Disney’s Aladdin the musical opened last night in Seattle and it’s only here for a very short time and I’ve heard from a few people that it’s really difficult to get tickets right now. I was invited to go for opening night and the theatre was the most bustling I’ve seen it in a while. The buzz of pre-show excitement is something I’ll never take for granted especially after theatre stopped all over the world in 2020. And this show especially had a lot of smaller members in the audience-Aladdin the musical is a great introduction to live theatre for young kids-especially if they’ve seen the Disney animated movie too.
On the Broadway in Seattle website, Disney’s Aladdin is recommended for kids ages 6 and up. The show runs about 2 and half hours including an intermission. There are a few parts that have darkness and flashes of light but the kids around me didn’t seem worried about these parts-they oo’d and aah’d when the carpet flew and they laughed at Iago. As we were filing into the theatre closer to the start of the show, I overheard someone say that they ran out of booster seats- if this is something that you might need, it might be best to show up earlier. Even as a grownup, if I’m sitting in the seats closer to the stage, if someone tall sits in front of me, it can be difficult to see.
And the musical is fantastic. It’s everything we tend to expect from Disney-elaborate costumes, familiar songs, (and unfamiliar songs-there are definitely some that have been added that are different than the movie) and lots of dancing and laughs. The Genie especially was fantastic-I think he had all of us absolutely mesmerized. The coolest thing that I heard about this Aladdin show in Seattle though is that there will be a sensory friendly performance on Sunday April 27 at 2pm.
I read that this performance will be designed “to provide a supportive and judgment-free environment for people affected by sensory processing challenges so they may enjoy the shared experience of live theatre.” You can also read more about the theatre modifications that will be in effect for the show through this link. Live theatre is so special and I love that this kind of performance will allow for more of us to be able to enjoy it- I will be looking now to see if there are more shows like this in Seattle.
I also recently saw that PCC has a sensory-friendly shopping hour on Sundays from 8am to 9am too just in case that might help you or someone you might know with an in-person shopping experience as well.
And if you also love musicals and are looking for more Broadway shows in Seattle, I have a list of the shows for upcoming season listed here. Have you seen Disney’s Aladdin the musical?
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)