As a kid, my two favorite Disney movies were Aladdin and The Lion King. With Aladdin especially, I was just as much a fan of the sequels as I was the original, and “A Whole New World” has always been one of my favorite Disney jams.

Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to catch the National Tour of Aladdin on Broadway here in San Diego, and was even fortunate enough to chat with one of the stars, Aaron Choi as Iago, prior to the show.

When you have to put on a show that lives up to the legend that is Michael Jackson, the pressure for perfection is on from jump. MJ: The Musical recently embarked on its first national tour in August 2023 after making its Broadway debut in December 2021, and everyone involved knows exactly how much expectation everyone has to nail it.

Fortunately, they understood the assignment and delivered exactly what they needed to and more.

I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down… And all that jazz.

The national tour of Chicago has made its way to San Diego, and the show did not disappoint. Those who are familiar, however, will notice it’s not quite the same as what they’re used to, particularly when it comes to the set design and costumes.

Okay, hang on, I’m still caught up in the tornado that swept me out of the theater and smacked me in the face with one of the most amazing live performances I’ve ever had the fortune of seeing in my life.

All right, now that I’ve picked my jaw up off of the ground, let’s talk about the current national production of The Wiz.

Ever since I saw Black Swan, I get overwhelmed every time I see a live dance and think about what the dancer has had to go through to get to this moment under the spotlight. When the girls do point and I think about their crumpled toes standing on top of wooden blocks within their shoes, I cringe and experience empathy pains as I imagine their cracked and bleeding toenails.

But I’ll be damned if they don’t look good while they’re doing it.