The day began with a leisurely stroll across Brooklyn Bridge from DUMBO, which has nothing to do with the flying elephant, but stands for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass.
I stopped for mandatory photos rest breaks.
The lack of symmetry in that photo also bothers me. Why am I slightly off centre? I guess that’s just who I am.
I also paused to appreciate the skyline.
Alicia, Carlos, a couple of their friends and I navigated our way to Aladdin on Broadway.
It was certainly shining and shimmering, but it wasn’t quite the splendid production I was expecting. The set and costumes offered plenty of vibrant colour and sparkle. Telly Leung’s Aladdin was great, overall. His boyish charm overriding his occasionally whiny vocals.
Jasmine, played by Courtney Reed, managed to maintain whiny vocals, stiff dancing, and an unfortunate inability to act throughout. A Whole New World set against a truly dazzling diamond sky would’ve been better with a whole new Jasmine. The truth is I would recommend seeing Aladdin on Broadway only once Jasmine is recast.
Hopefully Major Attaway as Genie, is on the scene for a while. His incredible performance featured the right mix of pizzazz, humour and the high level of talent you’d expect from a Disney Broadway production.
Another performance that was just as awesome as his character in the animated film was Jafar. Probably because we got to see the Disney film’s original voice actor - Jonathan Freeman.
The Christmas magic on this day wasn’t brought to us courtesy of Disney, but the residents of a Brooklyn neighbourhood.
Every year as a child my family and I would go searching for Christmas lights. If only we’d had enough petrol to make it from western Sydney in Australia to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. Dozens of homes are decorated in a dazzling festive display, which is so appealing the NYPD are there to block some of the streets to cars.
Some beautiful homes feature classic, Christmas light displays.
While other homes are a little more extreme.
And some are even mildly terrifying.
Now the guy who sees you when you’re sleeping, and knows when you’re awake is ten feet tall.
Aladdin on Broadway
Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
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