Documentary series · Disney’s Aladdin
A thousand-year-old story, brought to the stage.
A nine-part documentary series for Disney’s Aladdin stage musical, presented by Angelica Bell. This episode goes back to the origins of the story in the Arabian Nights, with Disney Theatrical’s Thomas Schumacher and leading academics, and ends with discussion points for the classroom.
The projectClient
Disney
Production
Aladdin, the stage musical
Sector
Theatre
Service
Documentary video
Film
4 min 18 sec (episode 1 of 9)
Where it ran
Online, digital and social channels
From brief to finished film.
How we turned a hit musical into a nine-part learning series.
01 · The briefMake the show a learning resource
Disney wanted a series that took audiences and schools behind Aladdin, from where the story comes from to how the show is designed, costumed and performed.
03 · The outcomeA nine-part series for fans and schools
Nine episodes covering the origins, the concept, the design of Agrabah, the costumes, the choreography, the ensemble, the music and the characters, led by this 4 min 18 sec opener. Shared across online, digital and social channels.
02 · Our approachPresenter, experts and the show itself
We combined a presenter in the theatre, interviews with the show’s producer and academic experts, historic manuscripts and illustrations, and footage from the production, with classroom questions at the end of each episode.
04 · What we deliveredNine episodes, one world
Nine documentary episodes
Presenter-led format with Angelica Bell
Interviews with the producer and academic experts
Classroom discussion points
Behind the scenes
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The origins
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Agrabah
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The company
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The Genie
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Prince Ali
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Jasmine
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In the film“My favourite thing about Aladdin is that no matter where it’s done, no matter who the audience is, they’re having a great time believing in a guy who didn’t believe in himself.”
Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions
In the film“The Arabian Nights are so popular because the storytelling has all the ingredients of good storytelling: suspense, adventure and magic.”
Professor Wen-chin Ouyang
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