the concept for this production of aladdin, jr came from reading the classic stories of arabian nights. the set designer and i truly wanted to bring this inspiration to life by creating a storybook on the stage using the two projection screens you see upstage. we used these screens to display the various locations in the show, as you see here the beautiful night sky for a whole new world.
the costume designer and i drew a great deal of inspiration from past illustrators of arabian nights for the color palette. you see here the genie who is in muted, pastel, patchwork colors. i also worked with the make-up and hair designer to create a darker, magical look using gold flecks, dark eyes, and indian inspired jewelry.
it was very important to me to use old-world techniques for the magic in the show. for the famous magic carpet ride, i used a cut-out of the carpet and live actors to cast a shadow on our projection back drop. the actors traveled behind the screen and created an unforgettable visual.
for this production of little mermaid, jr, i wanted to create the look and feel of a decayed atlantis. i worked with the costume designer to create distressed costumes for the various animal characters. we wanted each animal to have a unique style and to show characteristics of the animal but not mimic them. for example, here you see the distressed 'wings' of ariel's seagull friend, scuttle.