Hill Central Brings ​“Aladdin Jr.” To Stage

Hill Central seventh grader Jilyenie Nieves had never seen the 1992 Disney musical Aladdin before she was cast to play the genie in her school’s first-ever musical production. Now, she feels ready to channel his goofy personality as she and her castmates prepare for opening night.

Nieves and dozens of her fellow Hill Central middle schoolers will be putting on Aladdin Jr. Friday night at 6 p.m. for the community to come out and watch. 

Despite several of the students having never actually watched the animated Disney film before the musical was announced in January, once Nieves seen the movie, she was able to channel her inner outgoing and cosmically powerful role of Genie. 

Hill Central educators Jaclyn Chiarelli and Becca Corbin worked out the final kinks in the production Thursday afternoon, as the group of 27 students completed their final dress rehearsal and tech practice.

Aladdin Jr. will be the first musical Hill Central has ever put on. Friday’s show begins at 6 p.m. and tickets can be bought at the door for $5 with cash only. Children under the age of 3 can enter for free. Cash, Venmo, and Cashapp will be accepted for flowers and snacks.

Before putting on their costumes and jumping onto the stage to run through the entire production for Thursday’s rehearsal, students first took 30 minutes to recharge with snacks.

Some students also played more than one role for the production. But not everyone was a performer: Several eighth graders made up the stage crew and handled setting up the stage, opening curtains, and controlling lights. 

The group began auditions for the production in January. At Friday’s show, flower bouquets and concession snacks will be sold to support the school’s goal of putting on another production next year.

Between directions to students, like ​“Don’t forget to listen and come out for your cues!” from Chiarelli and ​“Everybody in your opening spots please!” from Corbin, the teachers also helped students fix their inside-out ponchos and reread lines forgotten from the script. 

Chiarelli helped control music, reminding students that Skinner extended specific tracks earlier in the day Thursday and made it so they had more time during transitions. 

“Slow down, you have more time,” Chiarelli told eighth grader Jabeld Rodriguez, who plays Aladdin. 

“Louder,” Chiarelli called out occasionally from the audience of less than ten staff members and students who were watching Thursday’s practice. 

Students also helped each other while on stage by feeding each other lines that others forgot. 

Chiarelli reminded Jabeld, or Aladdin, not to turn his back to the audience when talking to Princess Jasmine, who is played by seventh-grader Kitziaely Mootie. She also encouraged the students to ​“make something up” and keep going if they forget their lines during the performance. 

During stage transitions, Corbin reminded the students, ​“Don’t look at chairs being moved.” 

Chiarelli noted that the production’s cast and crew is made up of several students with no previous theater experience. During auditions, no students were turned away.

Corbin added that the production’s students also vary academically. Chiarelli said this year’s program encouraged several students take their academics more seriously and improve their overall behavior in school.

This week is the first week the group has had time to practice during after-school hours. All other rehearsals had to be fit into the school day, which typically ended up being during Chiarelli and Corbin’s prep periods. 

The production also received tech support from Southern Connecticut State University theater professors Michael Skinner and Larry Nye. The production has been funded through donations from parents and educators who made purchases from an Amazon wishlist.

They also sold ads in their program, and Corbin and Chiarelli spent hours searching for props on Facebook marketplace.

“We’re exhausted, but we’re so excited,” Chiarelli said on Thursday.

Unlike some of his peers, sixth-grader Terrance Moore, who plays a resident of the city Agrabah, said Aladdin was one of his favorite movies when he was younger. 

His love for music and a past musical performance were the reasons he decided to audition for this year’s production. He added that musicals are important to have at school because ​“some people are shy, but here maybe they can overcome their fears.” 

Moore also filled in for a role during Thursday’s practice to challenge himself. 

Jilyenie Nieves, or Genie, also challenged herself when auditioning for the musical. While she was interested in singing, she worried about the dancing. 

“I always wanted to see and do a play,” Nieves said. 

Nieves said the production has offered her the chance to find new friends and talk to eighth graders she typically doesn’t meet. 

“I didn’t know I could express myself that far. I thought I wouldn’t be good at dancing, but I met so many people here that just keep me trying,” she said. 

She said theater helps kids be part of a community and express themselves, and she’s glad her school now has a drama program. It has also opened a new career path up to her. 

“Without this play, I wouldn’t be with any of the people that I’m with now. I grew a family with them,” she added. 

Her concluding advice to others interested in theater is to ​“let yourself out,” and ​“don’t be scared, even if there are people that you think will laugh at you, because those people couldn’t do it.” 

Despite her nerves in the beginning of the program, Nieves said that after Thursday’s practice, she feels ready to take the stage for show day with the goofy and fun personality of Genie. 

After Thursday’s rehearsal ended around 5:30 p.m., students took home a chicken, mashed potato, and corn dinner. 

Any additional donations for Hill Central’s new theater program can be made through Venmo: @JaclynChiarelli928