St. Louis School's Aladdin Takes Audiences on a Magical Ride
St. Louis School's gymnasium was transformed into the city of Agrabah, as students took the audience on a magical ride through the musical Aladdin. Vivid costumes, endearing on-stage personalities and fun songs captivated everyone's attention for the school's play.
The musical follows the famous story of Aladdin, a young peasant who is imprisoned after he is caught stealing a loaf of bread. Along the way, he falls in love with Princess Jasmine, embarks on a quest to retrieve a magic lamp, befriends a fun-loving genie and seeks to foil the plans of the evil Jafar.
Grade 6 student Tanner Main plays Aladdin and spoke about how he felt getting the lead role.
"The hardest part was dying my hair for the play," he said. "I was really light blonde and now it's brown. I didn't recognize myself. I was walking past my friends in the hall and they didn't even recognize me."
The play was directed by Kindergarten teacher Darren Benson. Students auditioned for their roles back in October and were hard at work rehearsing over the last four months.
Grade 5 student Monika Favreau plays Jafar. She spoke about what it was like taking on her character.
"At first I didn't know how to play Jafar because he's evil, but in the end it was fun," she said.
Teachers and numerous parent volunteers put dozens of hours into the set and costume designs. The rich fabrics mixed with shimmering layers and brightly coloured sets enhanced the magic of the play and drew the viewers into the story.
"I really like my costume, it is comfortable and the fabric is really pretty," said Madison Korba-Nyberg, who plays a junior Djinn, a magical spirit who helps the Genie.
Grade 5 student Zane Ricard also plays a Djinn and he explained what he liked most about being in the production.
"My favourite part of the play is that it's very magical, I really liked playing a magical role," he said.
St. Louis School has garnered a fantastic reputation for its drama productions, which offer a great opportunity for young students to gain experience on the stage. Liam Forster plays the Tiger God and he says it was a lot of fun to take on a new character. Grade 6 student, Mykenna Mosionier, plays the Genie and she agreed that the play was a great experience.
"I like that we get to explore the character. You get to feel what it's like to be this other person," she said.
And as the lights dimmed for the final time at the end of the play, the students were met with raucous applause from their friends, family and parents. Another play in the books, and another success for St. Louis School.