in the Aladdin Musical, produced by Mahar’s Theater Department, are getting ready to perform their first ever fall musical. Not only that, but they are continuing to conduct a spring musical for two full productions for the school year. Students throughout all grades are working hard to create a wonderful performance for us, featuring colorful costumes, captivating choreography, and catchy music.

The Creative Team

Leading charge is the enthusiastic Director Julie Bouchard, who has a passion for bringing classic tales to life on stage. Mr. Parsons, the House Manager, explains that Mahar’s production will be slightly different from the movie and the Broadway production, but just as magical. He says that Aladdin Jr. is a shorter version of the Broadway play, with different songs, and different characters. In Disney’s version, Aladdin is seen with his sidekick monkey, Abu. But at Mahar, his character is instead divided amongst three new characters, Omar, Babkak, and Kassim.

He believes the play is doing very well so far and is excited to see the final result. Parsons states that managing the play “never feels like work” and it “feels more like a varsity team.”

With new equipment and investments of thousands of dollars for this theater, Mr. Parsons is sure it will come together beautifully.

Photo by Yasmin Gomes

A Diverse Cast

Auditions last school year drew in a diverse group of inspired students, eager to take the iconic roles of the main characters, Jasmine, Aladdin, and the Genie.

The main roles are held by Jaya McBroom as Jasmine, Evan Piscitello as Aladdin, and Alexander Malo as The Genie.

8th grader, Jaya McBroom, states, “I was very excited when I found out that I got Princess Jasmine. She has been one of

my favorite princesses since I was a little girl. I joined the musical because I absolutely love singing, dancing, and acting! Working on productions with Julie Bouchard is always a blast, and sharing the experience with my friends makes it even better. I think the play is going great! We haven't run into too many challenges, aside from a few issues. It really makes me happy to see everyone so excited, dancing, building sets, and creating costumes together. I can't wait to share what we hope will be an amazing show that everyone will love and enjoy!”

Freshman, Alexander Malo says, “I felt really excited about the role because it was the role that I went out for, and I found out I got to do it with my best friend Evan Piscitello. I've always been someone who likes to entertain people and make them laugh, so when I found out that theater was an option, I quickly jumped on that bandwagon as fast as I could. I think that the play so far is insanely amazing. From the acting, to the choreography, to the lighting, to the costumes, to the set. It's all so magical.”

Freshman Alex Malo playing Genie

Behind The Scenes

While the spotlight shines on the performers, a dedicated crew works overtime behind the scenes to create the perfect ambiance, with the set designer Kate Coty, who has also worked on the prior sets of Willy Wonka and last year's Frozen. As well as the choreographer Don Ross. They transform the auditorium into a vibrant scenery captivating the environment of Agrabah.

Information

Show times start at Nov. 29th, Dec. 6th & 7th at 7:00PM and Nov. 30th, Dec. 8th at 2:00PM

Come enjoy the show and support our theater department's hard work on this dedicated performance.

Tickets available to purchase online at https://gofan.co/app/school/MA23964_1

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