I am going to Chicago next week. My host is taking me to "Aida" with Elton John. Or, Elton John has something to do with it. What is this - a concert or a play?

A musical. Go to:
http://disney.go.com/disneyonbroadway/aida/aidam.htm

By the way, this is a brand new musical (from a very old story, obviously) and there is a lot of anticipation about it, so I would love to hear how it is if you would post a report upon your return.

It is a pop musical with music by Elton John based on the opera AIDA. I saw it when it premiered in Atlanta, but it has had a major overhaul since then. The two female leads are the same and the male lead was one of the original cast members of RENT. Heather Hedley who plays Aida is wonderful! When it was in Atlanta they had lots of technical problems with the set-hopefully this is fixed by now.

We have tickets for Elton John/Disney version of Aida in NYC next month.

Would appreciate comments on what to expect from anyone attending the Chicago performances.

Disney site is not very helpful, not surprised, as it's primarily advertisement.

Thanks in advance and appreciate all the advice received from searching previous forum topics.

The advanced "buzz" on Aida has been mixed. One reason why perhaps you couldn't find anything about the show on the Disney website is possibly because the company is downplaying its involvement with the show for a key reason: They don't want people to think it's an ideal show for kids like Beauty and the Beauty and the Beast is. It's not! And, they're concerned that people with think it is because of the Disney name. If you look at the ads for Aida, you will not see the Disney name because of that.

Thank you Howard. Had early mixed reviews from the Chicago opening in November, but decided to take a chance on it anyway. Hoping someone might have attended and had some news. I'll be watching the NY media for its NY opening (should be about now).

We saw it in Chicago after Thanksgiving. Our party included five children aged 9 to 19, all of whom loved it. It is an easy-to-follow re-telling of the old love triangle story. On the whole it was entertaining, though some elements were less so. Heather Headley (Aida) is fabulous, with an incredible voice and a very passionate stage persona. One of our critics here characterized the male lead (who was in Rent previously) as "emoting as if he were in a show called 'I am a Teenage Egyptian Warrior.'" The woman who played the Egyptian princess had the hardest job, since the show was having a hard time deciding if she was a Valley girl or a tragic figure. Staging was pretty good, but I'm not sure if they solved the problem with the tomb they had in Act 2. I'd say worth seeing for Heather Headley alone, so you can say you saw her early in her career!

We have tickets to see "Aida" at the end of March in NYC. Will Heather Headley be cast in the NY show?

Carol, I can answer that one for you. Yes, Heather Headley is in the NY cast, and yes, the advanced word that she is, indeed, great.

We saw the show in Chicago way back in November -- the second night of previews. To answer your question about Elton John, he is not in it; he co-wrote it with Tim Rice.

I don't want to cloud your experience with my opinion -- everyone is reacting to it differently -- but I'll give it anyway!

My husband and I were disappointed with the show -- mainly the story, which I felt was nowhere near sophisticated enough to be headed for Broadway. The serious story line was treated too "campily" for my taste. However, like every one else here, we thought Heather Headley was fantastic, and worth the experience alone. The first song in the second act was also a highlight.

The night we attended there was a serious mishap about 10 minutes before the end. Without giving any plot away, a set piece holding Heather and the male lead, which was about 20 feet off the stage on a hydraulic lift, crashed back down to the stage and the actors were thrown out. It was a sickening feeling to sit and watch while stage hands rushed in and people called out "is there a doctor in the house?" The actors didn't move from the heap they were tossed in -- not a muscle -- for a good five minutes, so it appeared they were seriously injured. My husband insisted we leave, while I wanted to see if they were going to be OK. We did leave, missing the ending, but fortunately we heard the next day that they had only suffered bruises and would carry on after just two days off! The special effect in question was "grounded" for future performances.

Our opinion of the show was not negatively affected due to this accident; we had both already decided it wasn't up to our expectations before it happened. Like I said, I think audiences are split about 50-50 between liking it and not. Hope you enjoy it, and think of me during the gripping first song of the second act!