Bethany Spartan Players Present 'Aladdin, Jr.'

Bethany, CT - Amity Middle School Bethany Spartan Players are presenting a delightful production of Disney’s ALADDIN, JR. this weekend only. I joined a large appreciative audience on opening night to enjoy the three months of hard work that the talented cast members and the adults that worked with them had put into the musical.

ALADDIN, JR. is based upon the 2014 Broadway production by Disney Theatrical Productions that I enjoyed on a trek to NYC with my dear Aunt Ruth, who loved it. So there is the fun music by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin that fill out the book by Chad Beguelin. The Amity students were directed by Square Foot Theater’s Mr. Patrick Laffin; the producer of the show was Mrs. Marissa Nall. Music direction was by Amity teacher Dr. Keith Smolinski, the director of music at the nearby Our Lady of the Assumption parish, was the music director/assistant director and Ms. Kelsey Sullivan was in charge of the cute choreography. The production was presented with generous sponsorship by the Jamie Hulley Foundation.

“Our headlining sponsor, the Jamie Hulley Arts Foundation, has really helped to reshape our program. With their fundraising “match” program last year, the set of body microphones that students are utilizing on stage are now ours! That is a huge accomplishment that could never have happened without their support.” - Music Director/Assistant Director Dr. Keith Smolinski

Dr. Smolinski credited Mrs. Nall as being his right hand and parent Mrs. MaryGrace Crisci as being his left hand throughout the rehearsal/performance process. Many, many adults pitched in with tasks, big and small, to make this weekend happen. Dr. Smolinski thanked Mr. Doyle and Dr. Dellinger for “their continuous support of the Bethany Spartan Players.” In his curtain speech, the music director shared that six years ago Dr. Dellinger gave him the opportunity to help rebuild the drama program at Amity MS Bethany. “I know [Dr. Dellinger] is proud of what the students have accomplished and he will be missed by all [when he retires,]” Dr. Smolinski writes is in his director’s note.

Forest Vanderflor had the big stage presence and powerful voice to take on the role of Genie. The very natural actor Ben Aviad gave a charming performance in the title role of Aladdin; this young man also has a wonderful singing voice that he showed off in his solo “Proud of Your Boy.” Luna Lipnickas sang beautifully in the role of Princess Jasmine and had the appropriate amount of spunk in her performance.

Aladdin’s three sidekicks were played by a trio of strong performers. Michael Crisci was Omar, Jack Morrison was Babtak and Savannah Gallagher played Kassim, and they made the most of their parts in “High Adventure,” backed up by the Agrabahns.

David Edwards was Jasmine’s father, the Sultan. Lily Parady took on the large role of Jafar with Tamsin Ditchik as his bird Iago. Amari Clinton played both Razoul and Prince Abdullah and Amara Santulli, JJ Sun, and Liliana Esposito played Jasmine’s ladies in waiting Isir, Manal, and Rajah respectively. The guards were played by Virginia Luciano and Edward Norton with Zoe Benton and Madeline Nixon as Prince Abdullah’s attendants.

There were many fine dancers in both the Agrabahns subset and the ensemble. They included CJ Brinton, Sarah Fortin, Abigail Gordon, Daisy Kusnitz, Victoria Pocwierz and Kaylee Tedjo as the Agragahns. In the ensemble were Megan Connolly, Cashlyn Cunneen, Amara Forstrom, Aachal Gupta, Nidhi Kompalli, Charlotte Laub, Makenzie Rowland, Paige Thomas and Anastasia Urbano.

The prerecorded music worked better than some I have heard, and even included some spooky lines. Lighting featured some impressive projections that set the scenes and suggested the magic carpet ride. And those new body microphones that were made possible by the Jamie Hulley Foundation worked flawlessly in the hands of Robert Fragione, allowing all of the lead performers to be heard perfectly. The set filled the stage at one end of the school gym and functioned well in the able hands of the tech crew that came out in their show shirts for a bow at the curtain call. I was very impressed with the quality of the Arabian costumes and with hair and makeup done by a group of volunteers that included Grace Kennedy, recently an ancestor in THE ADDAMS FAMILY at BMA.

The lobby decoration, a la Amity High School, was a fun recreation of an Agrabahn marketplace that spilled out to the front doors of the middle school. Kudos to parents Amy Benton, Kris Edwards and Aries Tanggani on a job well done. Some costumed actor sold 50/50 raffle tickets during the intermission and the lucky winner took home $155.

Thank you to the production team for allowing me to attend to enjoy the opening night performance. I encourage Bethany residents to come out to support the Amity student as you “pay to watch us sing and dance,” and fill the remaining performances. A video of the opening night performance was made and will be available for purchase. Click here for the full-color version of the printed program.

Nancy Sasso Janis is a proud member of the OLOA church choir. She has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues and posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

Click here to read about Naugatuck/Bethwood Patch Mayor Nancy Sasso Janis.