Aladdin (Disney Theatrical)

Australia may not have its own equivalent of the West End or Broadway, but that doesn't mean musical theatre lovers Down Under aren't as fiercely discerning as their British and American counterparts.

Thanks to the steady succession of imported juggernaut productions - Les Miserables, The Lion King, Matilda, Kinky Boots and Book of Mormon, to name only a handful of the recent smash hits to grace our stages - Australian theatregoers have been well and truly spoiled, and as such, their expectations are sky high when a new show rolls into town. Arriving in Melbourne this week after its successful Sydney season, Disney Theatrical's Aladdin had a very big reputation to live up to, and it certainly didn't disappoint.

As far as spectacle is concerned, this impossibly opulent production is everything you could wish for; a veritable (and literal) cave of wonders packed with more show-stopping choreography, crystal encrusted costumes, dazzling pyrotechnics and high-energy charisma than you can shake a magic lamp at.

Directed by Broadway legend Casey Nicholaw, every bell and whistle in the book can be found in this production. With sets more gilded than Donald Trump's toilet, jaw-dropping technical effects (the most impressive coup de theatre, the flying carpet, defies all logic), and performances so luminous they're very likely visible from space, Disney has turned out a production better heeled than any Australia has seen in years.

But this show's greatest riches are its shining, shimmering and splendid principal cast. As Aladdin, home-grown talent Ainsley Melham's fine vocals, tight dancing and excess of charm make his performance a joy to watch. British-born Hiba Elchikhe is as lovely a Disney Princess as you could ask for, with bright, crystal clear vocals. Her Jasmine is perhaps a little under-headstrong (more a fault with the sparsely-written role than the performance itself), but the chemistry between her and Melham is undeniably magnetic.

Easily the stand-out performance of the night comes from Michael James Scott as the Genie. This American show-stealer, imported for Aladdin's debut Australian tour, has an unfathomable amount of energy, and every ounce of this va-va-voom is vividly applied to making his performance as jaw-dropping as possible; a spontaneous standing ovation after the show's most lavish number, Friend Like Me, is an indication of how remarkable Scott is. Bringing a fresh, contemporary spin to this character, his megawatt sass adds an infusion of urban swagger, in a performance peppered with strategically added local references to win over the home crowd.

This 2014, Broadway-made stage adaptation of the animated 1992 film, which featured the voice of the late, great Robin Williams as the genie, is not so much a literal live action remake as it is an homage to its cinematic source material. There is plenty that's familiar - the biggest hits from the movie's Oscar-winning soundtrack are all present and correct - but there are also several departures for both narrative and practical reasons. Gone is Aladdin's monkey sidekick Abu, replaced by a trio of loveable rogues, Kassim (Adam-Jon Fiorentino), Babkak (Troy Sussman) and Omar (Robert Tripolino), who act as Aladdin's faithful besties. Sardonic talking parrot Iago, the animal familiar of the villainous Jafar - portrayed with pantomimic flare by Adam Murphy - is replaced with a diminutive henchman (played by Aljin Abella), complete with plenty of avian-themed shtick as a knowing reminder of the substitution.

By and large, there's no doubt this show is a knockout success. However, all that glitters is not golden and there are a few problematic stumbling blocks. The book is at times wincingly corny and trades the character development that might invite an audience to be more emotionally invested for cheesy, superficial razzle-dazzle. Those concerned with a more sophisticated reading of this show might bemoan its under-written, two-dimensional depictions of women, that blunt some of the film incarnation's messages about female empowerment. But, for anyone after some uncomplicated escapism, there's no denying that Aladdin is a stellar night out. If you let your heart decide, this show delivers a night of unbelievable sights and indescribable feelings.

Disney Theatrical presents Aladdin till 22 Oct at Her Majesty's Theatre.