Montgomery student to perform as 'Aladdin' in the upcoming production of "Aladdin Jr.!"

Gab Harder dreams of the opportunity to travel and enjoy great adventures. He is much like his character, Aladdin, in the Spotlight Youth Theater production of “Aladdin, Jr”. This gives Gab a unique ability to portray Aladdin in this great adventure about life, love, and friendship.

Gab has performed in many shows. One of my favorites was a recent role as Jesus Christ in the production of Godspell. Through his hard work and dedication, Gab brought much passion to the role of Jesus Christ, making it one of the more powerful shows that I have had the pleasure of viewing. This weekend, Gab brings the character of Aladdin to new heights. In this role, he has learned how to “fly” on stage with the use of an intricate ropes system. Three characters fly in this show. Aladdin shares a magic carpet ride with the Genie, with whom he becomes great friends. Then later he shares another enchanted carpet ride with Jasmine, the girl he loves.

On a personal note, Gab is well liked by many of his peers. He knows how important it is to be a good friend and role model. Gab shared with me that there are several people in his life that he considers his role models. One of his first role models is his mom, a person he feels he often takes for granted. Gab’s mom has always been there for him, and no doubt she always will be. Another of Gab’s role models was a young man by the name of Pete Almeda. Pete had also performed in Spotlight as Aladdin in 2007, of which was Gab’s first Spotlight Youth Theater performance at the age of 11. During that time, someone was giving Gab a hard time. Pete had found out about it and stood up for Gab. This act of gentle kindness earned a lifelong respect for Pete. Sadly, Pete lost his life last year. Gab is dedicating his performance of Aladdin to Pete.

Gab lives at home in Montgomery, IL with his mom and three brothers. While not performing in Spotlight or doing his homework, he spends his time working at The Riverside Cafe in downtown Aurora. He also enjoys filming, creating fine art, and hanging out with his friends.

Please come and see Gab as he performs as Aladdin. Where Aladdin discovers a Whole New World. A World in which he learns about being true to himself, true love, and how to be a true friend.

Theater: Batavia HS Fine Arts Centre - 1201 Main Street (enter off Wilson), Batavia, IL

Performances are as follows:

Weekend shows:
Saturday, February 21st - 2:00 pm
Saturday, February 21st - 6:00 pm
Sunday, February 22nd - 3:00 pm

Online Tickets are as follows:
Adults- $12
Students (2-17)- $10
Seniors (62 and up)- $10
You may purchase your tickets up to three hours in advance of each performance. Tickets are selling fast, so order yours today!

To purchase online tickets please use the following link:
https://www.spotlight.org/gettickets.aspx?ss=518

Tickets purchased at the door are as follows:
Adults- $14
Students (2-17)- $12
Seniors- $12