August 3, 2007

[GeneralShang]

Oh my god I LOVED Blast ... or rather "Power Of Blast." My girlfriend and I would go watch the show at least 4-5 times a week.. and we lived in Arcadia (close to Pasadena) which was a good 30-45 minutes away!! AHHH!! I loved it so much! I still love it!

And we're going to watch "Blast" the actual full length show next year when it comes to the Orange County Performing Arts Center again. Those were REALLY great times that my girlfriend and I had. We miss the show dearly.

[daveinfontana]

Blast was the only great show in D.C.A. As a parent of a child that did drumline It was the best thing to see. And If it were ever to come back I might go to D.C.A. more often

[jffaroonie]

If anyone is interested in seeing the Blast! show, I have uploaded it at another site.

[Foreboding Aura]

I know, especially since Aladdin is one of the most miserable shows Disney has ever produced. Boring, bad staging effects (except for the carpet, when it works), it doesn't make sense unless you're familiar with the movie. Really, it is terrible. The Genie can sometimes be funny, but I'm usually asleep by then. Jasmine sings a boring, miserable, long song to an empty birdcage while nothing happens. Aladdin and Jasmine get married for the BIG FINALE .... on a cardboard box with no backgrounds because they ran out of money apparently. There are three Aladdins running around the theatre simultaneously for no good reason. We have distracting wheelchair lady there to appease the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, when really, it does not fit the role. But who cares? Man I will be happy when Aladdin is in Yesterland.

All I can say is "Thank You!"
I am done with everybody praising the Aladin show and saying how amazing it is. Its done and its over. And more importanly its over. I exscuse peoples ignorance of good musical theater. Understandably it is a free show, well with its ticket price widely seen by viewers just trying to get out of the heat after having lunch at Award Wieners. But anybody that knows the diffrerence between hairspray to grease would know this low production effort (although being carried on the back of a $5 mil budget. [ I mean come on, a puppet snake at the front of stage right to wow us... please]).

I digress...
All I ask is, yes enjoy the show. Just dont make it gewl of disney theater. There is much better shows... trust me...

[Keyser]

I know, especially since Aladdin is one of the most miserable shows Disney has ever produced. Boring, bad staging effects (except for the carpet, when it works), it doesn't make sense unless you're familiar with the movie. Really, it is terrible. The Genie can sometimes be funny, but I'm usually asleep by then. Jasmine sings a boring, miserable, long song to an empty birdcage while nothing happens. Aladdin and Jasmine get married for the BIG FINALE .... on a cardboard box with no backgrounds because they ran out of money apparently. There are three Aladdins running around the theatre simultaneously for no good reason. We have distracting wheelchair lady there to appease the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, when really, it does not fit the role. But who cares? Man I will be happy when Aladdin is in Yesterland.

But enough about how terrible Aladdin is, or how Anne Hamburger has no idea what makes a good show. Blast! was awesome. It was the best thing (so far) at the Hyperion. It was something you hadn't seen before on quite that scale. Watching those energetic, AMAZINGLY talented people play on stage... it really was a powerful show. And the performers were really, really cute (whom you got to chat with afterwards, extra bonus). After Aladdin, they don't even let you talk to the empty birdcage.

1) I never saw the movie yet I was able to follow the plot quite easily. I have no idea why you think the show doesnt make any sense unless you've seen the movie.

2) I have no idea why people bash the wheelchair woman. She's not replacing a dancer. She's replacing someone walking holding a prop up. As if the fact that people walking around with props are somehow not distracting, but if the person in the wheelchair is doing it, OMG, it ruins the show! Please. Truthfully, I never even noticed her until so many people complained about it that I started looking for her.

3) I know, small sample size, but Ive taken 3 people who are theater fans to the DCA Aladdin, and they all loved it. It isnt about props, its about acting, singing, and a good story. The DCA Aladdin show has all 3.

[Athlonacon]

Not looking for legitimate theater here, just a fun and entertaining show. Besides, people who can't enjoy a show because it doesn't meet with their "sophisticated and developed taste" is fooling no one and cheating themselves. There's absolutely no reason why a person cannot enjoy both Shakespeare and Aladdin, unless it's a thinly veiled attempt at pretentiously gaining undue legitimacy in the realm of theater by one's supposed peers. Yes, the equivalent of wine snobs exist in theater as well.

I never went to DCA in the early years due to the fact that everyone seemed to hate it. But I was kind of dragged there in late 2002 and I found it was a little lacking in some areas, but overall a VERY fun and enjoyable park. It's definitely not worth full admission, but it's nowhere near as bad as some people claim it is. I just regret not visiting during the early years out of my own ignorance. Aladdin is a GREAT production, I saw it practically the first week it was out. The Hyperion is a great venue and it fits in well with a wonderful park.

[sir clinksalot]

We loved BLAST!!! We would see it everytime we were at the parks, at least once.

We were also there on the last day, it was kind of sad. We were so used to seeing the performers every week or 2 that it was sad to see them go.

If you love the show, get the DVD. It's pretty awesome.

[BassBone]

I miss Blast!. Aladdin is such a poor replacement. Thanks for the article.