Twisted

Play (Musical), 2013

Premise - It is the concept of the musical Wicked, putting a famous villain at the forefront of the story, applied to the plot and characters of the Disney film Aladdin. This new twisted rendition is told from Jafar's perspective, turning Aladdin into the musical's antagonist.

Review - I think this is Starkid's highest quality production. Of course, the A Very Potter Musical Trilogy will always be my favorite, as it is what introduced me to Starkid, but there is a level of professionalism to this play that is unrivaled. And the story is incredible, with satirical social commentary even stronger than the parody of Disney itself.

This is a play about when society goes wrong, and people are going through hard times. Who is to blame, the rich or the poor? Both? Neither? There is no easy way to reconcile a failing economy, but this musical spins this concept on its head to make it even more convoluted. Aladdin is a good-for-nothing playboy, thief, and sexual predator, who cheats the system and becomes more trouble than he's worth. He is devastatingly poor, mostly due to the fact that he refuses to get a job and would rather steal for a living. Jafar, though he is in charge of the socioeconomic system, is only one guy. Everyone wants to put all of the blame on him, but he's dealing with a lot of truly incompetent people here in the kingdom. The Princess is the most ignorant and naive of all, with her personal sweatshops and slaves. Her stuck-up attitude leads to political tensions with faraway kingdoms, that sparks a military attack that Jafar had no control over. And to make matters worse, the 16-year-old Princess has run away with a creepy 33-year-old Aladdin!

There are several adult topics explored through the basic outline of a children's film. It's perfect considering those who were children at the time Aladdin was first released are now young adults consuming more adult material. By "adult", yes I'm somewhat talking about the deep socioeconomic and political themes, but I also mean "adult" as in "wildly inappropriate." That's what makes Starkid so great, the dumb sex jokes at the heart of all of its comedy. This is truly one of the funniest musicals to consume for people in my generation. (94/100)

Quote - "Why is everyone in the kingdom white?"

What to watch for - Starkid has such beloved members, it really is exciting just to see any and all of them in new and familiar roles to us. However, there was this one new(?) member that I cannot recall ever seeing before watching Twisted, named Robert Manion, who was just SOO GOOD. So adorable, funny, and variable in his performances... I just fell in love.

If you liked this play, I'd recommend A Very Potter Musical!

Written by Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Eric Kahn Gale (music by A.J. Holmes)
Directed by Brian Holden (fav!)
Produced by Starkid
Published on YouTube