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This is the story
Of a love that flourished
In a time of hate

Of lovers no tyranny could separate
Love set into motion on the Nile’s shore
Destiny ignited by the act of war

The song “Every Story is a Love Story” begins one of the best Broadway shows I have ever seen. “Aida” has everything that a Disney Broadway show should have. It has a fantastic plot, amazing music and unbelievable stage designs, costumes and lighting. It is a love story with historic, comic and tragic moments to it. The show is unforgettable.

I had planned to see “Aida” for a long time. However, it was very difficult to get tickets for one of the most popular shows on Broadway. Fortunately, I was finally there—walking down Broadway from Penn Station to Times Square. It was a Saturday night and thousands of people surrounded me in the middle of the most famous city in the world. It was a very cold night, but people could not stop themselves from walking in Manhattan. That’s why I love Manhattan. Despite the weather, people are willing to leave their safe and warm homes and go out into the streets; thousands of them formed lines before each theater I passed. Every one of them looked as excited to see a Broadway show as I was.

As for me, I could not stop smiling. I was thinking to myself, “I am in New York City, and I am about to see ‘Aida’!” My excitement was building as I approached the Palace Theater. As I stood in the line of people who waited to get into the theater, I knew that it was going to be one of the memorable nights in my life.

I was right!

As soon as I sat in my seat, the music started playing and the curtains moved to the sides uncovering the stage. It was transformed into a museum room filled with Ancient memorabilia. At that moment, I felt as if I took a deep breath, which I held throughout the whole show. With that, a great journey started and lasted for two and half hours.

The plot goes as follows: Amneris (Felicia Finley), who is a part of an exhibit at the museum, brings us back to Ancient Egypt, where the story takes place. There we learn that she is a daughter of Pharaoh, and is about to be married to one of her father’s captains, Radames (Adam Pascal). The idea of marriage is proposed by Radames’ father Zoser (John Hickok), who is slowly poisoning Pharaoh and wants his son to become the heir to the throne. Meanwhile, Radames returns from one of his conquests and brings with him many slaves from the bordering country of Nubia. Among the slaves is Aida (Simone), a Nubian princess, whose background is unknown to anyone.

Radames gives Aida to his future wife, Amneris, as a gift. Soon after, Radames discovers his feelings for Aida, and Aida falls in love with him as well. The story gets really complicated when Aida’s father Amonasro (Tyrees Allen), the king of Nubia, is caught by the Egyptian army and sentenced to death. Aida finds herself torn between the love of her life and the honor and respect of her people. Will Aida’s and Radames’ love survive? I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I can give my word that it is worth waiting for.

The greatest part of the show was its stage design. The set design was fabulous. Bob Crowley did an amazing job, the best that can be done in theater. “Aida” is filled with visual masterpieces. It begins with an Egyptian eye motif, which opens with fire, and moves to a swimming pool scene, an outrageous fashion show and a boat sailing. It ends with the narrowing of the pupil of an eye. The stage design leaves the audience breathless.

The brilliant lighting of Natasha Katz and original costumes of Bob Crowley are another reason to see the show. The fantastic fashion show is unforgettable. The colorful lights are breathtaking. And the laser lights used to present the pyramids are one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in theater.

All the actors take their roles very seriously. Even though some major roles are not played by the original actors, the new actors are still worth seeing. Simone as Aida is more than wonderful. Adam Pascal as Radames, one of the original actors that stayed on, is fantastic in his role. Felicia Finley as Amneris sings beautifully with passion and devotion. She is a good actress, and she brings Amneris to life. She is also the one that brought comedy into the show.

The major roles were not the only ones that presented opportunities for masterpieces in acting. There was Delisco as passionate Mereb, John Hickok as evil Zoser, Graeme Malcolm as sick Pharaoh, Anika Ellis as devoted Nehebeka, Tyrees Allen as the king of Nubia, Amonasro, and many more. All of them caught my attention, and played their parts well.

Of course the music and the lyrics must be mentioned, when talking about “Aida.” “Aida” was originally written as an opera. However, Elton John’s music, and Tim Rice’s lyrics changed it into a breathtaking musical. If you enjoy Elton John’s music, you will for sure enjoy “Aida.” The lyrics tell the story of Aida and Radames in a beautiful way; without them, the show would not be as unforgettable. All the actors sing beautifully. The lyrics that Aida and Radames sang to each other took my breath away. I had goose bumps each time they started singing.

Disney’s “Aida” is a show that catches the attention of people of different ages, lifestyles, and backgrounds. Even though it is a love story, everyone can enjoy it. It is a love story, but a love story with a tragic end, which is not as tragic as one would think. It is a love story, but a love story filled with hatred, passion, devotion, betrayal, and forbidden feelings.

When the curtains fell onto the stage, and people started leaving the theater, I needed a few minutes to come back to reality. I was so into the story of Aida that I felt as if I was there, in Ancient Egypt. I left the theater with feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. I’d seen “Aida”, the show I had wanted to see for such a long time. I stood before the theater among many people who’d left it with me and took a deep breath filled with New York City air. I looked at the people that passed me, and I thought about Aida. I was thinking that so much, yet so little has changed since the time of Ancient Egypt. War, life, love, hatred, betrayal, devotion, forbidden feelings, and passion are all still among us, today, in New York City.

I started walking down Broadway…