Aladdin
 

 Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp, the most famous tale from the Arabian Nights, is sometimes told with an Arabian setting.  Elwoodettes’ Aladdin takes place in China, as originally written, but adds not only the Arabian influence, which must have crept in as Sheherezade told the story, but also the high-spirited traditions of English Pantomime and Musical Comedy.  After all, anything is possible in a fairy – or Genie tale. 

The story opens as Maddass, the Magician, searches for an impressionable youth to help retrieve the wonderful lamp.  He and Aladdin travel to Persia and Africa, engaging in a battle of wits for control of the lamp, but ultimately, they return to China, where the Genies help Aladdin create a happy ending, even down to ‘turning swords into ploughshares’ and finding a socially acceptable use for the Magician’s naughty pet Scud missile. 

Elwoodettes Marionettes, formed in 1992 by Hugh and Elizabeth Elwood, is a regular showcase for Vagabond Players performers.   This year, Dwayne Campbell stars as Aladdin, Brian Leonard plays the villainous Maddass, and versatile Mike Scannel provides an assortment of voices from the pet Scud to Hum Ho, the Princess’s bodyguard.  They are joined by Isabel Mendenhall and Deborah Tom as the Genies, and Bethan Lewis as the Widow’s mischievous cat, Whiskers.  Master Puppeteer Dirk Oertel lends his robust baritone to the role of the Sultan, and Elizabeth Elwood is heard as Princess Sheherezade and the Widow Chu Chin Chins.

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