Monday 7 November 2011

It's All So Magical

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Chris Bennion
Just a quick update today, as I found this video on youtube and just had to share!  Adam Jacobs talks with Stage Rush about playing Aladdin in Aladdin: The New Stage Musical.


And if you can get to New York make sure to check out The Lion King where Adam is currently starring as Simba!  And TONIGHT (sorry for the late notice) he is performing in PhilDev Celebrates Broadway: Suites by Sondheim alongside the original Princess Jasmine, Lea Salonga!  The event starts at 7:30pm at the Alice Tully Hall at 1941 Broadway (65th street between Broadway and Amsterdam) and tickets are still available here and I'm assuming at the box office as well.  This is a benefit concert with all proceeds going to the Philippine Development Foundation, so if you can get there at such short notice make sure you go, you'll hear some great music performed by very talented artists and help a good cause all at the same time.

Sunday 6 November 2011

Genie! My Second Wish!

Whilst I've been away the second venue staging a production of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical next year has been announced as The Muny in St. Louis.


"The Muny announces its line-up for the 94th season in Forest Park, the first for new Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. The summer 2012 season introduces 4½ musicals new to the Muny stage and includes several re-imagined classics.

The 2012 Season is:
The Muny production of Disney’s ALADDIN
CHICAGO
DREAMGIRLS
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR® DREAMCOAT
THE KING AND I
PIRATES! (or, Gilbert & Sullivan Plunder’d)
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE


"I'm excited by my first Muny season," commented Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. "Stylistically and musically there's something for everyone. Each of these shows is terrifically entertaining."
"I'm also thrilled to include 4½ Muny production premieres," he continued. "Disney's Aladdin, Chicago, Dreamgirls and Thoroughly Modern Millie have never been produced by The Muny. And Pirates! is a marvelous new spin on the Gilbert and Sullivan original, The Pirates of Penzance, which The Muny has produced twice before. I'm counting that as half a premiere."

"I am really looking forward to this season," commented President and CEO Denny Reagan. "I've been at The Muny for a long time, and never have I felt such a strong surge of new energy. We are committed to maintaining the wonderful Muny experience our audiences expect, and there are going to be some exciting changes this summer!"

New season tickets will be available beginning Saturday, March 3, 2012 at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park. Single tickets will go on sale Saturday, June 2, 2012."

The Muny's website also goes on to state;

The Muny premiere of Disney's
ALADDIN
July 5 - 13
Following upon the fantastic success of the Muny production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Muny presents its premiere of Disney's Aladdin. The Muny production will be only the third production of this new stage musical adapted from the beloved animated feature to be produced anywhere in the world. Disney's Aladdin features the favorite movie characters and all of the beloved songs from the film’s Oscar®-winning score, plus never-before heard Menken/Ashman songs restored from early drafts of the film. Variety hailed this new full-length stage version of Aladdin as "fresh, funny and very entertaining."

As with the Tuacahn production it's very unlikely that any of the original Seattle cast will be involved in this production, but stay tuned for more news on this exciting production as we head into next year.


And finally, sorry I've been away for so long!  As long time readers will know, I got married this summer but we delayed our honeymoon until the very end of September as we wanted to be in the Magic Kingdom for their 40th Anniversary celebrations on 1st October.  We had an amazing 3 week honeymoon in Walt Disney World, and on an Aladdin note it was fantastic to see all of the Aladdin characters out in the park for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!  We also got an amazing Aladdin sketch from The Art of Disney in EPCOT.  But the most magical Aladdin moment was seeing Aladdin and Jasmine take a little girl on The Flying Carpets of Aladdin ride, I honestly thought that was something Disney only did for promotional videos so it was amazing to see it in real life.