At a Saturday rehearsal, Denise Carter explained why the Lee Road PTO picked “Aladdin Jr.” as this year’s theatrical production. “Aladdin is hot right now,” she said. “Many of the kids have seen it. And they all seem to like it.”
The kids not only like it, they have a favorite scene, which they disclosed in their program “bios.” Their overwhelming choice was the “Prince Ali Parade,” which takes place after the genie transforms Aladdin into a rich prince.
The parade involves every cast member — all 113 of them. The performers stream down the aisles, enter from the wings, and emerge from the back of the stage. By the end of the song (which has several verses), the front of the auditorium is filled with young people in costume, and everyone is singing —
With 60 elephants
Llamas galore
With his bears and lions
A brass band and more.
The parade may be the biggest number of the show, but the stage is never empty during the 70-minute production. There’s always something happening behind the people in the lead roles. The extras are part of the action. If you look around the stage, you see them mingling, chatting and paying attention to what’s happening in front of them.
All rehearsals took place after school or on weekends. A team of parents (many of them professionals) directed the show, arranged the choreography and created the costumes and sets.
The kids will present the show at the high school (not Lee Road School) at 4 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tickets can be purchased at the door. There are no reserved seats.
On Friday at 7 p.m., the public can attend a special dress rehearsal with reduced-price seating.
CAST: Cristiana Abreu, Stephanie Alvarez, Kira Arnold, Ana Rose Ayala, Maggie Ayala, Julian Ayuso. Peter Beccalori, Juliana Bellini, Lia Berardinelli, Avery Berkowitz, Maneel Bijur, Maia Blacksmith, Victoria Bryde, Brennan Burns, Julie Campbell, Samantha Camo, Ivy Campo, Karina Cannelli, Raymond Capuzzi, Jacob Carter, Audrey Ceresnak, Abbey Rose Conklin, Charles Conmy, Beah Coutant, Cassidy Cubito, Bessie Curtis, Genevieve Daly, Madeline D’Arco, Ava Demar, Isabella DeMaria, Nia Despaigne, Maggie Diaz, Becky Doty, Connor Downes, Reese Downes, Gabriella Ercolino, Faith Farrell, Saige Farrell, Kaitlyn Fern, Maryann Gagnon, Morgan Gagnon, Stella Galbraith, Emily George, Adam German, James Haynes Jr., Ella Hessari, Lily Hessari, Joshua Hoerup, Brooke Jackson, Marissa Kearney, Josie Kilgore, Patricia King, Jared Kolodziejski, Penelope Kulic, Ethan Lee, Sophia Lewis, Jenna Lindquist, Evyn Kendall Lovell, Emily Maffei, Megan Maffei, Angelina Martelli, Bianca Martelli, Daniel McGovern, Ailish McGrail, Carson McLendon, Cash McLendon, Brenna McTigue, Bella Meltzer, Rikhil Meisuria, Tiarra Milano, Erin Morris, Nitya Sai Narra, Elizabeth Nieves, Abigail Ocampo, Nolan Olsen, Fiona O’Neill, Josie Owens, Mia Pagano, Lea Patak, Sydnee Patak, Zoe Patak, Raina Patel, Lucas Perez, Angelina Pinedo, Allison Potter, Maris Potter, Fiala Query, Chloe Regina, Dana Rene, Autumn Renna, Lily Reynolds, Ava Rich, Emma Rose, Hannah Salisbury, Taylan Salisbury, Jordyn Smith Sands, Gabriella Santiago, Blaise Scileppi, Georgia Sones, Olivia Stuhlweissenburg, Chloe Taylor, Nicholas Tessin, Stephanie Till, Valerie Till, Julia Trischitta, Moses Usen, Colby Van Dam, Grace Vanderberg, Trinity Vazquez, Samantha Violetti, Allison Ward, Brooke Zaytune, Aniyah Ziemoore
