Aladdin was a childhood superhero for Patrico Di Stabile, the guest artist who is to perform as Aladdin at Ballet Fantastique’s showing of “Aladdin: The Rock Opera.”
“Girls have Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and we have Aladdin,” Di Stabile said, “I want to be a superhero to the children who come.”
Di Stabile said he loves the story, and he can resonate with it too. “Aladdin was very poor, so he thought he had to be someone else; but in the end, Jasmine and him both learned that they just had to be themselves.”
Over Mother’s Day weekend, Ballet Fantastique will perform “Aladdin: The Rock Opera” with Queen’s music.
Ballet and music by Queen – Di Stabile himself said it was an unexpected combo, but he has explored ways that the character of Aladdin can be expressed through Queen’s music.
Hannah Bontrager, the executive director at the Ballet Fantastique and choreographer-producer for the show, said Queen’s music is “operatic, powerful and full of emotional depth. It tells stories that resonate,” she said. “While it’s not Mozart or Beethoven, Queen’s music is just as timeless. It’s artistic, accessible and unforgettable – just the kind of work we strive to create.”
One of Di Stabile’s favorite songs in the performance is “You Take My Breath Away,” which is the song where Aladdin and Jasmine get to dance for the first time in the show. He said the harmony in the song is amazing and recommended listening to it with headphones so “you will fly.” The song’s musical elements — melody, rhythm, lyrics and overall flow — bring the listeners a unique musical experience.
Another song Di Stabile is excited for is “Good Old-Fashioned Lover boy,” where Aladdin dances a solo. He likes the meaning of the song, and said it helps him keep up stamina since he is on the stage almost all the time during the show. Before a whole day of rehearsal, he goes to the gym by the studio to build the stamina he needs to dance through the show as Aladdin.
Di Stabile is from Argentina, which he said has one of the best arts and sports programs in the world. He grew up doing musical theater and used to dislike ballet lessons until it finally began to click.
He attended the School of Teatro Colón — one of the most prestigious ballet and arts schools in South America and the world — at the age of 14. He would wake up at 5 a.m. and start training around 7:30 a.m. The school provided everything for free, which gave him the opportunity to receive world-class training without jeopardizing his family’s financial situation.
Di Stabile moved to the United States four years ago and is currently on a tour around the world, performing in more than 15 countries. He is now in Eugene to deliver this unique collaboration of ballet and Queen at Ballet Fantastique.
Di Stabile’s good friend and former roommate, Jacob Amey, will be on the show as his friend, the monkey Abu. Isabelle Bloodgood will be Jasmine on Saturday, and Jenavieve Hernandez will be Jasmine on Sunday’s show.
The tickets are available through the Hult Center website, ranging from $22-$120 and $15-$65 for students and youth. Shows will be on Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 11 at 2:30 p.m.
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