Aladdin Jr. took to the stage and impressed - By Michelle Libby

Last weekend, after months of preparation the Windham Middle School drama club performed Aladdin, Jr. at Windham Performing Arts Center to large crowds. The show took place Friday night and twice during the snowy weather on Saturday. The snow didn’t seem to hamper the ability to get to the show and between 200 and 300 people attended each seating, according to one cast parent. The final show was for the entire Windham Primary School second grade class on Tuesday. 

“Success of a show is often measured by the number of seats you sell or what reviewers say of your show and while both of these would be an added bonus, the success of a show for me is how excited these students are before, during and after the show,” said director Mary Wassick in her director’s letter to the audience. 

Aladdin was played by eighth-grader Logan Cropper. His comedic timing and dry wit kept the audience laughing throughout the play. Jasmine was played by Beth Olsen who is also an eighth-grader. Her clear voice and sassy attitude was great casting for the princess role. As far as secondary characters, they all did a tremendous job making the show come to life before our eyes. Genie played by Mikayla Malloy added her own twist on a role made iconic by Robin Williams. Jafar played by Julia Egna was evil well-done and her side kick Iago the parrot was fun to watch and laugh at his one-liners. Razoul, the head of the guards played by Wyatt Yost, the Sultan played by Ethan Leech and the magic carpet played by Corinne Ulmer, added lighter moments to the play. 

Not to be forgotten, the students who controlled the set changes, lighting and sound, they did a fabulous job.

The singing was amazing for a middle school cast or any age cast, and Windham has little to worry about for years to come with the talent moving into the high school. If you’ve been hesitant to see a middle school play, don’t wait any longer. The next show should be the one you attend.