Every time a show changes principal cast members it can be said to be the end of an era, especially if that cast member is one of the original company. But this truly is a once in a life time as Jonathan Freeman bids goodbye to a role he not only originated on stage a decade ago, but to a role he first brought to life thirty years ago in the original animated Aladdin.
If you can sum up his performance in a word, it is simply "iconic". If you closed your eyes you would think you were watching the movie. His voice, and that incredible laugh, as captivating now as they were when I was a child. Open your eyes though, and it's not just his voice. His looks, his body language, he is Jafar. As I wrote in my original review back in 2014 "Jonathan knows the character inside and out, he knows what makes him tick, his mannerisms and his psychosis and he uses this to great effect, bringing the character to life as well on stage as he did on screen."
As Jafar he brought joy to so many who got to witness their childhood come to life before their very eyes. And as he introduced others to his villainous vizier for the first time. His partnership with Don Darryl Rivera's Iago is one of the highlights of the show, with the villainous duo easily topping my list as Disney's greatest stage villains.
But all good things must end, and after a decade of plotting and scheming as Agrabah's treacherous vizier on stage, and three decades of giving him voice, Jonathan certainly deserves a well earned rest. Well... kind of end. Jonathan has already confirmed that he will continue to provide Jafar's voice so we've not heard the last of him just yet. All that remains is for me to say thank you. That movie and this show both changed my life, and getting to see you bring Jafar to life in person is something I will treasure forever. I feel blessed to have met you and seen you perform. Happy trails Jonathan, thank you for all the wonderful memories and best wishes for whatever the future may hold.
And you can tell it truly is the end of an era as several major theatrical site have carried out exit interviews with our favourite Disney villain! I've tried to link all of them here.
New York Daily News (via Yahoo)
Playbill
D23
Broadway.com
TheaterMania
I just want to end with this quote from Jonathan from those interviews: "It's such a great character. It's quintessentially awful. He's so disgracefully awful. So deliciously awful. Without a villain, you don't have a good story. They're like gasoline that make the stories go."
UPDATE - Disney Theatrical have shared Jonathan's final bow and his passing of the snake staff to Dennis Stowe in a video posted to the official Aladdin Instagram which you can see below!
