David Bintley’s ALADDIN – New National Theatre Tokyo, National Ballet of Japan

Much loved by children of all ages, Aladdin and his adventures are here brought to life in a glittering production, featuring lavish sets and costumes, stunning special effects and beautiful choreography. Expect extra magic when the Djinn of the Lamp appears from a cave of dancing jewels with a larger-than-life Chinese lion. Created by David Bintley for the National Ballet of Japan in 2008, this production has been a favourite with Japanese audiences (this is the fourth revival), while also winning a place in the repertoire of Birmingham Royal Ballet and Houston Ballet. Bintley succeeds in presenting a familiar story with great clarity, whilst finding rich allusions to the nineteenth century classical form. It was Carl Davis’s score that convinced Bintley – listening on a single car journey – to make this ballet. The music captivates throughout, detailed in its description of the scènes d’action and lusciously romantic for the pas de deux. While it is widely recognized as an Arabian story, the tale of Aladdin in Arabian Nights is set in China. This production depicts him as a Chinese descendant in Old Arabia and beautifully incorporates Chinese elements including Lion and Dragon dances with settings inspired by the Arabian world. The stage designs by Dick Bird are magnificent, starting in a lively Arabian town square complete with fortune-tellers and merchants. Bintley, Bird and costume designer Sue Blane are much influenced by Chinese design, seen in the dragon and the palace interior. Aladdin and his mother’s clothes show that they are also Chinese, which helps to set the story at a cultural crossroads. With a magic carpet ride before the happy ending, David Bintley’s Aladdin is a spectacle for whole-family viewing. Full performance streamed on OperaVision from 20 September 2024 at 19:00 CET to 20 March 2025 at 12:00 CET: CAST Aladdin Yudai Fukuoka Princess Badr al-Budur Ayako Ono The Maghrib Masahiro Nakaya The Djinn of the Lamp Takafumi Watanabe Aladdin’s Mother Misato Nakada Princess’s Father, the Sultan Shunya Nakajima Aladdin’s Friends Yoshito Kinoshita Kenta Hara Desert Winds Ai Kawaguchi Haruna Nakajima Yui Negishi Rui Tamai Momoka Hijikata Shanaya Kishiya Akiho Seki Hinako Tokunaga Onyx and Pearls Moeko Iino Haruka Soutome Aoi Hirose Yu Onodera Kazuki Sano Hiroyuki Uka Gold and Silver Atau Watanabe Naoko Asaeda Jaebum Cho Yuzaburo Shimizu Sapphire Risako Ikeda Ai Kawaguchi Ayano Akai Momoka Hijikata Tomoko Kato Emeralds Maiko Harada Yuko Masuda Mizuki Nakajima Rubies Yuri Kimura Shun Izawa Diamond Kasumi Okuda The National Ballet of Japan Princess’s Attendants Maiko Harada Ai Kawaguchi Yuko Masuda Yuzuki Hanagata Momoka Hijikata Tomoko Kato Guards, Djinn’s Entourage, Maghrib’s Harem, Dragon Dance The National Ballet of Japan Orchestra Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra Choreography Sir David Bintley Music Carl Davis Conductor Paul Murphy Sets Dick Bird Costumes Sue Blane Lights Mark Jonathan OperaVision is a freeview opera streaming platform, supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. Watch live streams as the performances themselves unfold in the opera house. Enjoy a variety of shows - including opera, operetta, musical theatre, dance, ballet and concerts. Opera connaisseur or curious newcomer, there is something for everyone on OperaVision. @operavision