Thankful for Theatre

The cast of Broadway's Aladdin celebrated 1,001 performances in August, Photo by Playbill

What a year it's been!  As a fan of Disney Theatrical and especially Aladdin it's been an incredible 2016 and there's so much to be thankful for!  With new productions opening to rave reviews here in the UK and in Australia, the original Broadway production celebrating 1,001 magical shows right in the heart of New York, and the superb Disney's Broadway Hits concert premiering at the Royal Albert Hall last month it's been a truly magical year!

Trevor Dion Nicholas as Genie in London's Aladdin, Photo by Deen Van Meer

I say this every year but it always bears repeating - I am so thankful for Disney Theatrical taking a chance and bringing Aladdin not just to Broadway but all around the world.  Of course this year I'm extra thankful that the show came to my home country, opening in London, and for all the success its had here!  I've not been able to see it as much as I would have liked this year, but I've loved it every time I've been, and I'm definitely planning to go more next year!

Once again, I'm so grateful for all the incredible people who bring the show to life every day all over the world, from the cast and creative team to the front of house staff and all the people behind the scenes who make live theatre possible.  The phenomenal casts of this show continue to amaze me, not only with their talent but with how welcoming they are after the show.  They really are some of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet.  I know this is true on Broadway and in London, and from social media I know it's true around the world as well.  These people make the show what it is and I'm so grateful to them.

Ainsley Melham & Arielle Jacobs as Aladdin & Jasmine in Sydney's Aladdin, Photo by Deen Van Meer

The last few years at Thanksgiving I've recounted my experiences with the show and how thankful I am for them (even that time I thought I'd die of embarrassment giving a one man standing ovation after Friend Like Me!).  I do hope to write a post like that later this year and I am so grateful for everything from the hug Trevor Dion Nicholas gave Jane and I after Aladdin's first London Preview to seeing Adam and Courtney again on Broadway to being in the audience at the Royal Albert Hall as Alan Menken sang Proud of Your Boy (oh there were tears!).  For me, it's been an amazing year.  But this year has also been one of the most divisive in recent memory on both sides of the Atlantic.  Whichever side of the debate you were on in the EU Referendum and the US Election, there's no denying it got pretty ugly.  It showed us at our worst.  Which is why, this year I want to say not just that I'm thankful for Aladdin and Disney Theatrical, I'm thankful for theatre.  I'm thankful for the way theatre and the theatrical community celebrates diversity, bringing together people of all backgrounds, races, religions, genders and sexual orientations to create art, to educate, entertain and uplift everyone who enters a theatre.  As we look forward to a hopefully more unify 2017 it's a lesson that everyone can learn from, to come together and create something beautiful.  Because when we do come together, embracing our differences and celebrating what makes us unique, there's no telling what we can accomplish.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

The cast of Disney's Broadway Hits, Photo by Manuel Harlan

Aladdin Musical News 2016

Hello and welcome to the first Aladdin musical news post of 2016! (Last week's 2015 round up totally doesn't count!)

With this being a new year and Aladdin soaring to international success I figured it was time to make a few changes to the way I've done things before and make these posts a bit more organised than they've been in the past... or at least try to!

Aladdin Broadway - Show News

First up, show news!  Any news about the show, like the recent GMA sing off with the cast of The Lion King or any cast changes/contract extensions, will be featured here.

So let's start on some fantastic news!  Aladdin rang in the New Year by breaking the New Amsterdam house record for the 11th time, taking $2,398,110.00 and beating the previous record, set only the week before, by over $300,000!  Aladdin's record breaking run made it the 3rd highest-grossing show of 2015!  Massive congratulations to the cast, creative team and everyone at the New Amsterdam Theatre who bring this magical show to life!  What an incredible way to start the year!

And New Year, new cast member!  Please give a warm Agrabah welcome to Giuseppe Bausilio who joined the cast on 6th January!!  Welcome to the show Guiseppe, I wish you a fantastic run!

As well as looking forward, New Year is also a time to look back and reflect on the year that was.  And that's exactly what Disney Theatrical did with this video of their Best Moments of 2015;

Aladdin Broadway - Cast News

This section will feature everyone's favourite citizens of Agrabah!  The amazingly talented cast of Broadway's Aladdin!  Here you'll find links to interviews, news about upcoming performances and maybe even a few videos!

Adam Jacobs sang the National Anthem at the Brooklyn Nets V. Boston Celtics game earlier this month.  Sadly it's not turned up on YouTube yet but I'll keep looking!  Congratulations Adam!

Courtney Reed as Princess Jasmine, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

At the end of last year Courtney Reed was interviewed for Forbes about being a Disney Princess and a role model for the next generation.

Think I missed this last year - James Monroe Iglehart appeared on the Shock and Awesome podcast to discuss development of Genie for Broadway and his comic book obsession!

Clifton Davis was recently photographed by Brent Dundore as part of his Broadway Legacy series and next month will have his new film released, Prayer Never Fails.  You can see the trailer for it below;

Aladdin's Rodney Ingram recently appeared on NBC news in a feature on Latino success on Broadway.

Aladdin's Nathan Lucrezio has released tribute video to Michael Flatley showcasing his incredible dancing skills!

As someone with two left feet I wish I could move like that!  Absolutely amazing!

And if you need any more reasons to love this totally crazy, but totally amazing, cast then just check out these pictures and videos from Courtney's Instagram showing just when the cast get up to in their rehearsal breaks!  Here and here!

Aladdin Broadway - Creative Team News

Want to know what Aladdin's incredible creative team did next?  Well this is the section for you.  Expect lots of Alan Menken updates to dominate this section!

Speaking of Alan Menken - you are watching ABC's Galavant, right?  If not then check it out!  It's hilarious!!  A weekly dose of Menken/Slater music can't help but make you smile!

And Alan was also Lin-Manuel Miranda's special guest for the first ever digital #Ham4Ham performance!  You can check out their brilliant Little Mermaid medley below;

On Tuesday 19th January the Metropolitan Room will be host to Gone to Soon - Now and Forever an evening of Howard Ashman celebrating the life and music of the musical genius who helped inspire generations.  You can read more about the event and purchase tickets here.

Hot off the success of Aladdin in 2014 and  Something Rotten! last year, Casey Nicholaw is bringing Tuck Everlasting to Broadway this Spring!  Tuck also reunites Casey with his original Omar, Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Newsies, Submissions Only), who starred in the successful Atlanta pilot last year.  Previews are due to begin 31st March with Opening Night set for 26th April.  If his previous shows are anything to go by then this will be a hit!

Aladdin Broadway - Old Friends

They may no longer be with the show, but they'll always be in our hearts.  This section is for news and updates on those who have left Agrabah behind for new adventures.


Brian Gonzales, James Monroe Iglehart, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Adam Jacobs and Brandon O'Neill in 5th Avenue's Aladdin, Photo by Chris Bennion

Aladdin's original Kassim, Brandon O'Neill was nominated as Favorite Actor in a Musical by Twin Cities Theater Blogger Awards for his role in the Ordway Centre's production of The Pirates of Penzance!  And the Ordway's production of Pirates won the award for Favorite Musical!!  Congratulations to all involved!

Seattle's original Omar, Andrew Keenan-Bolger's novel 'Jack & Louisa' is out now in paperback!  Written with his Submissions Only partner Kate Wetherhead, 'Jack & Louisa' is described as "A show-stopping series about life in the spotlight".  It sounds like a real fun read!  And, as mentioned above, Andrew will be returning to Broadway this year in Casey Nicholaw's Tuck Everlasting!

Genie & Babkak's former Stand By Michael James Scott is currently starring in Casey Nicholaw's latest smash, Something Rotten!, and took some time out to talk with Broadway Box about why he loves the show and why Casey Nicholaw is his Broadway Genie!

Last week original Aladdin cast member Marisha Wallace and Nick Rashad Burroughs sold out their 54 Below show Baptized by Broadway!  Due to the overwhelming response Marisha's even hinted that they could do another show!  Congratulations both!!

Aladdin International

After becoming "the surprise hit of the season" on Broadway Aladdin has continued to soar to a whole new world of success.  Last year saw productions open in Tokyo and Hamburg and this year will see new productions opening in London and Sydney with more still to be announced!  This section is all about the international productions of the show.  And I'll admit right now that it'll probably have a pretty heavy London bias as I can't wait to see that show!!

The Wall Street Journal this week posted an interesting piece on how Disney Theatrical is subtly tweaking the international productions of Aladdin to appeal to their national audiences (like renaming Kassim to Kasser in Germany as nothing rhymes with Kassim!)

You can check out footage from the Tokyo production right here;

The Hamburg production;

And finally, some interviews and footage from Hamburg's Opening Night last month;

London's Aladdin, Dean John-Wilson, made What's On Stage's list of "11 faces to look out for in 2016"!  Congratulations Dean!

With Aladdin due to open in London in a few short months, London Theatre Direct took a look at some little known facts about the animated classic and the Broadway sensation.  You can read Part 1 and Part 2 right here.

Other Disney Stuff!

And finally this section.  With the cast album coming up next week (so hyped!) I'm expecting this section to be mostly about The Hunchback of Notre Dame for now, but we'll just see what happens in the future.  After all, I'm sure Disney Theatrical have lots of exciting projects coming up and there's a live action Beauty and the Beast movie coming next year.

Hunchback's Esmeralda and upcoming Legends of Tomorrow star Ciara Renee has started her own blog which you can read right here!

And now for something very special.  Last weekend saw the curtain fall for the final time on Disney's Californian Adventure's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular.  The Orange County Register was there to talk with fans as the magic carpet soared away for the last time.  This is one of those shows I always wanted to see.  It was one of the reasons I wanted to go to the original Disneyland one day.  My friend posted this to my Facebook page this week (they know me so well!) so now I'm going to leave you with the full last ever performance of Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular!

Disney's Aladdin Premieres in Hamburg Tonight!

Richard-Salavador Wolff as Aladdin, Photo by Disney

Hamburg will literally be lit up purple tonight as it celebrates the European Premiere of Disney's Aladdin!

Hamburg lights up for Aladdin

Schmidt's Tivoli Theatre, Stage Entertainment's headquarters, Hotel Port of Hamburg, The Fairmont Hotel Four Seasons Hamburg, the Hotel Sofitel Hamburg and, of course, Aladdin's new home, the Stage Theater Neue Flora, will all light up with a royal purple glow tonight in celebration of Disney's latest musical masterpiece!

And check out the incredible magic lamp that they made for the theatre!  How amazing is that?!

I just want to wish the cast, crew and creative team of Hamburg's Aladdin the very best of luck for a magical opening night!  Make magic everyone, you're about to start an incredible high adventure!

Richard-Salvador Wolff and Enrico de Pieri as Aladdin and Genie with the cast of Aladdin, Photo by Disney

Tickets are available from Stage Entertainment's website!

Aladdin to Premiere in Germany!

Last week, on 29th October, Disney Theatrical and Stage Entertainment officially announced that the European Premiere of the new Broadway production of Aladdin will take place at The Stage Theatre Neue Flora in Hamburg, Germany in Fall 2015.

"The heart and humor of the timeless tale of Aladdin, the Genie and the three wishes are loved worldwide across all cultural boundaries for generations.  We look forward, with Casey Nicholaw's spectacular staging, to years of successful partnership with Stage Entertainment to add another highlight." said Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher.

Uschi Neuss of Stage Entertainment Germany added "We are delighted to be able to pick the next big Disney hit to Germany after the incredible success of The Lion King and Tarzan.  Hamburg is a musical capital and the perfect location for the European Premiere ... Aladdin is the ideal addition to our portfolio in the Hanseatic city"

Robert Langer, Country Manager for The Walt Disney Company in Germany agreed, "The enthusiasm for Disney musicals in Germany is exceptional.  We are extremely pleased that Aladdin will experience its European Premiere here with us.  On Broadway the spectacular production of Disney Theatrical Group is celebrating great success and we are proud to now offer this unique live experience to the German public."

My German is very limited (ok, non existent) so please accept my apologises if the above quotes are a little off.

More details can now be found on the show's official website and tickets are now on sale with performances starting on 15th December 2015.


Wow, that's two international announcements in two months!  According to Thomas Schumacher there are five international productions in the works so there's still three more to be announced!  It's an exciting time to be an Aladdin fan no matter where in the world you are!