In the opening number (Arabian Nights), Genie and the Agrabahns welcome us to Agrabah, and introduce us to the characters in the story: Aladdin and his penniless friends, Babka, Omar & Kassim; Princess Jasmine and her doting father, the Sultan; and the evil Jafar and sidekick, Iago.
In the marketplace, a Shopkeeper is angry with the hungry Aladdin for stealing a loaf of bread, causing Razoul & the Guards to chase after him and his pals (One Jump Ahead) until they escape. Afterwards, when an Apple Vendor is unkind to two beggars, Aladdin offers them his bread and defends them, but Prince Abdullah arrives, moving them out of the way (One Jump Ahead-Reprise/ Proud Of Your Boy).
In the palace, Jafar plots with Iago to become Sultan as Jasmine rejects Prince Abdullah, and the Sultan declares that she must marry by the next moon. Frustrated and annoyed, Jasmine confides in her attendants, and friends, Isir, Manal & Rajah. They encourage her to open up to experiences outside of the palace (These Palace Walls). As Jasmine disguises herself and leaves to take their advice, Jafa and Iago invoke an incantation, which through a Spooky Voice reveals that Aladdin is the key to finding a magic lamp that will give Jafar the power to become Sultan.
Back in the marketplace, Aladdin and his friends stage a show hoping to earn some money (Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim). When Aladdin notices the seemingly out-of-place Jasmine there, her offers to show her around, but Jasmine unthinkingly takes an apple from a vendor, catching the attention of the guards. The two of them escape together and share their mutual experiences of feeling trapped. The guards discover where they are and detain them, leading Jasmine to reveal herself to be the Princess. She is escorted back to the place but vows to get Aladdin released.
However, Jafar and Iago, disguised, pay off the guards and take Aladdin to the Cave of Wonders. The Cave speaks and is instructed to fetch only the lamp from within. Once inside the cave, Aladdin is distracted by the treasures and gets trapped inside! That is until he rubs the lamp, releasing the all-powerful Genie (Friend Like Me). The Genie helps him escape and, granting the first of his three wishes, transforms him into Prince Ali Ababwa, so Aladdin can attempt to win Jasmine’s heart.
Back at the palace, Jafar, thinking that Aladdin is still trapped in the cave, informs the despondent Jasmine that the boy’s sentence has already been carried out. Just then, Aladdin and his friends make a grand entrance as Prince Ali (Prince Ali), but the way he is offends Jasmine and she storms off. Aladdin, frustrated, lashes out at his friends who abandon him and leave. Aladdin decides to try and gain Jasmine’s trust, arriving outside her balcony and inviting her on a magic carpet ride (A Whole New World). He says his farewells, but is arrested by Jafar for trespassing in the Princess’s private chambers. Omar, who has come back to help Aladdin, witnesses the arrest and runs to tell the others. They all pledge to help him (High Adventure), but they too are arrested as they try to storm the palace. So Aladdin uses his second wish and the Genie frees them all.
After this, Aladdin vows to tell Jasmine the truth, but changes his mind when she tells him he will become Sultan after they are married. Unsure of his own moral character and ability, Aladdin fears he might need to use his third wish to succeed as a ruler. The disappointed Genie turns his back on Aladdin and goes back into the lamp. Aladdin weighs up his options and runs off to tell Jasmine the truth. He leaves the lamp behind, which Jafar and Iago happily take!
At the wedding, Jafar reveals Price Ali’s true identity (Prince Ali-Reprise) and demands Genie make him Sultan instead. However, Aladdin tricks him into wishing to become the most powerful genie of all time, so, forever, trapping him inside his own lamp. Finally able to use his last wish, Aladdin frees Genie. The Sultan, so moved by Aladdin’s courage and Jasmine’s wisdom, decides to alter the law so the she can rule Agrabah, and marry whoever she chooses. She of course picks Aladdin, and they, and all the Agrabah’s live happily, and freely, ever after (Finale)
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