I'm so looking forward to this, but I just saw the teaser of Prince Ali - which is one of the BEST songs in the whole show - and I was slightly unimpressed.
It's decent but, (a) Will Smith's voice isn't quite as booming and lyrical as I'd like, (b) the set seems a little small scale. To the last point, this scene has to be utterly massive with the appearance of thousands of people in a huge city but it just seems a little basic / budget. Also, the costuming should have been a little more historically accurate. I know this is supposed to be a Disney film but the impact could have been more POW with the dichotomy of this wonderful Menken & Ashman score against a Caesarian entrance. The principal characters (Aladdin, Jasmine, Jafar, Genie, the Sultan) should have extravagant, colorful costumes to set them apart and make them stand-out from an historically correct backdrop.
Also, the line "WHEN IT COMES TO EXOTIC TYPE MAMMALS" should not be a rush of ostriches, that's not MASSIVE. In the original they had a parade balloon. I wouldn't have done that but I would have had a gigantic towering Sphinx walking along with numerous caretakers holding it on chains. The Sphinx would be ferocious and fearsome but would only be seen for those seven words.
But I'll wait to see the whole number before I cast judgment as to whether it can compare to the original.
