Show of nostalgia from a 50s Aladdin

COLE Porter's musical version of Aladdin was first seen live on American TV in the 50s, before the score was mislaid in the song-writer's estate.

This Asian tour, with a New York cast, is its first showing since then. It has a whole new script, a lot of very hummable songs, and some good magical effects.

One day later, I'm still singing the catchy Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking ('If you want a bust of jade, or an egg that's more or less decayed') and wondering how they did the levitation trick.

Yet the show had more of a sense of 50s' nostalgia than of a musical for the 90s, despite the addition of rollerblades and a thoroughly modern genie.

As played by Shirley Diane Scott the genie was a petulant, jazzy, and above all romantic, supernatural being. She might have to obey anybody holding the lamp, but she'd be damned if she was going to pretend she approved if she didn't.

And when the magician (played by a flirtatiously wicked Kevin Ramsey) rubbed his lamp suggestively, she certainly had no intention of going along with his plans without arguing about them first.