Aladdin's Stage Magic and Disney Nostalgia Unveiled

Imagine hosting a party where Mickey Mouse and Ozzy Osbourne show up side by side. LJ and Tim spills the beans on previous costume party escapades, sparking a brainstorm for a future musical-themed bash. As we mark the milestone of our 75th episode, we reminisce about the laughs, quirks, and unforgettable moments that have brought us here. 

For those who sing "A Whole New World" in the shower or wish they had their own magic carpet, this one's for you! We're diving headfirst into the enchanting world of Aladdin, tracing its footsteps from a Seattle stage to the spotlight on Broadway. From the creative geniuses who brought the tale to life to the iconic role of the Genie, our Disney nostalgia knows no bounds. Alongside the evolution of the musical, we explore the cultural significance of songs, the storytelling magic of Disney stage productions, and the delightful chaos of musical theatre trends. It's a celebration of creativity and a nod to the timeless charm of Disney classics.

Ever wondered why Jafar's "grand vizier" status sends shivers down our spines or how Jasmine's new songs in live-action remakes have fans raving? We cover it all, from the lyrical mysteries of "Arabian Nights" to playful misheard lyrics that have sparked laughter and debates. Our chat also veers into the world of Middle Eastern folklore, touching upon the captivating tales that inspired Disney's interpretations. As we wrap up, there's a hint of what's on the horizon—a promise to explore more Disney theatrical wonders, ensuring each tale receives the spotlight it deserves. Whether pondering the potential of upcoming live-action films or marvelling at the creativity behind Disney villains, there's no shortage of magic in store.

End of MLL

Transcript

Musical Lyrical Lingo

Speaker 1 0:26

That was really good, wasn't? It Should have kept that for the pod too. Hello and welcome to Musical Lyrical Lingo. We're your hosts, Tim and LJ.

Speaker 2 0:37

Today and every week we will be discussing musicals, but specifically what they taught us.

Speaker 1 0:45

We've just had a fall out.

Speaker 2 0:46

No we haven't. You were just being yourself.

Speaker 1 0:49

Oh, passive, aggressive. I like your pyjama bottoms.

Speaker 2 0:57

Thank you, thank you. I like them too. That's why I'm wearing them.

Speaker 1 1:01

Yeah, it's also why we're not recording for YouTube today.

Speaker 2 1:06

No, I don't mind at all, I look terrible, so it's absolutely fine. We'll just do little snippets. Little snippets, oh, so they'll see the daffy duck it's not daffy duck, it's Donald Duck and Daisy Duck Get it right.

Speaker 1 1:24

I'm quite impressed with that.

Speaker 2 1:26

I think you missed your calling in life to be a animal caller.

Speaker 1 1:33

Yes, because I have done my coy on.

Speaker 2 1:35

Yeah, I think you've tried to be a cat on the first occasions in your life.

Speaker 1 1:39

Okay, let's not bring up sports day circa whatever year that was. Let me tell you, the jellicle ball was happening down in word park that day.

Speaker 2 1:51

I'm telling you now oh my god, this stuff. We get up five, six, seven, eight. Do you know that we have um officially launched? Lost 75 episodes of this podcast is it 75?

Speaker 1 2:08

I'm clearly I can't count.

Speaker 2 2:11

I'm on episode 73 but that doesn't mean that that's 75 that we've, because we've had some like throwbacks and we've had and I've just remembered that one of the episodes was across two. Yes, I didn't count that one so officially we have 75 podcasts to our podcast episodes to our little name how many hours of talking absolute nonsense and drivels are a lot timothy and people are still listening.

Speaker 2 2:38

Yeah, that's amazing yeah, it's exciting that is exciting still being on the journey with these guys, thank you for being on the journey with us that's literally what I I just said.

Speaker 1 2:49

I'm just re. There's two people in this podcast, lauren. I'm just reiterating what you said from both of us. Thank you. Oh well, now you're being snappy tonight, aren't you? No, I'm not.

Speaker 2 3:04

But I just you were like as if you were about to say something really unique and you just repeated what I said.

Speaker 1 3:11

Not everything that has to come out of this mouth has to be, you know.

Speaker 2 3:14

Unique and wonderful.

Speaker 1 3:15

Yeah, exactly, sometimes it's just pure drivel here. Who's your? Is Daffy your favourite? Would you stop?

Speaker 2 3:22

saying Daffy.

Speaker 1 3:23

Okay, millie, what's her name? Minnie? No, that's a mouse.

Speaker 2 3:29

Yes, this is Donald Duck and Daisy Duck.

Speaker 1 3:33

Daisy Duck. Yeah, donald and Daisy. Is Donald or Daisy your favourite?

Speaker 2 3:39

well, donald is my daddy's favourite really yeah, these were my mum's pyjama bottoms.

Speaker 1 3:45

Oh, oh, I'm okay. I'm sorry, it's fine if I'd known that I would not have said you can record in them all you want. Oh, I'm okay. I'm sorry, it's fine. If I'd known that I would not have said you can record in them all you want.

Speaker 2 3:54

Let's get them on YouTube. Yeah, they're cute.

Speaker 1 3:58

I was more of a goofy myself.

Speaker 2 4:00

You are a goofy.

Speaker 1 4:02

Okay, now he's been offensive.

Speaker 2 4:04

You are an amazing Mickey Mouse.

Speaker 1 4:08

Oh, my goodness, I forgot that happened. Yeah, so Lauren, for years talk about tangent. For years, on New Year's Eve would have always had a party. We've just been talking about parties tonight too and how wonderful our parties were, how wonderful your parties were, your New Year's Eve ones, but there was always a theme and you had to come dressed up as the theme.

Speaker 2 4:27

But you always took the theme and ran with it Like you were always amazing.

Speaker 1 4:34

I went for it full on, didn't I Full out like all?

Speaker 2 4:37

out so good. Like one year, you were Mickey Mouse One year.

Speaker 1 4:41

Including the ears.

Speaker 2 4:41

I know One year you were Piss and Boots. Including the nose, but the best, and I have a funny feeling we've talked about this before in the pod but one year you were Ozzy Osbourne yeah and it was hilarious.

Speaker 1 4:54

I actually looked like Ozzy Osbourne that year, didn't I? It was brilliant.

Speaker 2 4:57

I actually found those pictures recently.

Speaker 1 4:59

It was they were so good, but the amount of effort and time that went in to prepare myself for those like. I was in hair and makeup for about three hours before I came round to your house. Every year, puss in Boots was particularly difficult. It was a full face of pain.

Speaker 2 5:16

That was a great episode Episode.

Speaker 1 5:18

Episode I like that too that was a great dress up.

Speaker 2 5:23

Yeah, I love them. Do you know what? I might bring it back this year? Really Put a, really put a date in your diary what's your theme musicals? Can you remember all the things we did, heroes and villains, um Disney and was?

Speaker 1 5:38

it musicians, yeah yeah, that's what it was do musicals, then you've not, have you never done a musical party that'd be class everybody coming like dressed as like a different character from a musical. Yeah, love it yeah, that'd be good you might get to play bert then excuse me, I could be in talks whilst we should really say a little yeah let's take a wee moment to uh remember gavin creel. Yeah, that was truly shocking, heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking.

Speaker 2 6:10

But isn't it?

Speaker 1 6:11

it's again so lovely that all of the posts about him just talk about how wonderfully beautiful that man was and how he has a person time yeah for other people and was so supportive to cast members and supporting actors and I was just it's just lovely to read all of those and what a real legacy yeah, I, I saw him in waitress when he, when he did like that limited run with sarah borealis in the west end and I I don't do stage door very often, but when sarah borealis and gavin creel are in the same show, we did go and do stage Stage Storm and did meet him and he, as you said, he was just so warm and lovely. Yeah, sad, he'll still be singing, dancing and tapping up there.

Speaker 2 6:59

Absolutely like the best of them.

Speaker 1 7:01

Absolutely, indeed, in good company. Yes, that was lovely actually that you remembered to just take a wee moment. It's interesting that we're talking about Donald and yes, Disney, well done. Donald and Daisy, I do listen to you sometimes Because we are going Disney, we're Disney-fying ourselves again.

Disney Aladdin

Speaker 2 7:23

It's been a while it has been a while and I would like to say that we listen to our listeners Of course. Because we, for Series 1 especially, we did a couple of episodes of musicals that were similar together and some people said that they liked they would have liked us to go into more depth.

Speaker 1 7:42

Yeah. Yeah, we had thought about doing a two-hand, like a two-Disney part person, but two-parters means there's two different episodes. We had talked about doing two Disney shows in the one and then went. We can't be doing that, not with the ones that we were going to do. Yeah, I need a bit of Disney in my life right now.

Speaker 2 8:03

Everybody needs Disney and I want to be in Disney so bad. Well, not in Florida when this hurricane is coming.

Speaker 1 8:09

Oh, I know, I hope everyone keeps safe.

Speaker 2 8:13

But I just love Disney.

Speaker 1 8:15

You are a Disney girl, aren't you?

Speaker 2 8:18

Massive Disney.

Speaker 1 8:19

It's been a very long time since I stepped foot in Disney. To be honest, it's been a very long time since I've watched a Disney. Actually, I know, I know, I know, know, I know need to get Hercules on yeah, bring on the stage show. Honest to goodness, it could be like the new, like um, hello Dolly, you know, like that show that you're just like dying to see. I'm not tap dancing, it's just honey the dog who's tap dancing in the living room here.

Speaker 2 8:53

So what musical is tap dancing? That kind of goes into this should do it so what musical are we talking about today?

Speaker 1 9:03

make way for Prince.

Speaker 2 9:06

Ali say hey for Prince Ali.

Speaker 1 9:13

Hey, clear the way in the old bazaar, it's. You See, this is what I need this week. I need a bit of jolliness and Disney and musical theatre.

Speaker 2 9:25

Fun.

Speaker 1 9:25

So this is Aladdin, and if you didn't get that from our sing-along, there's something wrong with you. Yeah, Aladdin.

Speaker 2 9:30

Aladdin, which I feel has a very. This is Aladdin, and if you didn't get that from our sing-along, there's something wrong with you. Yeah, aladdin, aladdin, which I feel has a very special part in our hearts, just like as millennials.

Speaker 1 9:39

Oh my God, here she goes again.

Speaker 2 9:42

As a millennial. And also why? Because it was one of the big movies whenever we were younger. Okay, and also we did it a lot on stagecoach, so we'll come on to it too many times, right, okay?

Speaker 1 9:54

so it was one of those old favourites that kept getting like pulled out every four years and it's like again yes, okay, so there's only so many ways you can choreograph a one jump ahead of the bed line it's based on the 1992 film, which surprised me.

Speaker 2 10:09

I thought it was a wee bit later, but it came out in 1992. The book is I'm not going to be able to say his name again, sure I'm not. Book is by Chad Begwelen. I think he did a wonderful job and we know Chad from things like the Prom, which we haven't discussed, but we have discussed Elf yep and the Wedding Singer, timothy. Do you remember how obsessed we were with the Wedding?

Speaker 3 10:31

Singer.

Speaker 2 10:32

Love it and we made a pact that whenever we lived together in London, we would fly over to New York and see the Wedding Singer, 30 years later, we still don't think the Wedding Singer is on Broadway anymore.

Speaker 1 10:44

Honestly, lauren, you see, when we were younger we made so many pacts. They were all nonsense. Do you remember the pact of having a like red telephone box in the living room?

Speaker 2 10:52

I know, but we never ended up living together, that's true, that's probably for the best, isn't it?

Speaker 1 10:56

We'd have killed each other. We actually wouldn't be doing this podcast because we wouldn't be talking to each other no. Her can't stand her.

Speaker 2 11:04

Him don't even start mine, but yeah, I'd maybe go, but that that's the wedding thing, or something we've got to talk about anyway it's a good show music is by our lovely, wonderful idol Alan Menken.

Speaker 1 11:19

Well, done yay, we know him from the little shopping cart has taught you so much, lauren, I know, I know Hercules and, of course, like Little Mermaid, yeah lots.

Speaker 2 11:30

We know him from lots Lyrics by his great team member, the lovely, wonderful Howard Ashman, but Tim Rice as well, and then Chad Beglin Is that right?

Speaker 1 11:42

Yeah.

Speaker 2 11:42

He wrote some of the songs, because there were some songs which should have been in the film, which were discarded and then actually have been put into the musical.

Speaker 1 11:53

Yeah, that's right. Three of the songs written by Mencken and Ashman for the film but not used then ended up in the musical, proud of your Boy being one of them, which is like from my point of view. It's one of my favourite songs in the show.

Speaker 2 12:11

It's a good song, but I can see why it wasn't put into the film.

Speaker 1 12:15

In the film. No, that's fair enough. And then Bab Kak Omar, Aladdin and Kasim yes, that's like the sidekick number, isn't it?

Speaker 2 12:25

Yeah?

Speaker 1 12:25

And then High Adventure. Yeah, I can also understand why that didn't make it in. All three of those make sense as to why they're not in the film.

Speaker 2 12:37

Because if you know the film you know that Aladdin has this little friend, Abu, but it's not in the musical. It's so sad. So it's kind of good that in the musical it is replaced with actual, real life friends.

Speaker 1 12:52

Yes, three of them, rather than I took three real life friends to replace a monkey though didn't I it did, it did, yeah, yeah. You do miss Abu a wee bit.

Speaker 2 13:01

I do, especially in One Jump. You're only a friend, or? Oh, I've forgotten the line oh, you're my only friend Abu, who Letters and letters hit the bottom, he became a one-man walking crime.

Speaker 3 13:19

I blame parents, except he hasn't got them.

Speaker 2 13:26

Yeah, we have done this far too many times in stagecoach. Gotta live deep, gotta still live, otherwise we get along Wrong. I think that's a wee word out there, yeah and the diction was pretty woeful but sure it's okay.

Speaker 1 13:38

It's a Wednesday night.

Speaker 2 13:39

Yeah, it's fine, it's fine. So the musical opened in Seattle in 2011, then moved into Toronto 2013, and eventually made it onto Broadway in 2014.

Speaker 1 13:51

Yeah, like surely Disney knew that a staged production of Aladdin was going to do?

Speaker 2 13:59

okay, this is what I was so confused about. I just assumed that it would have went. Yep, it's fine, here we go, put it on the stage. We'll make money from it.

Speaker 1 14:08

They really tried it out, didn't they?

Speaker 2 14:10

Really tried it out I don't know no, apart from Hercules, because we're waiting for an English version of it. But Frozen just went straight on, didn't it? Well, maybe we'll need to research that, but I just assumed, because the movie was so successful and obviously they'd seen, with Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, that these things were.

Speaker 1 14:32

Like from Disney's point of view. Surely when they sat down and went right which of these films are we going to make into a live action? You know musical Aladdin would have been up there on the list. You know what I mean. Surely they knew it was going to be a certified hit. I just don't quite understand the tryout or the tryout process that it went through. Also, I think they topped and tailed and changed a lot as it went from those three various different locations Because as part of my research, I was looking at the numbers that were in, out, omitted, changed, adapted and I'd lost. I completely lost track. I was like there were so many things that changed or were put back in again or taken out. I was like no, I'm lost.

Speaker 2 15:19

And the story doesn't vary very much from the film. You know. The only difference is there's not a boo who, but the same as like Beauty and the Beast and Lion King. They're all very similar to the films.

Speaker 1 15:36

Again.

Speaker 2 15:36

I don't understand. You could maybe think, oh, it needs tryouts because they're changing it slightly more. They're adding a whole new element, just a bit bizarre.

Speaker 1 15:46

Yeah, I mean it is set in fictional Arabian City, Agrabah, Arabian nights. Like Arabian days. He's about to say something really rude. Here we go, Hi Aaron.

Speaker 3 16:01

Hello, not being rude, you're just saying it's set in Agrabah, which is what did you say? It was Arabian Fictional. Yeah, apparently there's some debate on where it's actually set, because Jasmine's Palace looks like it's based in the Taj Mahal, which would make it India and it was originally told by a Syrian woman and later translated into French. But if it was back it would be Chinese. Oh, I think if you open up what a song called Arabian Nights, it's probably fair to say that you're an Arabian.

Speaker 1 16:35

And then also, like at the beginning, doesn't the genie like, narrate it, like, introduce the?

Speaker 2 16:42

Yes, which is different in the 1992 film, it's not the genie that narrates it, but in the remake film with Will Smithith the genie narrates it.

Speaker 1 16:52

and the stage version yeah, and the stage so yeah, and they say in that, uh, in the musical narration at the beginning welcome to the fictional yes you know city of agrabah yeah yes, the the background of it all is quite interesting and what it's kind of based on Aaron, like the concept story, it's called a funny name too. It's called One Thousand and One Nights, which was like a Middle Eastern folk tale collection.

Speaker 2 17:27

Yes, so we'll come on to that in one of my musical lyrical angles, that's what you learned is it?

Speaker 1 17:31

Well done you. You're a very clever girl. I learned it and didn't write down, Forgot, Whoops.

Speaker 2 17:37

Yeah, so, despite the fact that we're shocked that it took so long for it to actually get to Broadway, it is the 10th highest grossing Broadway production of all time Mm-hmm Over $500 million, has over 500 million dollars was has been taken by this musical from our up to august 2022 and has been seen by more than 17 million people worldwide. Yep, like, of course, it was going to be successful yeah, successful, that's it yeah yeah, yeah, it is a good week.

Speaker 2 18:11

Yeah, no, it is good. What I did also love fun fact was that Jonathan Freeman, who is the voice of Jafar in the film, he reprised his role on stage from 2011 and 2014, and he's the only actor to do so and he also did it in the West End.

Speaker 1 18:28

Yes, because when I saw that, it was him that I saw.

Speaker 2 18:32

Okay.

Speaker 1 18:33

Because that's. I was like, oh right, he's in the film too, that's interesting yeah, no kind of cool.

Speaker 2 18:40

So he came to West End from 2016 to 2019 and it's currently on a UK and Ireland tour, so right now at the time of recording if you're interested in seeing it. If you live in Birmingham, it's in the Birmingham Hippodrome until the 3rd of November, then it will move to Glasgow until the 30th of November and then it ends in Liverpool and it's on until I think it's like the 5th of January 2025.

Speaker 1 19:05

So it did come to Dublin, didn't it, and we missed it in March. Yeah, yeah, I mean it is quite the spectacle to be seen. It certainly is In the musical up to 300 costumes. I loved this. Actually, 337 to be exact.

Speaker 2 19:21

I loved it and the amount of Swarovski crystals yeah. If you want to find out more. I'm sure Timothy has lots of information.

Speaker 1 19:27

I have loads.

Speaker 2 19:32

But I was just going to say four pages worth.

Speaker 1 19:33

Their website is amazing. Well, don't worry about going to the website, I'll read it out to you now, yeah, no do.

Speaker 2 19:36

But I'm just saying like there's loads of videos, there's loads of behind the scenes, like taking Disney to Broadway. It's all part of that wee documentary yeah, wee documentary. It was great, I loved it you spent hours yeah, it was great.

Speaker 1 19:49

I loved it you spent hours, yeah, clearly watching those documentaries. Yeah, the set was super heavy and it weighed the equivalent of four and a half double decker buses wow, that is heavy, I know the Cave of Wonders. Did you know that the Cave of Wonders has like a wee special connection with Star Wars? And we're winking over an EP here being like oh, and he's like why are you looking at me? His wee head went. He was like a wee meerkat. He went. Oh, what did you know this Aaron?

Speaker 1 20:16

I did not so the cave of wonders has a connection with Star Wars, because the stage was built using the same golden material used for C 3PO what that's cool, isn't that cool? And it is very sparkly.

Speaker 3 20:32

Every day's a school day.

Speaker 2 20:33

Very sparkly and every day's connected to Star Wars apparently.

Speaker 1 20:38

Yeah. There you go, who knew, who knew oh. Oh that's okay. There was a bang there, that's alright. Is everyone alive? Probably a child's fallen out of bed, but it's okay, oh dear 150 moving lights what 1225 lush fabrics fabrics I mean, of course, 712 different styles of beads, to add a little bit more pizzazz. Um, this is your.

Speaker 2 21:06

I can't say that no, I can't say it, so so that word. So now that you sure, when somebody says something that you can't say, that now I can't say it. Swarovski, that word, now that you sure, when somebody says something that you can't.

Speaker 1 21:15

Oh my goodness, those crystals you know, beginning with S. Swarovski well done, we'll go with that. There was 1428 of those crystals on a pair of men's pants in the finale of the show-stopping musical number Friend Like Me.

Speaker 2 21:37

Oh, like trousers rather than pants.

Speaker 1 21:40

No, they're harem pants probably. Let's be honest.

Genie Role in Musical Theater

Speaker 2 21:42

Yeah, trousers, pants, yeah.

Speaker 1 21:46

Not knickers, yeah Pants. More than 100 automated oh my goodness, I can't even talk anymore Automated scenic effects and apparently there was frenzy backstage with 108 costume changes in less than one minute.

Speaker 2 22:08

I'm trying to work out Sorry say that again A hundred and Eight costume changes in less than one minute.

Speaker 1 22:16

I'm trying to work out what that was.

Speaker 2 22:18

Oh, that must be in Friend Like Me.

Speaker 1 22:20

Must be aye, or into a night off maybe.

Speaker 2 22:22

Yeah, whoa, that is a lot. It is a lot, isn't it, isn't it?

Speaker 1 22:27

Yeah, a thousand percent, whoa it is a lot, isn't it, isn't it. Yeah, a thousand percent Whoa.

Speaker 2 22:29

But it is a spectacular.

Speaker 1 22:32

That is the one thing about this show. Like it is, it is.

Speaker 2 22:38

It is.

Speaker 1 22:40

It is a wow, yeah, when you see it. But then most Disney's are a wow when you see it. That's what Disney.

Speaker 2 22:49

Yeah, does best.

Speaker 1 22:51

Theatrics or Disney theatricals. Is that what they call themselves? That's what they do best. Like you know, lion King is the same. It's a wowzer, like that circle of life, when all the animals come out for the first time and you see Pry Rock like growing out from the stage. You know you do go, oh. Sometimes at the detriment to the Story.

Speaker 2 23:18

Yes or the performance maybe yeah, okay, does that make?

Speaker 1 23:23

sense. Yeah, that's fair, but we'll maybe get on to that later. Okay, it's just my opinions.

Speaker 2 23:28

I mean it did win some Tonys. It did Tony. It's just my opinion. I mean it did win some Tonys. It did Tony, tony, tony, tony, and I think James Monroe, englehart, is that how you say his name?

Speaker 1 23:36

Very good.

Speaker 2 23:37

He was the genie and I think he'll always be associated with the genie even though he's played parts in Hamilton and other roles.

Speaker 1 23:45

I think that not that it made him, but I think it certainly propelled him into being a name, a real big name in musical theatre. He was charming and it was a much lauded performance. So the fact that he did win the one, tony, they got nominated for five, didn't they? Do you say that?

Speaker 1 24:08

Yeah, no, I didn't say how many, but there was five, yeah, so they were nominated for five and he won for Best Supporting in a Feature Role. Yeah, that's it. In the West End 2016-19,. It was Trevor Dion Nicholas who played the genie in a game similar with him. Like his career has kind of propelled since doing that as well.

Speaker 2 24:29

It's a great role. Oh yeah, his career has kind of propelled since doing that as well. It's a great role. Oh yeah, obviously we have fond memories of it from it being robin williams is the wonderful voice in the yeah um the film. But they also then made it more of a like that storytelling sort of character in the musical.

Speaker 1 24:47

So and I think they had to be very careful when they then they did go with this as a theatrical performance. It had to still be the genie, but nobody was ever going to be able to replicate Robin Williams genie. So then it kind of changed the character completely on stage and that is what it needed. Do you know what I mean? But it's a, it's a fantastic role like I'd love to play a genie someday. Yeah, I think there's a genie in me. Do you think so?

Speaker 2 25:25

genie in a bottle.

Speaker 1 25:28

yep, that's christian aguilera, though, so we're not going to sing any more of that. Okay, no, I would love to give Ginny a wee. Go, yeah, that's never a part.

Speaker 2 25:39

I thought that would entice you.

Speaker 1 25:43

And at the end of the day a friend like me on stage is a tap number as well. So you know I'm a sucker for a wee hoofers number you're already there. You're halfway there just need the magic carpet to lift you up and take you away. What am I talking about? I'm a genie.

Speaker 2 26:03

I can do whatever I want click your fingers, rub yourself in your thighs scooby doop, wop wop.

Speaker 1 26:08

Scooby doop, wop, wop-dooby-doo. Scooby-doo-ba-do-wop-wop, scooby-doo-wop-ba-doop-wop-wop Can you give me a la-la-la-la-la.

Speaker 2 26:17

Okay, now I can kind of see you playing A bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.

Speaker 1 26:20

We're still going.

Speaker 2 26:34

Waka-waka-w. Oh yeah, See, I can't. Almost every week you surprise me with the noises you can make.

Speaker 1 26:38

Oh gosh, lauren, yeah, never had a friend like me. I couldn't resist, I'm sorry, I love it.

Speaker 2 26:48

I love it. That was genius, oh terrible, okay, I love it. I love it. Genius, oh terrible, okay, I actually think come Wednesday. At the moment I am completely wacka so this was either a really good idea or a really bad idea.

Musical Lyrical Linguistics

Speaker 1 27:06

Terrible like I feel like I've had a couple of drinks and I haven't had a set, Like I'm having a coffee. Aaron, you should really be recording this, because Because in a minute I'm about to jump up onto that table and give you the full tap routine for a friend like me.

Speaker 2 27:24

Get that camera out Right.

Speaker 1 27:25

You may cover this room in gold, it ain't no?

Speaker 2 27:32

cave of wonders. Yet Get your AC3PO Come on, come on.

Speaker 1 27:36

Anyway, let's move on to our musical lyrical lingos quickly.

Speaker 2 27:40

Okay, so the first thing for me came from Arabian Nights. Arabian Nights, oh. I come from a land, from a far away place, where the caravan camels roam. I did not know that a collection of camels was known as a caravan.

Speaker 1 27:59

Do you know? I did know that.

Speaker 2 28:01

Did you?

Speaker 1 28:01

Because I'm a P7 teacher and we do our collective nouns. But yeah, class right.

Speaker 2 28:07

What so then? That all made sense, for I'm pretty sure in there's another song in Aladdin where he says we'll take a caravan.

Speaker 1 28:18

Yeah.

Speaker 2 28:18

But he's talking about a camel, yeah yeah, yeah, I thought he was talking about, you know, a wee caravan of malign there.

Speaker 1 28:23

You wouldn't get it over the sand dunes. Come on, it gets stuck.

Speaker 2 28:29

So that was one of my favourites.

Speaker 1 28:30

It is class, isn't it? But why? The world of collective nouns is insane. Some of the names given to a group of different nouns is wild.

Speaker 2 28:41

But why caravan? They don't always have to make sense.

Speaker 1 28:44

There is no rhyme or reason to it sometimes, in my opinion.

Speaker 2 28:47

Yeah.

Speaker 1 28:48

Like some of them, I'm going well right.

Speaker 2 28:49

okay, isn't oils a parliament? Yeah, because I always find that one like fascinating, don't?

Speaker 1 28:55

test me, because I'm now gonna embarrass myself by not knowing something.

Speaker 2 28:59

Yeah well, we don't know at all, okay um, yeah, so that's what I learned in arabian nightsights. Yeah, I think it's one of my faves yep, I love it as a good like it's a really good opening.

Speaker 1 29:13

Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, opening it's just sets the scene really well and I think you could have a lot of fun with it yep like staging it, I agree, but when I first became acquainted with Aladdin Jafar, he's a scary man and he's a grand vizier, my dear, my dear, and that's the title given to the head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. I know it also came up in Wicked, but like that was the first time I would have I came across Jafar before I you know, before it was referenced in Wicked. But yeah, that idea of a grand vizier.

Speaker 2 29:59

Love it, love it. Yeah, sand in the glass is right.

Speaker 1 30:04

What's that?

Speaker 2 30:04

from Okay, and it's from Arabian Nights.

Speaker 1 30:07

Oh, still Arabian, Sorry.

Speaker 2 30:10

And this is really clever, because you know why we say the time is right.

Speaker 1 30:15

Yep.

Speaker 2 30:16

Well, the time is read through an hourglass. Yep An hourglass has sand in it Yep. So a sand in the glass is right. Clever, Isn't that so clever?

Speaker 1 30:28

Now I wonder which one of the three wrote that lyric I know. Was it Tim Rice Chad?

Speaker 2 30:34

or Hard. But isn't that really clever for just kind of bringing it back to that part of the world that they're in like. Time is right, sand in the glass is right. I just I thought that was really clever it is.

Speaker 1 30:49

I learnt a lot from one of my favourite songs. I've already mentioned it. It's not in the film, but it no, but it was in em, the musical Proud of your Boy. I love that wee song. It's a nice wee song. It's a lovely wee song. He sings tell me that I've been a louse and a loafer. You won't get a fight here. No, ma'am Say I'm a gold brick. Okay, so there was a few in there. Louse in the context of this means like contemptible or unpleasant person. Yeah, loafer is a person who wastes time or is lazy. Imagine being called a loafer, I know. And Goldbrick had a few definitions, right. So generally a lazy person and doesn't work for what they're given or makes excuses for getting out of work, or sometimes refers to a con man.

Speaker 2 31:42

Oh, okay.

Speaker 1 31:43

Or refers to something that appears valuable but is actually worthless. All of them kind of make sense to Aladdin. Yeah, absolutely he is a bit of a gold brick.

Speaker 2 31:53

He is. Yeah, and I love that louse. I also learned that from another musical, the Kiss Me Kate one, but from the film.

Speaker 1 32:00

The louse, the louse. So that's how I always. Oh, does she call him a louse?

Speaker 2 32:04

Yes, in the stage version she calls him a B word, but on. Tv. They couldn't have used that, so she always goes you louse, I love that word.

Speaker 1 32:14

Well, you've just deafened everybody who listens to this podcast. I love it. It is a great word, lice, interestingly, total tangent. But it's musical theatre news and the people out there need to hear it. The West End the most recent West End production was that at the Barbican. It was at the Barbican Of Kiss Me Kate. Has been recorded and will be released.

Speaker 2 32:34

Released on the 17th of November.

Speaker 1 32:36

You are fantastic.

Speaker 2 32:37

I know.

Speaker 1 32:37

Did you just literally pluck that date from your head?

Speaker 2 32:41

Well, as I remembered it, I didn't just pluck it. And then all of a sudden, the production company are going to put it out, but that was.

Speaker 1 32:47

I mean, that date was released a good while ago, I know but I really like this movie and you still remember it. Yeah, are we going. Yeah, fantastic. What's the date again? 17th November.

Speaker 2 33:01

Oh, we'll hear that soon. I know it is Fantastic. I think it's like out in cinemas from the 17th. I don't think it's just a one night thing. Oh, really, yeah, oh.

Speaker 1 33:08

But let me check that, because most of those like theatrical ones are like a wee one nighter. So that's nice, it's getting a wee run.

Speaker 2 33:16

Yeah, lyrical lingo for me was from One Jump. So whenever this movie came out, my family were kind of obsessed with it. We loved it, so we had the album in the car and we would have listened to it a lot. So I always asked, like what's riff, raff, scoundrel and what was it a vandal? So then Aladdin taught me what they were is Aaron?

Speaker 1 33:39

all of those three things no, he's not. We love you, Aaron.

Speaker 2 33:48

I got very confused because it says one jump ahead of the Slowpokes.

Speaker 1 33:53

Slowpokes, slow people.

Speaker 2 33:56

The only thing I could think of was Pokemon and I was like why are they writing about Pokemon? But they're not Just. Slowpoke happens to be a Pokemon character.

Speaker 1 34:06

No, Slowpokes are just slow people.

Speaker 2 34:08

Yeah, but Slowpokes Aladdin was too fast for them. I know, but Slowpokes is also a Pokemon character.

Speaker 3 34:13

But Slowpoke Pokemon, wasn't that whenever you first saw I was going to?

Speaker 2 34:17

say no, I know, so I'm saying no.

Speaker 3 34:22

I was like, oh, that's all you can think of yes, that's all I can think of Is Aladdin being chased by a few slow poke Pokemon, people, slow Pokemon, that. He's always one step ahead of.

Speaker 2 34:30

Oh, is that why it's called a slow poke? Because it's slow. It's a slow Pokemon.

Speaker 3 34:34

Yeah, and also we use the term slow poke, no poke, it was just convenient.

Speaker 1 34:39

Now tangent number 25. What Pokemon? The?

Speaker 2 34:46

musical. Could it work?

Speaker 1 34:47

Is there legs there?

Speaker 2 34:50

Could it work? Gotta catch them all. Yeah, that actually could work.

Speaker 1 34:52

Oh, I could have just become a millionaire.

Speaker 3 34:57

Could it work? You would have to put something together, stop it. I came up with it first.

Speaker 1 35:01

Okay, you would have to put something together. Stop it. I came up with it first. Okay, gotta catch him. All ideas are a dozen.

Speaker 3 35:09

Everybody has ideas. You gotta start writing it down, you gotta, you gotta make your idea a reality.

Speaker 2 35:14

I mean, all we would need is a bunch of 8 to 11 year old boys who are really into Pokemon to help us with the story.

Speaker 1 35:22

I don't with the story. I don't think the story would be the problem. It would be making all those blooming Pokemon Costume. Bill would be through the roof.

Speaker 2 35:30

Unless we use video and AI and augmented reality and we do it all screen based and that they are on the screen and then it's not really a stage show, then is it, or do you do it like Avenue? Based and that they are on the screen, and then it's not really a stage show then is it? Or do you?

Speaker 3 35:44

do it like Avenue Q and they're puppets. I came up with that idea.

Speaker 1 35:51

Okay, we are actually talking about Aladdin, the Disney musical, not Pokemon.

Speaker 2 35:58

That's another conversation for another day, anyway.

Speaker 1 36:00

We are genius though.

Speaker 2 36:02

So slowpokes, apparently people just mean slow people.

Speaker 1 36:05

There you go, not Pokemon characters, not Pokemon characters when your brain goes. Nobody will ever understand.

Speaker 2 36:12

And then he says next time going to use non-diplom.

Speaker 1 36:18

Yeah.

Speaker 2 36:19

Okay, which just means a pen name or a pseudonym. It is a French, it sounds French, it comes from the 1800s, but it's actually just an English word.

Speaker 3 36:32

Oh, okay.

Speaker 2 36:33

So that's just another name for saying like a pen name, another way of saying pen name Non de plume, non de plume, very good Friend like me.

Speaker 1 36:40

No, I'm still going in one Joe, another way of saying Peppin Nundabloom, nundabloom, very good em friend like me no, I'm still going in one jump. Oh my god, hoof beats one jump out the window hoof beats hoof beats yeah, somebody mentions hoof beats.

Speaker 2 36:57

All I could find was that it's a magazine about. I wonder what the line was, though that hoof beats magazine about.

Speaker 1 37:00

I wonder what the line was, though, that hoofbeats appeared in.

Speaker 2 37:04

I think he goes, because I doubt it's a magazine. No, no, but that's all I could find now. But again, it must just be like slowpokes just must mean people just a bit slurs yeah slurs for the.

Speaker 1 37:15

I loved the guards in the movie and how he like just tied them all up and made them look really stupid. Still, I think he's rather thirsty. Interestingly fun fact. I didn't realize it at the time, but that this musical oh yeah, fair enough. Um didn't know that either. I was far too young and naive to realise that. But the actress that sang that in the musical was none other than Marisha Wallace Really, and I didn't know it was her and I didn't realise that I would become her number one fan. I love it.

Speaker 1 37:56

Yeah, she did it. And actually now that obviously I know her and her voice and like how amazing she is, when you listen back it's like, oh my goodness, it's so undeniably her Love it.

Speaker 2 38:10

So that's all I have for one jump.

Speaker 1 38:11

Are you sure?

Speaker 2 38:11

Mm-hmm yeah.

Speaker 1 38:13

One jump do you know? One jump's very hard to choreograph 455,000 different ways. That's how many times.

Speaker 2 38:22

I feel like we've done all of our, not all of our song.

Speaker 1 38:24

Oh it's fab, I do know I like the music in aladdin. The music in aladdin's really catchy like bit, like friend, like me okay.

Speaker 2 38:34

Well, I have one from diamond in the rough which comes just before friendly game welcome to musical lyrical lingo. The podcast of Lauren you're so annoyed that I learned stuff. This is what this whole musical podcast is about I am never annoyed when you learn stuff okay unless it's got something to do with the bloody pokemon in a Disney film musical here, just me in our next musical, which is going to make us millions, that's true, yeah me millions.

Speaker 1 39:02

It was my idea. Don't be trying to jump on that bandwagon should have said our next musical. R. Did you notice how the R came in?

Speaker 3 39:10

it's the next being the the key word. Oh yeah, because we've already written one used to hear, like a real life the producers. I I have been a producer, to be fair, yeah, I think what's on your cards might be a one-man show, with all these voices and just random.

Speaker 1 39:28

Do you think I could do a one-man show? Yes, 100%, I mean the lady from the brothel.

Speaker 3 39:31

You nailed that as you had.

Speaker 1 39:33

Still, I think he's rather tasty. I love that bit. It's one of my.

Speaker 3 39:40

That's my favourite bit of that number ladies and gentlemen, you can do it all.

Speaker 2 39:44

I'm so glad we're only focusing on one musical because that's what I was saying.

Speaker 1 39:48

I was like there's no way we're going to get two in to one.

Speaker 2 39:51

It's not going to work okay, a diamond in the rough, take one step and die you brainless me well, that's just a bit rude this is just from the song oh, I thought you were talking to me and it's M-I-S-C-R-E-A-N-T, so somebody who does something unlawful okay what?

Speaker 1 40:13

oh right, sorry, it was my pronunciation, but anyway, that's me, you can always find me even that diamond in the rough, like you know that idiom of being a diamond in the rough. I'm like where did that ever come from?

Speaker 2 40:24

yeah, I didn't even look it up. I just always know it from Aladdin too yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 40:29

Well, that's it. That's the first time I would have heard that. Yeah, for sure. And they call Aladdin the diamond in the rough because they want him to go into the cave Cave of Wonders. And only a diamond in the rough can go in. Isn't that right, diamond in the rough here, yeah, the Cave of Wonders voice is class two.

Speaker 2 40:44

Yeah, can you do it.

Speaker 1 40:47

I can't remember what it says. Diamond in the rough. The diamond in the rough, yeah, I can yeah go you Right, tell us. Anyway.

Speaker 2 40:57

Tell us what you learned in Friend Like Me.

Cultural Folk Stories and Disney References

Speaker 1 40:59

Well, first, of all, can we just take a wee moment in the obviously the musical version of Friend Like Me, where they did the most incredible rework of it, like I went, oh, wowzer, wowzer, wowzer, and I had heard it, I had heard the cast recording before I then saw it for the first time in London recording before I then saw it for the first time in london. Um, they first of all reference cinderella at the beginning, because he's kind of doing a bit of scat singing as you heard me do at the beginning of the episode. Do you want me to do it again? No, okay, fine, but he goes bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, which is like the wee, a wee nod to cinderella. So I like that. He sings. Well, alibaba had them 40 thieves, scheherazade had a thousand tales, and that line refers to that folk tale of Alibaba and the 40 thieves and the story of Scheherazade which came from that. What was it called?

Speaker 2 41:54

Say it again, that's the one I can't say. Her name Scheherazade.

Speaker 1 41:59

I know her mostly from Panto. Okay, so I can't say her name, scheherazade. I know her mostly from Panto.

Speaker 2 42:04

Okay, so a cultured and creative woman. She used her gifts to heal, but she's a major character and storyteller. She told a thousand and one stories which saved her from being beheaded. That's right. So she there was a king, and he was so hurt that his wife had cheated on him. Yep, so he decided that every single night he was going to marry a virgin, and then it was Shazrain's, not Shazrain.

Speaker 1 42:36

I think that is my favorite moment of this year, this year's episode. Shelley to her friendsy to her friends.

Speaker 2 42:47

It was. It was the woman's turn, shaharizad, thank you, um. To then marry the king. And what she did. She was so clever when she told a story and she said um, well, I have to leave it there because you know dawn is breaking and he goes. No, I want you to carry on, she goes, okay. So she finished the story the next night. Yeah, then started a second story which was just as exciting.

Speaker 2 43:13

And again. So she did this for a thousand and one nights, and during this time she had three sons. And she then presented the three sons to the king and she said um, please, if you spare me, um, or if you kill me and behead me, these sons will have no mother, um, but I understand, you have to do what you need to do. And he says no, I have fallen in love with you and that is it yeah I think, I'm.

Speaker 1 43:37

I mean, yes, very much, I had it here in a paragraph, but yeah, no, that was it. I didn't know any of that. I didn't know any of it I didn't realise when I saw Scheherazade in like pantos she had such a backstory.

Speaker 2 43:50

Well, now you do.

Speaker 1 43:52

I understand also why the backstory doesn't appear in a panto. Okay, but anyway yeah.

Speaker 2 43:57

It would, yeah, but I always knew Alibaba and his 40 Thieves because of Aladdin, prince of Thieves, which is number two or three in the sequence.

Speaker 1 44:08

In the sequence of folklore tales. Haven't read any of them, to be quite honest including Alibaba and the 40 Thieves.

Speaker 2 44:15

Disney did the films.

Speaker 1 44:16

I know I haven't watched them either. Shit, they're quite good. Are they quite good, are they? Oh, okay, know, haven't watched them either. Are they quite good?

Speaker 2 44:24

are they? Oh okay, how many of the tales have they done on film? Or is it just just just just return? Of jafar okay second and then the third one is aladdin and the prince of thieves.

Speaker 1 44:31

Okay, alibaba is his daddy oh wow oh, I will watch those actually because that's quite interesting. You do that, um, also in Friend, like Me. He sings you're the boss, the king, the shah, yes, s-h-a-h. Do you know what a shah is? No, you have to say it like that Shah Shah, you're the boss, the king, the shah. The shah is the royal title that was historically used by leading figures of Iranian monarchies.

Speaker 2 45:05

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1 45:06

I know. And then he sings how about a little more baklava?

Speaker 2 45:12

Baklava.

Speaker 1 45:14

He sings a baklava.

Speaker 2 45:16

Do you know?

Speaker 1 45:17

what baklava is then.

Speaker 2 45:19

Yeah, because Caitlin, my sister, loves it, does she?

Speaker 1 45:24

Interesting Middle Eastern dessert made of layered pastry filled with it does sound delicious chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.

Speaker 2 45:34

Yeah, so it's like filo pastry and then, like usually, pistachio nuts. Oh yes, and then more filo, pastry that, and then it's super super sticky, oh yes. And then more filo, pastry that, and then it's super super sticky, oh yes. But whenever you get good baklava, it's really really good Baklava. Well, no, I probably don't say it right Baklava. Baklava is probably the correct way to say it but I always know it as baklava.

Speaker 2 45:54

Yeah, I also got you, got me bonafide, when that expression just means real. And did you also notice? In Friend Like Me he says is it like Friend Like Me? No, just before Prince Ali, when he's trying to get him to dress like a prince, he's, like you, look like a Shriner. Which is back to our Gypsy episode.

Speaker 1 46:15

I know, so there you go. The crossovers with musicals is insane, isn't it? It's crazy. Back to Friend. Like Me, I do love it. He sings. You got a genie for your.

Speaker 2 46:28

You got a genie for your auto lamp no.

Speaker 1 46:31

No, I think I made those lyrics up. You've got a genie for your.

Speaker 2 46:37

Oh, I've lost it now you got a genie for your charred event no.

Speaker 1 46:41

No, I'm just making up words, it's an ambassador's deputy. Oh, short, short affairs.

Speaker 2 46:50

Could be.

Speaker 1 46:51

You got a genie for your short affairs.

Speaker 2 46:53

That's it.

Speaker 1 46:54

Short affair, there you go, thank you. It's an ambassador's deputy. Okay, they referenced in the musical version of this number Cinderella Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, but then have you listened to it recently? Yeah, I listened to it this week, that bit in the middle where he kind of goes into like a performance and like he does his own wee mini, his own mini wee cabaret, like section so showbiz. But I loved how many different, like other Disney films they referenced in that okay so he did um tell us all this time.

Speaker 1 47:30

And then he went in ba ba da ba, ba ba da ba ba and did um under the sea. I'm part of your world. And then he did a bit of Pocahontas. You never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon em yeah yeah, that's nice, because some of them are Alan's exactly clever, that's all. I have for a friend like me good, so, prince Ali, then next we got stuff.

Musical Lyrical Linguistics - Disney Fun

Speaker 1 47:58

Hey, clear the way in in the old bazaar. Hey you, let us through. Here's the brand new star well done. I totally was making them up there because it's been a while since.

Speaker 2 48:11

I love that and that also used to play as the Disney parade was going by nice. I just love it. Every time I hear that song, it literally just takes me back to Disney. And I just love it Every time I hear that song. It literally just Takes me back to Disney and I just Want to be there. I learned about A menagerie.

Speaker 1 48:29

A menagerie.

Speaker 2 48:31

Menagerie.

Speaker 1 48:32

Yes.

Speaker 2 48:32

Thank you, world class, world class menagerie, yeah, prince Ali, okay, collection of wild animals, but for exhibition.

Speaker 1 48:45

Yes.

Speaker 2 48:46

So you can't just have a collection of wild animals and not let people come and see it. People coming to see it Makes it a menagerie.

Speaker 1 48:57

There you go, there you go. I also learned.

Speaker 2 48:59

Find details there.

Speaker 1 49:00

Coterie, coterie, c-o-t-e-r-i-e. It's like a clique or a group of people who basically share similar interests.

Speaker 2 49:13

He's got slaves. He's got servants and flunkies he's got slaves.

Speaker 1 49:18

He's got servants and flunkies. He's got slaves. He's got servants and flunkies.

Speaker 2 49:23

And flunkies Ock, my husband would probably think he's my flunky. Flunkies is a person who performs relatively menial tasks for somebody else.

Speaker 1 49:33

Yeah, and they sing that you don't have to charge them no fee. He's generous, so generous.

Speaker 2 49:41

I love it. It goes purple peacocks. He's got 53. That's a great song, like the songs in Aladdin are so good. But Prince Ali is actually hilarious.

Speaker 1 49:55

Do you know what I think we need to do? What I think we need to do? A sing-along to Aladdin one night.

Speaker 2 50:02

Yes, we should do that on Twitch one night.

Speaker 1 50:04

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 50:05

Okay, perfect, let's do that. That's in the diary for the next time we're doing the Elliot night one.

Speaker 1 50:12

Yes, yeah, it would be fun. That would be hilarious yeah.

Speaker 2 50:16

Because we would do all the ad-lib bits too.

Speaker 1 50:17

A thousand that would be hilarious, yeah, because we would do all the ad lib bits too.

Speaker 2 50:20

A thousand percent, yes, let's do it, it's in, we're doing it, we're doing, it, do you have anything else?

Speaker 1 50:24

because I'm I'm all out of musical lyrical lingo. Oh yeah, I have loads you're like, so you're proud as punch tonight. You're like I have learned so much from this musical with 40 Fakiris. Fakiris yeah.

Speaker 2 50:39

Holy men who possess Supernatural or miraculous powers.

Speaker 1 50:43

Yeah.

Speaker 2 50:43

He had 40 of them, I know.

Speaker 1 50:45

Wow, that there there is. Like that part Of like the story or the Like the film or musical Did freak me out when I was younger. Oh, really, because the magicians, a bit like Jafar you know the way Jafar had an element of magic to him as well. It just freaked me out a wee bit. I was like, oh, they're scary.

Speaker 2 51:07

I always found to me that felt similar to Moses in the Bible. Whenever Moses is trying to free his people and, like you know, all of the pharaohs, people around him are still performing all those tricks. Even God's performing the tricks, I don't know.

Speaker 1 51:27

Oh we've gone deep. You went deep there. I always felt that similar sort of feel. Disney villains I think Jafar is really underrated as a villain because actually there's an element of like pizzazz to a lot of the other Disney villains, like even Scar. You can't overly say Scar is like a scary man, do you know what I mean? Like he's scary, but like there's these people. But like you also know, it's a like there's a he's evil, yeah I know, but like you also know, it's a bit. It's a bit hammed up, isn't it? Certainly in the, certainly in the like musical. It's like Life's not fair, is it, you know? Like, whereas Jafar actually Just scared the bejesus out of me.

Speaker 2 52:13

Yeah, okay, fair Fair.

Speaker 1 52:15

He's scary to me.

Speaker 2 52:17

Scary Alright, scar Fair, fair he's scary to me. Scary, all right, scary to me A Whole New World.

Speaker 1 52:20

A whole new world.

Speaker 2 52:23

You're supposed to sing the other bit Don't you dare close your eyes. In the film the line is every moment red letter I'll take you anywhere. And then people. But in the show it's every moment gets better.

Speaker 1 52:40

Better.

Speaker 2 52:40

Okay, but it is definitely in the film every moment. Red letter.

Speaker 1 52:45

Are you sure it's not just a misheard lyric? We haven't had one of those in a long time.

Speaker 2 52:49

I know which means special etymology, and that was actually confirmed by Leah Salonga in 2014 on Twitter, and she is the voice of Jasmine in the film.

Speaker 1 53:04

Well then, it must be true.

Speaker 2 53:05

And it's because holy days used to be marked in red, so every moment, red letter.

Speaker 1 53:11

Every moment red letter, so it is.

Speaker 3 53:14

I'll chase you anywhere. It is Just in the show they've changed it to.

Speaker 2 53:17

Every moment gets better.

Speaker 1 53:20

Yeah, it's a bit better, isn't it?

Speaker 2 53:21

Well, I like red letter, so I'm going to stick with saying that.

Speaker 1 53:24

That's alright.

Speaker 2 53:27

You do that. Somebody's got your back, which is a nice little song. Somebody's got your back. What do you mean?

Speaker 1 53:36

Who's got your back?

Speaker 2 53:38

It says I won't bail a 23 skiddadoo, which is an American slang phrase to leave quickly, which makes me think of my daddy always saying skiddado.

Speaker 1 53:48

True.

Speaker 2 53:50

Or taking advantage to leave early, a bit like an Irish goodbye.

Speaker 1 53:54

I will take any opportunity to leave early, I know.

Speaker 2 54:00

Bye Gone, know, bye Gone by 9pm See you later.

Speaker 1 54:04

If I'm not at home with my feet up and a cup of tea.

Speaker 2 54:08

Yeah, something's wrong, yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 54:10

That's my favourite part of an evening out. Is getting home, getting home and having a cup of tea Failure. What has happened to me?

Speaker 2 54:20

It says, means we are olly olly oxen free she is right, okay, which is a catchphrase for tris. So for like hide and seek, you would go olly olly oxen free. That's ridiculous, I don't think we ever did it. I think it's an American.

Speaker 1 54:35

Must be.

Speaker 2 54:36

Yeah, and then another Americanism was. It says our bond will last like Mutt and Jeff. And Mutt and Jeff are USA newspaper comic strip which was created by cartoonist Bud Fisher in 1907. Wow, I learned a lot.

Speaker 1 54:54

And was that from the musical version of these numbers? Yeah, totally missed them, mm-hmm oh, there you go because what do we say instead of ollie, ollie, blah, blah, blah do you not just go one, two, three. I am free that's it much easier, isn't it?

Speaker 2 55:13

yeah, one, two, three. I am free ollie ollie or I've got my fingers crossed, you can't catch me. I mean I haven't played Chasies and I'm free Olly olly. Or I've got my fingers crossed, you can't catch me. I mean, I haven't played Chase's Playground for a very long time, so I'm not too sure what the kids are saying these days.

Speaker 1 55:28

I must ask them You're one of them.

Speaker 3 55:30

Ones, lauren, what you can tell? You're not a runner, because you know every single one. I've got my fingers crossed. I'm in, dan. Yes, olly, olly, oxen free. One two, three, I'm free. You know them all, yep, do you know them in multiple languages as well?

Speaker 2 55:45

Just, a guess.

Speaker 3 55:46

And I hang to avoid running.

Speaker 2 55:48

Because I hide as close to Dan as possible. Then, once the person catching ran out, it just went straight to Dan. Yep.

Speaker 3 55:55

Of course she did. Of course she did. You yeah, of course you did of course you did.

Speaker 2 56:00

You're lucky, you found me. Oh, aren't I?

Speaker 1 56:01

were you speedy? Were you running around the place like a madman? Then what?

Speaker 3 56:06

oh wait, like playing. I thought you meant running. After Lauren, I was like doesn't sound like I had to run too much, just wait outside the den so rude. No, yeah I. Yeah, I played the game properly. Yeah, I, I played the game properly yeah, I just didn't play the game.

Speaker 1 56:22

I just went, not interested, bye.

Speaker 3 56:24

I think I played a game that you were involved in, though I see the guy dressed as a cat dancing inside and crouching ha ha come boys, run faster you may watch yourself, and we did.

Speaker 1 56:35

I'm a genie. I'll put you back in the lamp and you won't let you out, love it, love it anyway.

Speaker 2 56:40

That was all the musical lyrical lingos you had a lot, a lot of lingos but I love when language or lyrics are really clever and the songs are catchy and you can just learn lots about everything do you know what it is?

Speaker 1 56:54

I've noticed a, a like a pattern pattern you're. I've noticed a like A pattern Pattern. You're just.

Speaker 2 57:06

I think you could be the world's biggest Alan Menken fan.

Speaker 1 57:07

See when it's a Menken jobby. Yeah, you are like in overdrive.

Speaker 2 57:13

I just, I get him, I understand him.

Speaker 1 57:16

He's your man, yeah, I like him.

Speaker 2 57:17

Yeah, yeah, I do, I do really like him. He's your man. Yeah, I like him. Yeah, yeah, I do, I do really like him.

Speaker 1 57:20

He is genius-like. Of course he is.

Speaker 2 57:22

Yeah, there we go, aladdin Like I said before, the website is so fascinating, so if you want to know more about Aladdin just how they get it there's also a really good one about bringing it to Singapore and how they transported all the scenery so go check it out, guys.

Speaker 1 57:40

You'll be there for hours and hours and hours. So, apart from us doing it 50,000 times, what were you in Aladdin when we did it?

Speaker 2 57:48

Well, the very first time we did it, I was Jasmine.

Speaker 1 57:51

Oh, of course you were. So you sang A Whole New World.

Speaker 2 57:56

Yeah, it was like one of the first times we had done.

Speaker 1 58:01

We did like Disney the year, didn't we? Yeah, it was the Disney year when it was like loads of different.

Speaker 2 58:05

Disneys and I was Jasmine.

Speaker 1 58:08

And who was your Aladdin?

Speaker 2 58:10

Martin Grey.

Speaker 1 58:11

Oh, and what was I?

Speaker 2 58:13

And then Zoe Rainey.

Speaker 3 58:15

Oh, what was I? Because we did it twice.

Speaker 2 58:17

I don't know, were you the genie? No, joel was the genie.

Speaker 1 58:22

Yeah, I mustn't have done that. Disney pun, I must have been in another.

Speaker 2 58:26

Disney. You must have been in another Disney-esque. Yeah, that'd be good. Actually, do you know? Alex would be a good one to ask, she'll know.

Speaker 1 58:35

Yeah, was I the monkey.

Speaker 2 58:37

No, I don't think so.

Speaker 1 58:39

Bet I was cast as a boo or something. I don't think so. Or third camel from the left in that caravan.

Speaker 2 58:45

Yeah, maybe, maybe that's who you were no, because we did it like twice and it wasn't an unusual year that we did like things from Disney. But yeah, it was Martin to begin with and then Zoe was my Aladdin, so yeah, and then we've just done it loads in Stage Girl and obviously then Panto always has an Aladdin, so we've been involved. How many Pantos did you do that were Aladdin?

Speaker 1 59:13

I was never in an Aladdin. No, because I don't think Aladdin had boys, did it? Was it not one of those ones? Do you remember? There was random pantomimes that came where they only asked for girls, not boys. Oh, okay, yeah, all right, so I don't think I. No, they did do boys, because I remember our friend Richard.

Speaker 2 59:30

Yes, I was going to say. Because, Aladdin was my second one and Richard was definitely in that?

Speaker 1 59:34

Yeah, I don't think I was.

Speaker 2 59:35

You weren't, you mustn't have been selected.

Speaker 1 59:41

I was too busy prepping myself for Mother Goose flying in the Goose Mobile In like three years time. Took a lot of prep. Do you know you?

Speaker 2 59:55

have to train to fly Anyway.

Speaker 1 59:56

Anyway, yep, I remember doing it in the lovely Web Theatre in Newtownards a really small venue and we did the full version and it was really good fun. Like it's a fun wee one actually to do with kids?

Speaker 2 1:00:10

It is, it definitely is. Yeah, it's good, it's been done a few times, and it is a good one to see either a panto or musical.

Speaker 1 1:00:17

Yeah, but you got to see it.

Speaker 2 1:00:19

It it is a good one to see either a panto or musical. Yeah, but you got to see it.

Speaker 1 1:00:21

It was one of your family trips, wasn't it? Yeah, we went and like this makes us sound really un, what's the word?

Speaker 2 1:00:32

Not sure.

Speaker 1 1:00:33

It'll come to me. We did see it and we were left a little underwhelmed. Okay, I remember this but like it it looks spectacular, like it was really wow to look at like the costumes were amazing, the set was amazing, but that was it okay, do you know what I mean? I was kind of left a little underwhelmed.

Speaker 2 1:00:57

I think Friend Like Me is a big number it was fabulous. People compare it to 42nd Street. Yeah, but.

Speaker 1 1:01:04

But yeah.

Speaker 1 1:01:05

Yes, I've always heard this about Aladdin I think the problem I found was that you had Friend Like Me, which was wow, and Prince Ali was wow as well, but everything else in the musical was just a bit half-baked. Do you know what I mean? And I think there was too much downtime without enough wow-ness. Do you know what I mean? So that then when those two numbers come along, they really stick out like a sore thumb because the rest of the show doesn't live up to the to those numbers. Do you know what I mean? Whereas I think the likes of of um lion king it was lion king was just like wow from start to finish. Do you know what I mean? Now, it might be because there was there's more big recognizableisable Disney numbers in Lion King. Do you know what I mean? So it was like one recognisable number after another, and I wonder maybe if some of the songs that they then put back in did kind of dilute it a wee bit. Now, this is just my opinion, that is 100% what I was going to ask you.

Speaker 2 1:02:17

Because I'm somebody that's only listened to the cast recording yeah and I didn't know if it was because I love the film so much, kind of knew the songs inside out, those extra songs apart from um for your boy or proud of your, boy of your boy. Um, I think that's okay. Yeah, but like the one with the friends, I don't know if it's needed I don't know and like even that when somebody's got your back. I don't know yeah if they add anything to it. No, I know.

Aladdin Musical

Speaker 1 1:02:46

But I also understand that they had to add more songs to pad it out a bit, because if you think about it like, you can count on one hand the big aladdin songs do you know what I mean? You've got Arabian Nights, One Jump Friend Like Me, Prince Ali, A Whole New World. That's it really. Five songs. And five songs for a two act musical is maybe not enough. Like I can understand why some of the songs that didn't make it into the film ended up in the musical because they needed something. They needed something. They needed additional songs of some sort. I think.

Speaker 1 1:03:24

Does Jasmine have her own song in the musical? I know the live action remake that they did. She did get her own song and it's really gourd Like it's a brilliant song. It was one of my highlights from that movie. Actually, Like something like that would have been good in the musical version to give her, you know, her own song Because it's a big belter and it's a big like 11 o'clock number. Do you know what I mean? But yeah, I just we were all, like all of our family, were kind of just feeling a bit wanting a little yeah, so it wasn't one that you would go back to where you would with no, no well even even Lion King, even Lion King.

Speaker 1 1:04:10

I think I've seen Lion King twice, but I I don't feel I need to see Lion King again. Do you know? Don't get me wrong. It is incredible, but I think once you've seen it, you've seen it. Do you know what I mean? But in the beast, I would go back to time and time and time and time and time again, but I think there's something really beautiful about that. I think that is one of my favourite Disney movies, so I think I would go back. And also there's like look at that for musical numbers, like it's got, it's like one hit after another. Do you know what I mean? I just don't think Aladdin has enough yeah big, recognisable songs.

Speaker 1 1:04:53

Now don't get me wrong, the five that we've mentioned are whoppers, but it's only five yeah, true, that's true.

Speaker 2 1:05:00

There isn't a huge number numbers, um, in the film that then could have just itself, and maybe that's why then it did take so long for it to get to broadway and there were so many triads, because maybe they themselves realized that there was something sort of missing I think that's also why they extended that Friend Like Me for the musical version, like it was almost like a what?

Speaker 1 1:05:23

eight, nine, ten minute musical number, do you know what I mean? Because they were, like it's the most recognisable and well-known song in this. So we've got to, like, make it last longer, I think.

Speaker 2 1:05:38

Well, I've seen a version in disney, um. So sometimes in the disney parks they put on like little productions and one's called like um, they did aladdin. But it's like a musical spectacular yeah so it's not the musical yeah so it doesn't have loads of different, it just has the five.

Speaker 2 1:05:57

So this yeah feels a little bit like it's dragging. It's also shorter, but it does feel that well. The beauty of the beast version that they do in the parks as well is really, really quick, because it's almost like they've got to get through everything there's so much to get in there maybe is something that maybe, yeah, just something about aladdin that doesn't quite flow as well as the others yeah, and the word was appreciative.

Speaker 1 1:06:21

I didn't want to sound unappreciative like the. You know, we got to see it and it was brilliant and it was lovely to see it and it was spectacular to look at and the costumes are divine and but we did leave going. Yeah, I mean it was good, but I don't. Yeah, it was hard to put into words what, what, we, what the problem was. Actually, I think I've got more, more of an idea of what was lacking. Now looking back on it in hindsight, but at the time I was like I I enjoyed it, yeah, but I'm I'm not wowed and I'm going. Why was I not wowed, I think, if not sussed it?

Speaker 2 1:07:00

also to do with the fact that you've seen it as a pantomime, so it's quite hard then to see it as a musical no, I think the two are different enough to separate them.

Speaker 1 1:07:15

also, sure, pantomimes, sure they make pantomimes now. Sure they make Pantomimes now they're just she-horn any old storyline in.

Speaker 2 1:07:23

No, I know we've got like Cinderella and it's a musical and also pantomime, and Peter Pan are the same, but I just I don't know. Is it just maybe one of those things that you're almost like you've seen it on stage so you expected something more from the musical version of it. I don't know more from the musical version of it?

Speaker 1 1:07:37

I don't know, I'm just asking. I don't know. I don't know the answer to that. I don't think so. I think it just lacks something. Yeah, I think in hindsight there's not enough.

Speaker 2 1:07:50

Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:07:51

Big numbers in it to sustain it. From you know, start to finish the carpet was good. Like all of that's really lovely, like seeing you know them come and flying out over the audience and stuff like that that's really cool.

Speaker 2 1:08:07

That's cool.

Speaker 1 1:08:08

And it looked brilliant. And then what?

Speaker 2 1:08:09

did you feel about the 2019 film with Will Smith?

Speaker 1 1:08:15

I think I've only watched it once. I would need to go back and watch it again. Again, I think it've only watched it once. I would need to go back and watch it again.

Speaker 2 1:08:22

Again, I think it was a bit draggy. Yeah, I don't mind it.

Disney Remakes and Musical Theatre Trends

Speaker 1 1:08:24

Yeah, no, I didn't not like it, but it was a long time since I've seen it.

Speaker 2 1:08:31

I like it.

Speaker 1 1:08:31

I do remember her number standing out and going that was amazing and she I can't remember who it was that plays Jasmine, but she was really good. Will Smith did a decent job of he certainly didn't try and be. A friend like me.

Speaker 2 1:08:45

Robin Williams. You know he kind of made it himself and yeah, I like it. And actually what I've read recently about those live action Disney remakes is that they give a song to characters that should have had a song in the animated version.

Speaker 1 1:09:04

so obviously jasmine and speechless.

Speaker 2 1:09:07

In the new little mermaid, eric gets a song yeah in being in the beast. The beast gets a song. I know that there's. He gets a song in the musical, but yeah um. So I was like, yeah, that's kind of nice, it's nice.

Speaker 1 1:09:19

Then, if you know what, they haven't dropped the ball yet. Like every single one of those, like remakes, and the new song that's put into each of them has been really good.

Speaker 2 1:09:29

So like good song it'd be interesting to see what snow white's like yeah, is that I was going to say do what is the next?

Speaker 1 1:09:34

that?

Speaker 2 1:09:35

is snow white soon. Yeah, right, okay, and do we know?

Speaker 1 1:09:38

what's coming after that? No, there's always a rumour Is there a Hunchback one, or was that a rumour? I?

Speaker 2 1:09:44

think that's a rumour, hercules and Hunchback are always rumours, yeah, but no, I don't know. There could be, just we're just not known, we're just not privy to that information yet. And will Frozen go on a UK tour? Oh, I don't know. I don't know, it's bound to.

Speaker 1 1:10:04

Do you think so? I'm wondering it's bound to. They'll have to downsize it, but surely to Guinness, a title like that will not just disappear now.

Speaker 2 1:10:13

Maybe because it's going to be on Disney Plus next year. Yeah, that's the other thing. Aladdin was recorded and it's gone missing. No, it's not gone missing but Aladdin was recorded a pro shot and it hasn't.

Speaker 1 1:10:25

Oh, so it hasn't gone missing. It just hasn't appeared anywhere. I thought somebody had stolen the tape, so it's like what the? Scandal.

Speaker 2 1:10:31

No, right, okay, do you remember some of the other ones you were discussing?

Speaker 1 1:10:34

Yeah, yeah yeah, that'll come up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that'll come up. Do you remember a couple like probably 10, 15 episodes ago I brought out the facts and figures for the most streamed musical theatre albums and Aladdin was up there, wasn't it? And we were like what Aladdin I know? So, yeah, I know, yeah, it is a popular one, like I mean it's. It's been since it opened. It's been somewhere globally ever since. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 1:11:07

it hasn't japan it's like massive there and again in germany. Like germany, musical theater is definitely like three in the world, isn't it like third in the world? You've got west end. You've got broadway, broadway, west end and you've got yeah um germany, but yeah we should.

Speaker 1 1:11:24

We should take a trip to germany and do a wee musical theater trip sometime next trip I don't know.

Speaker 2 1:11:30

Musical lyrical lingo goes international they would have to be something really big, like I mean, if hercules was never going to make it over, I would have have definitely gone to Germany for Hercules.

Speaker 1 1:11:41

To see it in there?

Speaker 2 1:11:41

yeah, but the fact it's coming, I'm like we'll just do London again.

Speaker 1 1:11:46

I think I would rather probably see the Butcham Starlight Express than the. Revival one, I think.

Speaker 2 1:11:56

Hearing real mixed reports about that.

Speaker 1 1:11:57

I know. It's difficult, me that, I know it's difficult it's difficult, I don't know, and it's hard to make a call, isn't it? When you haven't seen it?

Speaker 2 1:12:03

I think so, but I just I fear for your wee love of starlight express and you reckon I. I don't know if you'll love that, I know I know I'm a bit dubious about it myself.

Speaker 1 1:12:14

hence I haven't picked the tickets. What's our next Disney theatrical then that we're going to look at? Oh, have we decided?

Speaker 2 1:12:25

Yeah. Well, the one that we were going to do with. This one, oh, the one that we were going to glue onto this Right.

Speaker 1 1:12:29

Okay, so that'll be our next one.

Speaker 2 1:12:31

But we actually still have quite a few.

Speaker 1 1:12:33

Well, no, no, we do Like. I was thinking we have loads of Disneys that we haven't touched on.

Speaker 2 1:12:38

I know which is good. Yeah, absolutely. And it's kind of nice to break it up and add them in.

Speaker 1 1:12:45

Oh listen, we couldn't have shortchanged Aladdin by gluing something else into this episode. It'd have been a four hour episode.

Speaker 2 1:12:55

You would have gone very cross with me with all my learning.

Speaker 1 1:12:58

I wasn't cross, I was just impressed.

Speaker 2 1:12:59

You just wanted to get to friend like me.

Speaker 1 1:13:03

It is funny, though, with you. I'm like oh, it's a Mencken. Oh, she got loads. She liked Mencken and his lyrics.

Speaker 2 1:13:10

I do, you do, and I think he's a lovely man. Absolutely Very talented man Otherwise.

Speaker 1 1:13:18

Very good.

Speaker 2 1:13:19

That was good. That was good, we did well, and I think we didn't mess up too bad.

Speaker 1 1:13:25

Daffy, Donald and Daisy are delighted.

Speaker 2 1:13:27

What's his?

Speaker 1 1:13:28

name.

Speaker 2 1:13:29

Daffy Alright.

Speaker 1 1:13:29

Is there not a Daffy? There is, but it's not Disney. And he's not on my trousers. How is that allowed? What are you talking about? How did they allow a Daffy Duck that isn't a Disney when there's?

Speaker 2 1:13:43

Donald and Daisy, because they just own like. Donald and Daisy, hold on.

Speaker 1 1:13:46

Daffy the Duck's the Looney Tunes.

Speaker 3 1:13:50

Yes.

Speaker 1 1:13:51

Ah, now I get it. It's not Disney, oh, it's so not.

Speaker 2 1:13:54

Disney.

Speaker 1 1:13:55

That's what I've been saying all night. It's Bugs. I'm only realising now who Daffy the Duck is. I know Daffy the Duck is Bugs.

Speaker 2 1:14:04

Bunny's mate. Yeah, I think it's just Daffy Duck, not Daffy the Duck. Daphne, daphne, daphne. That's like our lovely friend Stephanie, who we went to stagecoach with. Whenever our dance teacher went, he was doing step knee, she always thought the the stepney was called stephanie the dance oh, wow it was called stephanie. Yeah, that always. Every time I hear stepney, I was like stephanie wow yeah, there we go, there's nothing like queerness folk eh. Tangent.

Speaker 1 1:14:39

Tangent.

Speaker 2 1:14:40

I think that's what we need Like instead of we mid-roll, we need a tangent.

Speaker 1 1:14:44

What's your favourite Latin number as we go out actually? Let's bring it back to the pod.

Speaker 2 1:14:50

I do love Arabian Nights, but I think Prince Ali, yeah, I do. I love how fast-paced that is.

Speaker 1 1:14:59

Yeah, I do I love.

Speaker 2 1:14:59

How fast paced that is and bizarre yeah and I think because it really does remind me of Disney and we have, like old school camcorder film footage of that, which I love.

Speaker 1 1:15:16

Yeah, it's a great number friend like me yeah, I think so. Yeah, which I love. Yeah, it's a great number Friend like me? Um, yeah, I think so, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:15:27

Or that bit what.

Speaker 1 1:15:28

In um One Jump Like.

Speaker 2 1:15:32

It's my favourite bit, yeah, I think we should just go and like perform. Maybe when we're like doing a sing-along, we should perform as well, like do dances to these songs.

Speaker 1 1:15:43

Absolutely Try and stop me Great Right.

Speaker 2 1:15:46

That's what we should go, and do Until then. That.

Speaker 1 1:15:50

Absolutely.

Speaker 2 1:15:51

Okay, let's do it One jump.

Speaker 1 1:15:54

Head of the bread line.

Speaker 2 1:15:56

Okay, no, you're actually right Doing this.

Speaker 1 1:15:59

Okay. Head of the bread line. Okay, no, you're actually right doing this. Okay, we better go One swing. Head of a sword I steal only what I can't afford. That's everything Until next week. Bye.