Rehearsal pictures Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Brigade School, JP Nagar and Imbroglio Productions come together to stage Disney aladdin jr“Junior because it’s an abbreviated version of Aladdin“says music director Divyesh Bhandari. “Whereas, the original is three and a half hours long aladdin jrHowever, with the same story and songs, it is 90 minutes.

Divyesh, who holds an MA in English Literature from the University of Leeds, UK, is a theater enthusiast and music fanatic and the founder of the Imbroglio Foundation. “Imbroglio means chaos that leads to creation.” He has worked with around 25 schools in Bengaluru since 2014.rapunzel It was our first play. We work with a different school on a different production every year. This year, we have collaborated with The Brigade School. We have done about 30 licensed shows over the last 10 years.

To mark this milestone, Arundhati Nag launched a coffee table book, Imbroglio: Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence in Musical TheaterThe book, written by Divyesh, was launched by Arundhati Nag in May this year.

aladdin jr It is based on the 1992 Academy-Award-winning film starring Robin Williams as the Genie. The story follows Aladdin and his three friends – Babak, Omar and Kasim, who are down on their luck until Aladdin finds a magic lamp with a genie that has the power to grant three wishes. Seeking to earn the respect of Princess Jasmine, Aladdin sets out on an adventure that will test his willpower and moral character.

aladdin jrThe aim, says Divyesh, is to help students go beyond physical consciousness and reawaken the idea of ​​soul consciousness. “I am sure audiences will enjoy the musical and be transported into the vibrant world of Agrabah, full of wonder, adventure and heart.”

This is India’s first licensed version aladdin jr., says Divyesh. “We have bizarre scenery, costumes and sets. It’s a classic story with a modern message.”

Although the script and story remain the same, Divyesh says the creativity comes in the transformation. “We imagine and conceptualize it according to our perception and context. For example, there are dialogues and food that have a Western context. We have made it regional with Indian food and added the story and situations to our culture. There will be local twists and flavours, and we are sure the audience will connect with these aspects of the drama.

Director Divyesh Bhandari Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Although Divyesh works in western plays, he has also worked in plays steeped in Indian culture and mythology. “Our game, tomorrow will be goldenThere was such a drama. It was broadcast in 147 countries on August 15, 2023. We do a lot of Indian plays. When we work with schools, they give us a theme to work from. The theme of Brigade School this year is to celebrate the culture of Persia. Therefore, we chose aladdin jr,

Divyesh says, 400 children will be dancing and singing on the stage. “We have over 500 elements of props on stage and we tried to get as close to the Broadway and Disney production as possible. We have been rehearsing for four months.

Despite the big cast, there will be no crowd on stage for children, says Divyesh. “One reason for this is that we chose Ambedkar Bhawan, one of the biggest stages in the city, and secondly, we expanded the stage to accommodate different scenes and aspects of music.”

Aladdin Junior will be staged on November 9 at 6.30 pm at Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhawan, Vasant Nagar. Tickets on BookMyShow