Differences between Australian Version of Aladdin and Broadway Version

[AdamEfimoff]

are there any?

 

[elphaba91]

are there any?

Undoubtedly, yes. There are several Australian references to things like Vegemite, Tim Tams, Wagga Wagga. I haven’t seen the show on Broadway so I don’t know what these are in the Broadway production.

It’s also possible that some of these jokes might change with time or depending on the actor playing the Genie (although in Australia I believe both Scott and Gareth made the same jokes). For example though, in the recent Australian production of the Lion King, Zazu sang Let It Go when locked up in the cage. That clearly wasn’t the case when the show was first produced (I presume he sang It’s a Small World like in the movie) but was changed for humour.

There could also be some differences depending on the theatre, size of the stage, technology available and how long the production is staying. I know for Wicked the original Melbourne production was the only Australian stop to have the flying monkeys come out over the get audience like on Broadway as the Regent was the only theatre where it was possible. When the production became a touring production for Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth further changes were made to the set and staging so they didn’t have to install unnecessarily complicated equipment, cut new trapdoors in the stage, etc.

However, with Aladdin, the only changes I’m certain about are the specifically Aussie references.

 

[ChrisLyne]

Yes and no. I know that's a strange answer but bear with me!

In terms of the show they try and keep it as close as possible. Just to give two examples from the soundtrack, Iago's big note in Diamond in the Rough was cut around the time the show opened in the UK and was cut from Broadway too in order to make the shows the same. The staging (and lyrics) of "though he's sitting here, watch Al disappear" in Friend Like Me was changed for the US tour and those changes were then implemented in the other productions as well.

That said, the humour and references (especially for Genie) do change for each production and even from Genie to Genie in the same production as the actors are encouraged to make the role their own and find what works for them.