Backstage with Disney’s Aladdin at the NAC
Disney's Aladdin, one of the most famous Disney stories of all time, has arrived in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre.
On Thursday, CTV News Ottawa had the exclusive opportunity to tour behind the scenes of this musical courtesy of Broadway Across Canada.
Senzel Ahmady, who plays Jasmine in the production, showed off her wedding dress, which is also the heaviest costume of the show.
"This skirt alone is 18 pounds," she said.
Ahmady’s role as a real life princess is a dream come true, but comes with pressure.
"It definitely is a lot of pressure being in a show that people know so well. You know, they expect a lot when they come to watch the show, but I love our musical because it is for everybody. It is for people that grew up with Aladdin. It's for kids that are just now learning what the story of Aladdin is."
Disney's Aladdin Wardrobe Supervisor, Élisè Packee, is in charge of the 236 costumes in this production.
"All of these are hand-sewn and require a lot of maintenance. All of these crystals, all of the sequins hand-sewn. You'll notice that we have cute little dangles on the pants, kind of one of my favorite details," Packee said.
During the show, 38 of the 236 costumes are changed in less than a minute.
Ahmady explained the quick-change process back stage.
"Okay, so the quick change starts and I'm running off stage and then I come in here and I undress and I get into my new costume. Then I change my shoes and then I walk over here. I’ll sit down at this seat right here, and I will get my wig changed or my crown changed, whatever the quick change calls for. And then I'll run back out here and go back on stage."
Packee added, "Think of it like NASCAR and the pit crew. Only people, not cars."
The production requires 75 cast and crewmembers to keep the two and a half hour show entertaining for audiences.
"I've been doing musical theater and singing my whole life and I went to college for musical theatre," Ahbady said. “And so it definitely was a trek to get here but I'm so happy that I'm here now."
Over 10 million audience members have watched this Broadway musical show over the course of its tour.
Disney's Aladdin takes the stage at the NAC until Sunday, March 26.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Shameful': Monument honouring fallen soldiers included names of living veterans
Veterans are asking for answers after discovering that two sculptures in Ontario honouring fallen soldiers include the names of many people who are very much alive.
'If it ain't broke don't fix it': U.S. ambassador warns Canada against cutting Mexico out of trilateral trade deal
Cutting Mexico out of the current North American free trade deal 'may not be the best path to take,' says U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen.
Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released
The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023.
Cookie inflation: How much more is your holiday baking costing you this year?
Estimate how much more your Christmas cookies will cost to bake this year compared to the past five years using Statistics Canada's monthly average retail price data.
Smash and grab: Canada sees a spike in jewelry store robberies
Many cities across Canada are seeing a spike in jewelry store robberies in recent months.
Invasive species could be hiding in your Christmas decor. Here's how to stop the spread
Make sure to look through your holiday decorations, as Christmas trees, wreaths, and other natural decor can have invasive insects, eggs, and plants that pose a threat to local ecosystems and the economy.
This watch was carved from a meteorite that hit Earth a million years ago
A new watch from design duo Toledano & Chan has been carved from a meteorite that slammed into Earth around one million years ago.
Police find bag carried by gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, say he likely fled NYC on bus
Investigators found a backpack in Central Park that was carried by the shooter, police said Friday, following a massive sweep to find it in a vast area with lakes and ponds, meadows, playgrounds and a densely wooded section called 'The Ramble.'
A police photographer recounts the harrowing day of the Polytechnique massacre
Montreal crime scene photographer Harold Rosenberg witnessed a lot of horror over his 30 years on the job, though nothing of the magnitude of what he captured with his lens at the Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989. He described the day of the Montreal massacre to CTV Quebec Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin.