“But I think it’s a great idea to have the opportunity to see the original and the modern version.” Harmon admits that she has not seen the Verdi opera. It’s a beautiful story about how love does conquer all.” “Although it is sad, our version, like other Disney musicals, ends with a little twist that leaves the audience contented with how it turned out. “Yes, we are enclosed in a tomb to die.” she says. “She has this fashion-show number called “My Strongest Suit’ that is incredibly funny.”Īnd then there’s the other side of the coin. “It’s so much fun,” Harmon says, chuckling. The audience is receiving very well.”Īs for Aida’s rival, Harmon calls the pharaoh’s daughter “comic relief.” We are not dressed in traditional Egyptian robes,” she says. “Our producers wanted a contemporary spin. Replicas of Egyptian artifacts are set on movable pedestals to create different scenes, and costumes are unlike those seen in the opera or the original Broadway production, she reports. The set is made of brushed aluminum and features giant portals. The touring company has a 60-member cast and crew, and includes an orchestra with three pianists, two guitarists, two percussionists and a wind and string section.Īccording to Harmon, unlike Verdi’s opera, the musical is set in contemporary times, on a dreamscape set. “Most come from Alvin Ailey backgrounds.” But despite the youthfulness of the cast, “our ensemble of dancers is amazing,” she adds. “It’s the first national tour for all of the principals,” she notes. Harmon, who just turned 24, speaks brightly and confidently during a call from Florida in a voice that suggests a formidable vocal talent. Stringer says that the actors, while relatively young, have extensive resumes, particularly Marja Harmon, who will play Aida. The updated version has added several characters, including Zoser, Radames’ father, and Mereb, a fellow slave who acts as Aida’s confidante. “The tomb in our set is more symbolic than anything else,” he hints. Stringer says that the pop version, though it follows Verdi’s tale in spirit, ends “more meaningfully.” However he would not disclose the final twist in the Rice/John production. Heartbroken, Aida joins him in his tomb so they might be together for eternity. The plot thickens, and Radames is condemned to death as a traitor. Both are in love with heroic soldier Radames, but Radames has eyes only for Aida. “Aida’s” plot pits the title character against her mistress, Amneris. “Children as young as 8 or 10 can understand the storyline.Īlso, the pharaoh’s daughter, Amneris, is just a little bit kinder,” he adds, although she still condemns to death Radames, the man she desires but cannot have. And though it remains a tragedy, the Rice/John version is a little more “family friendly,” says Stringer.
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