![]() Get Aladdin Tickets Aladdin vs Lion King: Set Design and Costumesīoth Broadway shows have beautiful sets, engaging costumes, colorful design, and immersive elements. It is done in a symbolic way, so you don’t actually see Mufasa die, but my kids both knew from the movie what was happening. The stampede that kills Mufasa was poignant for adults but scary for kids. Scar and the hyenas, which feature prominently in the show, were menacing enough that I had both kids clutching at me for periods of time. The Lion King had more “scary” elements for my kids. They added to the unforgettable beauty of the performance, but they were sort of lost on younger kids. The Lion King on Broadway had several scenes that were purely music and/or dance, and which did not really advance the plot. To put it simply, Aladdin was more of a live-action version of the film, whereas The Lion King was a theatrical interpretation of the underlying story in the movie. The pacing of The Lion King was a little less friendly for kids as well. Even I didn’t realize what happened initially when the scene changed from Simba the boy to Simba the young adult. My 9-year-old had some questions, but could generally follow along with the plot (though I think many of the more nuanced topics were over his head). It was a breathtaking spectacle, but it was too complex for my 6-year-old. Broadway audiences will see a show that explores many coming-of-age themes, including a search for identity, belonging, shame, environmentalism, sustainability, and what makes a good leader. Iago’s performance is masterful, especially as it was adapted from the movie, in which Iago is a parrot!Ĭonversely, The Lion King is a much deeper show. ![]() They loved the action, the magic carpet, and the comedic characters – namely the genie and Jafar’s lackey Iago. Even though it’s a timeless romance, neither kid got grossed out by the love story aspect. What we liked most about the Aladdin storyline was that it was easy for young children to follow along with – there aren’t too many characters, and the story is pretty straightforward, even when Aladdin is playing as his alter-ego, Prince Ali. They were interesting without being scary, so they were a perfect way to keep everyone interested. There are several choreographed fight sequences between Aladdin and his friends and the royal guards. For our kids, the most exciting part (which I was not expecting) wasn’t something like the flying carpet but rather was the sword fighting scenes that happen in the market and the palace. We loved the genie character, who brought a lot of humor and spectacle to the show. They did not really relax until everyone had escaped the cave. There are some light and sound special effects when Aladdin gets trapped in the cave that were scary for both kids, so be prepared for this if your kids are on the young side. The cave portion was the only scary part of this show for both my kids. The timeless story of Aladdin leads our main character into a cave filled with treasure, where he finds a magic lamp and unleashes a genie. They meet, fall in love, and have to overcome the evil Jafar. The story closely follows Disney’s Aladdin movie, with a scrappy street-smart young man (Aladdin) and a princess with wanderlust who refuses to marry for duty (Jasmine). ![]() Aladdin vs Lion King: Storylineįor our kids, Aladdin wins on the storyline. Though he enjoyed watching the performances, he did not really follow or understand the story. ![]() The bottom line for The Lion King is that the pacing of the production, the abstract nature of the set design and costumes, and the complex storyline and more mature themes were too much for my 6 year old. I would put the minimum age for Aladdin at 6 and for The Lion King at 8. ![]() The theaters are just not places where you can inconspicuously move around, or where fussy children won’t disturb lots of other theatergoers. I wouldn’t recommend a show for kids younger than 6 unless they are extremely well-behaved. This happened significantly more in The Lion King than in Aladdin, which I will get into more in the “storyline” section below.īoth my kids loved the shows and were able to sit through the entire performance without getting bored, needing to use the bathroom, or having any other disruptions. There was a lot of stage-whispered questions while he tried to understand what he was seeing. The 9 year old was able to follow along without needing much explained to him in either show. My boys were 6 and 9 when we went to see Aladdin and The Lion King. ![]()
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