Disney's "Aladdin", the esteemed broadway musical pays homage to the 1992 animated film. The production finally makes its way to the Adrienne Arsht Center this weekend. And our Inside South Florida correspondent Miriam Tapia met with the actor behind Genie, Marcus M. Martin, with a look at the smash Broadway hit.
“Our show is based off of the Oscar award winning animated legendary film,” says Martin. “It follows the story of a young man named Aladdin who wants to make a better life for himself. He rubs the lamp and out comes a genie. You got to come see it to find out the rest.”
The outstanding stage performances are highlighted by musical productions of your favorite songs from the film along with some new surprises.
“It does a great job of honoring the DNA of the original film,” says Martin. “Many of the songs, the costumes, some of the jokes are still in there. It does some new things as well. There's some new characters that you'll meet.”
The part of Genie is a childhood dream role for Martin.
“When I was 16 years old, I saw the original Genie on Broadway. James Monroe Iglehart performed “Friend Like Me” on the Tony Awards, and I was like, ‘I think I might be able to pull that off.’”
“Aladdin” also has a wholesome message for the audience to take home.
“I want them to walk away knowing that it's okay to be yourself,” says Martin. “ I think that's the overarching theme of our show. Who you are is enough.”
You can see “Aladdin” at the Adrienne Arsht Center now until Jan. 8
For tickets, visit arshtcenter.org
