Fans of the story of “Aladdin” and his tricked-out lamp -- be it the classic tome “One Thousand and One Nights” or the big-screen Disney romp-- may find something magical about the Sugarloaf Ballet Company’s production of “Aladdin, The Ballet.”
Director and choreographer Lori Zamzow-Wire said it’s escapism of the fantastic kind. All ages might find their mouths agape as the bad guy sorcerer whips up magic while surrounded by laser lights or when the mammoth cave of wonders comes into view. While the wishes of some kids come true when they meet a dancing princess during the after-show photo-op, arts-conscious adults will appreciate the fact “Aladdin” marks Sugarloaf Ballet Company’s first production as a non-profit.
Zamzow-Wire recently put down the magic lamp to talk “Aladdin, The Ballet.”
Q: Is it inspired by the Disney film?
A: It's inspired by the actual story of "Aladdin," where the Disney movie came from. It has a bit of Disney in it, but it's not a Disney-fied version of "Aladdin." It has a classical score and we used different composers for that. It definitely has its own story line with a few little different twists that they don't do in the movie. And it doesn't follow the same musical score as the movie. So it's definitely a classical ballet, its own creation, its own work. It follows the story line that everyone knows. I just put back in some of the stuff that Disney kind of left out.
Q: How does "Aladdin" lend itself to ballet?
A: I think the score is really what attracted me. The kind of Middle Eastern feel of this score is really what has driven this ballet. But story ballet goes way back, using fairy tales and things. That's ballet history right there. ... Fairy tales have been used so much in ballet, because you can do so much with it and go in so many different directions.
Q: What makes "Aladdin" a good experience for families?
A: Well, every little girl loves the princesses and Jasmine is a princess. And they love the love story of Aladdin rescuing the princess. There are some fight scenes in there for the boys. And that's what lends itself to a great children's ballet, because there are so many things for them to grab a hold of and be excited about, like the scenery, the props, the palace and the cave of wonders. We have a huge cave of wonders prop shaped like a panther head that was hand-carved. ... It's just your classic fairy tale. That's why it lends itself well to families. They all love that and they all know the story. They've watched the Disney version.
"Aladdin, The Ballet." 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3. $16 at the door; $25.05 online or by phone. Gwinnett Performing Arts Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com .
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