Merwin Foard, Aladdin's Original Standby, Passes Away

Merwin Foard as Jafar (pictured with Don Darryl Rivera as Iago)

It was with great sadness that I learnt this week of the passing of Merwin Foard, who passed away on Monday aged 59.

A Charlotte native, Foard once told the Charlotte Observer "I've never had a normal job." Instead his job was bringing music and joy to millions around the world. Even if you've never seen him on stage, you've almost certainly heard his voice. Foard lent his impressive vocals to the ensembles of almost a dozen of Disney's animated features from Beauty and the Beast to Frozen Fever and, most notably, performed the singing voice for Aladdin's father Cassim in Aladdin and the King of Thieves.

Whether on tour or on Broadway, the stage was his home and Merwin appeared in shows  ranging from Les Miserables to Anne, The Sound of Music to The Addams Family. In 2012 he was the focus of the documentary The Standbys, highlighting the demanding, and little known, world of standbys and understudies on Broadway.

His relationship with Disney Theatrical goes right back to the beginning, appearing in the original ensemble of Beauty and the Beast and as the original Pilot in The Little Mermaid before taking over the role of Chef Louis. Aladdin was Merwin's final Broadway production. As part of the original cast he was Standby for both Jafar and Sultan. I was lucky enough to see him perform as Sultan in 2015, something I'd wanted to see since learning he was Cassim's singing voice, and he was spectacular.

Even as he returned home to Charlotte to seek treatment for liver disease, Merwin continued to perform. His final performance was another Disney production, as Joseph Pulitzer in North Carolina Theater's production of Newsies.

And, no matter how busy he was on stage, Merwin never forgot his roots. Even when working on Broadway he would find time to visit Charlotte Christian School, his alma mater, to talk to the students there about musical theatre and voice acting.

Rest in peace Merwin, thank you for sharing your gifts with the world.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed and James Monroe Iglehart as Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie, Photo by Disney

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

I've said it a few times this year but I just can't believe how quickly this year has gone! We're just 4 weeks away from Christmas (and only 3 weeks away from Star Wars!!)  But anyway, back to Thanksgiving!

We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK but I've got friends and family in America, and this blog is celebrating an American show, so I decided I'd get in the spirit of the holiday and share what I'm thankful for in the world of Aladdin!

Let's start at the beginning - I'm thankful to Disney Theatrical and Thomas Schumacher, that they saw the potential in Aladdin and weren't content to just license it out for easy money, that they came back to it after 2011's initial pilot production and turned it from a diamond in the rough to the Broadway sensation that it is today.  There's a beautiful feature on the show on the new Diamond Edition Blu-Ray of Aladdin where Thomas Schumacher says that the reason Aladdin is what it is today, the reason it works, "is because nobody quit.  Nobody quit on it, and it was the sheer will of an enormous number of committed people that made the show happen."  I'm thankful to each and everyone of them.

Moving away from Aladdin for a moment, I'm thankful of how supportive Disney Theatrical been to The Hunchback of Notre Dame, allowing the show to go back to the book to tell the story they wanted to tell.  And then, when it became clear the show wasn't going to Broadway, getting the cast back together to produce a cast album so there will always be a record of that incredible production.


Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Deen Van Meer

Back to Aladdin and the one thing I can never be thankful enough for is this amazing cast!  I've said it before and I will say it again, this cast is incredible!  No only are they phenomenally talented and hard working, putting on the best show on Broadway 8 times a week, but they're also some of the nicest, most generous people you could ever hope to meet!

Backstage with Trevor Dion Nicholas

I'm thankful that I got to see Trevor Dion Nicholas make his show and Broadway debut as Genie, and that I got to see Merwin Foard before he left the show.  But more than anything I'm thankful for the heart warming welcome back we received.  I will never forget standing at the stage door having just seen the show for the first time in over a year and then Jane and I being recognised by both Courtney, who pulled us both into a massive hug, and Adam!

Then it was back stage to see Don Darryl Rivera!  And I just have to say here, I'm thankful for every member of this wonderful cast but I'm extra thankful for Don.  He's treated me as a friend from the beginning and has been incredibly generous with both his time and support.  When it was announced that Brandon was leaving, I'd asked Don if he could get one of the show posters signed for me before he left.  I'd thought I'd ask the others to sign it whilst I was there but Don was one step (or one jump if you will!) ahead of me.  He met us at stage door with a fully signed poster each!

And then he took us back stage and gave us an incredible guided tour, showing us everything from the props to the costumes to the orchestra pit (I have no idea how they move in there, I had no idea how small it was!!).  We also got to meet his wife, Kate, who was just as generous and kind as Don.  When she heard we were going to see The Hunchback of Notre Dame she offered to take us backstage there as well!!  And I have to say, seeing that set that close up was simply amazing.  The set was truly a work of art and the bells were magnificent!

Yes, it's Jafar's staff! Yes, it's awesome!

Don showing off the hidden lamp in Omar's sword!  Look for it in "High Adventure"!

And speaking of The Hunchback of Notre Dame it was amazing to finally meet Samantha Massell in person!  Which brings me to another thing I'm thankful for - this blog!  I never dreamed when I started this that I'd get the chance to interview the cast, I certainly never dreamed I'd get to meet any of them or go back stage at a Disney show!  Heck, I thought this would all be over by the end of 2011!  This blog has been a gift to me.

 

But even after going back stage at Aladdin and Hunchback, Don wasn't done yet!  When we came back to see the show again before going home he took us to visit the Disney Theatrical offices upstairs at the New Amsterdam Theatre!!  I was in Disney and Theatre geek heaven!  I'm kicking myself at the moment as I can't find the folder with the pictures I took!  The offices are incredible!  There was beautiful prints of show photos on the walls, props from the shows, even the prototype of the magic lamp from Aladdin!  It was a once in a life time experience that I can never thank Don enough for.

 

Edit - Found the pictures!!!

 

 

 

 

I'm also thankful for fun holiday memories.  Like the time I gave a one man standing ovation for "Friend Like Me"!  It was a great performance ("Friend Like Me" always is) so I leapt to my feet as you do and then slowly realised I was on my own.  Even my wife wisely gave me that "you're on your own" look before giggling at my predicament.  We were on the front row so I was probably blocking the view of the rows behind me and in full view of the cast on stage!  But I would totally do it again!  The bows that night were amazing, with Don giving us a thumbs up and Courtney waving to us as the curtain came down.  The feeling is something I can't put into words, I'm just so grateful to everyone for it.

 

Back stage afterwards it was great to see everyone again to say goodbye.  Adam gave me a hug and a "thanks for trying" for the standing ovation and Courtney gave us a lovely card before we left.

 

 

I had another "pinch me I'm dreaming" moment when Don introduced us to Jonathan Freeman!!  It was so surreal stood talking about Aladdin and the various productions in had on the way to Broadway with the original Jafar!!  Of course me being an idiot I didn't ask to get a picture!  But it was an incredible moment for this lifelong Disney fan!

 

After how fantastic everyone was to Jane and I last year, we made sure this year we went bearing gifts!  Schmackary's for everyone and then some special gifts for a few people who have always gone the extra mile for me.  The only reason I'm mentioning this is because I want to share a picture of Don's gift with you now, simply because it's a brand new piece of Iago art by Iago's supervising animator Will Finn!!

 

Big thanks to Don for this picture with him in costume!

And, of course, I'm thankful that Aladdin is coming to the UK next year!  I hope they bring these with them!

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope you have a wonderful time filled with friends, family, love and laughter.

 

Stage selfie for the finish!!

 

 

Last Chance to See Merwin Foard in Aladdin

Merwin Foard as Sultan in Aladdin

Sad news this week as Merwin Foard is leaving the cast of Broadway's Aladdin.

Merwin has been with the show since its pre-Broadway run in Toronto in 2013.  As standby for both Jafar and Sultan, Merwin has been at the New Amsterdam Theatre every night, ready to perform either role at a moment's notice.  Disney fans may recognise his voice from everything from Pocahontas to Broadway's The Little Mermaid to this year's Frozen Fever (and Aladdin fans will know him as the singing voice of Aladdin's father, Cassim, in Aladdin and the King of Thieves).

Last week he played Jafar for the final time and this week he will be bringing the Sultan to life from tomorrow night thru to his final bow on Saturday 1st August.  I was lucky enough to see Merwin as Sultan earlier this year and he gave a fantastic performance.  If you have the chance to see him this week then I'd really encourage you to go, you won't regret it.

If you've missed Merwin in Aladdin then he may soon be visiting a city near you in the US national tour of The Sound of Music (alongside another Disney favourite, Ashley Brown) where he will be playing Max Detweiler.  Please go along and show your support.

Merwin, I just want to wish you all the best for your final week and for the future.  Keep making magic!

Broadway News Round Up 38

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Deen Van Meer

Hey everyone, sorry there was no update last week.  I had a vet emergency but happily all's well that ends well so it's back to the show this week!

But first a quick heads up!  Merwin Foard, who has been with Aladdin from the beginning of it's Broadway run and sung in many of your favourite Disney animated classics (including providing Cassim's singing voice in Aladdin and the King of Thieves) recently tweeted "Come see me at the New Amsterdam Theatre July 21-25. Might be your last chance ;)"  I was lucky enough to catch Merwin as the Sultan earlier this year and he's an excellent performer.  If you want to see him please make sure you take this chance!  Merwin, I wish you all the best for the future.  Thank you for being a wonderful Sultan and (I'm sure) a suitably evil and villainous Jafar.

Remember those special Playbill covers that Aladdin had?  Well now you can have them as a background on your tablet or smart phone!  Check them out right here!

Princess Jasmine herself, Courtney Reed, is featured in the latest Broadway Style Guide as she puts her friendship with The Lion King's Chantel Riley to the test in The BFF Game.  And make sure you catch the behind the scenes video right here on Courtney's Instagram.

Ever wondered what Genie might sing in the shower?  Me neither, but James Monroe Iglehart has the answer!

Aladdin's Daisy Hobbs talks with Backstage and the Acting Income podcast about being an actor, being an entrepreneur and the similarities between the two.

Broadway World reports that Aladdin's Dance Captain Michael Mindlin will be one of three alum returning to the Princeton Ballet School this summer to teach at the school's Summer Intensive course.

Aladdin's director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw certainly likes to keep busy!  Now he's re-teaming with Aladdin's writer/lyricist Chad Beguelin, along with his The Drowsey Chaperone writer Bob Martin, on the development of another new musical - Prom Musical.  Michael James Scott, who was one of Aladdin's original standbys and is currently starring in Nicholaw's Something Rotten!, is also taking part in the development lab.

If you want to help a good cause and get some great Aladdin Broadway goodies at the same time then make sure you check out the Bidding For Good auctions for the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation to help raise money for scholarships.  This is your chance to bid on the souvenir package that you can normally only get with VIP tickets and if you're a Disney Pin fan then you definitely want to check it out because this pin is different to the one you get in the fan pack (along with the CD and program) in the theatre.

Young theatre group the Roswell Showstoppers recently travelled to New York when the young performers and their families took in the sights and shows of the city, including a backstage tour of the New Amsterdam Theatre and a performance of Aladdin.  But it gets better - they were later joined by a cast member who taught them some numbers from the show!  It certainly sounds like the trip inspired the next generation of performers!

And, of course, the biggest news of last week was the cast of Aladdin going to Washington to perform at the White House for the Kids State Dinner!  I honestly expected one or two songs and that would be it but the cast actually performed for over 20 minutes!  If you missed it on Friday then you're in luck because someone recorded it and has put the whole thing on YouTube (thank you Maura!) so watch and enjoy!

 

You can also see the official White House photos from the event right here.

 

That's it for the Broadway cast of Aladdin but make sure you also check out this footage from the new Tokyo production of the show!

 

 

And finally, how long has it been since you saw Aladdin on the big screen?  In celebration of the film's upcoming Blu-Ray release D23 are offering fans the opportunity to vote on which cities will receive a big screen D23 screening.  You can cast your vote here!

Aladdin One Year On

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Matthew Murphy

Last month Aladdin celebrated its first anniversary on Broadway and I was lucky enough to be able to return to New York and see the show again.

The first thing that strikes you when you arrive at the New Amsterdam Theatre is the new entrance way.  Gone is the show logo and in its place is the Cave of Wonders, complete with a magic lamp for guests to rub and make a wish.  It's a great touch and a big improvement that offers guests a little interactivity and a photo opportunity before they enter the theatre.

I'm not going to do a full review of the show itself (you can read my original review here) but I do want to talk about the cast.  Whilst Aladdin has been lucky enough to keep almost all of its principal cast, the last year has seen a few changes in the ensemble and, of course, the arrival of Steel Burkhardt as Kassim.  Steel has done a fantastic job of making the character his own whilst still remaining true to the character the Brandon O'Neill created.  It's a wonderful performance and he works perfectly with Brian Gonzales' Babkak and Jonathan Schwartz's Omar, the trio is as hilarious as ever.  And speaking of the trio, I love the "random high note" line that Brian Gonzales has added to "High Adventure"!

I was blessed to see Trevor Dion Nicholas' show (and Broadway!) debut as the Genie!  If I hadn't been told after that it was his first night I never would have guessed.  He gave a phenomenal performance and got a well earned standing ovation after "Friend Like Me".  He didn't have easy shoes to fill but he rose to the challenge and gave the audience everything they could wish for in a Genie.

I've been wanting to see Merwin Foard since I learned that he was Cassim's singing voice in Aladdin and the King of Thieves (and appeared in lots of other Disney features as well).  I got my wish this time and he did not disappoint.  Merwin's Sultan is a powerful figure with a commanding presence and a delight to watch.  I also got to see Dennis Stowe take on the role of the villainous Jafar and he did a great job.  What I loved most about seeing the standbys and understudies was that none of them simply copied the original performance, they all made the roles their own, adding their own take on the material and their own little embellishments to the parts. It's one of the joys of live theatre, no two performers or performances are completely alike, there's always something new to take in.

One of the most joyous things about seeing Aladdin one year later was just to see how much the cast are loving it.  It seemed that everyone was totally relaxed and comfortable with their characters and were just having fun playing with them every night.  Adam and Courtney remain absolutely perfect as Aladdin and Jasmine, bringing them to life with charm and ease and Don Darryl Rivera somehow manages to get even bigger laughs than I remember as he seemingly revels in Iago's villainly and crazy over the top evil laughs. Seriously, he's hilarious and always manages to get some of the biggest laughs of the night.  He also works so well with Jonathan Freeman's Jafar (Jonathan was back in the second time we saw the show), their stage chemistry is brilliant. The whole production just has an infectious joy to it and in some of the numbers, like the fantastic "Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim", you just want to get up and dance (and this is coming from a guy with two left feet). You can't help but leave Aladdin feeling uplifted and that's the real magic and why it remains my favourite show.

Broadway News Round Up 27

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Deen Van Meer

Hello and welcome to the latest Aladdin Broadway news round up!  As I promised last week this edition is going to catch you up and everything that happened over the holidays and in the weeks since so expect quite a few links!

Ok, here we go!

First things first, just before Christmas Aladdin welcomed Steel Burkhardt to the cast as the new Kassim and he was quickly welcomed to this "super" cast;

Steel Burkhardt as Kassim with the cast of Aladdin

Great to see Steel in costume!

It's a little late for Christmas but it's still worth checking out this adorable Christmas video by Aladdin's Andrew Cao, Hunchback's Samantha Massell's beautiful performance of A Place Called Home from  Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens' A Christmas Carol at 54 Below's A Very Broadway Holiday, and Playbill's look at how the casts and crews celebrate the holidays back stage (Aladdin is page 5).  Broadway World also has exclusive photo coverage of the Aladdin cast from when they recorded their song for last year's Carols for a Cure CD.

On New Year's Eve I posted that Aladdin's official Facebook page had posted a video of the confetti test the cast did at the New Amsterdam Theatre, well Broadway World has posted photos from the event.

 Reading Eagle featured Aladdin in their Top 10 Broadway shows in their 2014 Year in Review.

Entertainment Monthly puts James Monroe Iglehart in their Top 10 Broadway Performances of 2014, well done JMI!!

And Disney officially dominated the Broadway box office in 2014 with it's winning combination of Aladdin and The Lion King.  The Lion King was the overall highest grossing show of 2014 and Aladdin was the highest grossing new show last year (coming in at number 5 overall).  Hopefully this means that Aladdin will be on Broadway for a long time to come!

The Foxville Country Players in Yorkville will be performing songs from Disney's Broadway musicals, including Aladdin in their 4th annual Night of Broadway Fundraiser on 24th January.  More details can be found here.

NY1 has an unusual little piece on Ernest Winzer Cleaners - "Where Broadway Gets Its Laundry Done" (including Aladdin)

Audra McDonald and the cast of Aladdin, Photo by Joseph Marzullo

Playbill have posted a photo gallery of 6 time Tony Award Winner Audra McDonald's visit to Aladdin.  You can see the group photo above but make sure to check out Playbill for the rest.

After being the highest grossing new show of 2014 Frontierland Station is reporting that Aladdin has continued its record breaking run into 2015 by once again broke the house record at the New Amsterdam Theatre for the week ending 4th January.

Aladdin took part in Kids' Night on Broadway last week and here's a short Q&A video of Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed answering their questions;

 

 

If you have a Disney Visa Card you can now purchase VIP tickets to see Aladdin for performances through July 5th.  The VIP package includes Premium Seating, a complimentary (non-alcoholic) drink in a souvenir cup, a lanyard with the show pin and a keepsake photo.  Not sure if this has changed but when I went last year the VIP package was the only way to get the show pin and the commemorative photo was James Monroe Iglehart as Genie.

 

On Saturday 23rd January Michael James Scott will be taking part in Broadway by the Beach in Florida.  You can read more information here and here, and get tickets here.

 

Playbill went backstage at Aladdin to witness the magic that helps bring the show to life 8 times a week.  It's a fascinating read into a world that most people will never see but without it the show could not go on.

 

Broadway World reports that Aladdin's Bud Weber is taking part in a reading of Sing Me Home in LA on 26th January.  Tickets to the reading are complimentary so check out the link if you're interested in going!

 

After leaving Aladdin just before Christmas Brandon O'Neill is back at The 5th Avenue Theatre this year in Carousel and Broadway World have the full cast list for the upcoming production.  Carousel runs February 5th through March 1st at The 5th Avenue.

 

Aladdin's Clifton Davis is to be one of the speakers in the 5th annual Lift Every Voice lecture series on 9th February.  As well as playing the Sultan on Broadway, Clifton is also a minister and will speak on "Strength for the Journey: Succeeding Against the Odds".  Further details on the event and other lectures in the series can be found here and here.

 

And in case you missed Jeopardy or like me you couldn't watch it live here's all the highlights; 

 

How awesome was that?!

And speaking of awesome, Broadway.com has listed Adam Jacobs' portrayal of Aladdin as one of the 10 stage turns that really wowed them in 2014.  Congratulations Adam!

Adam Jacobs and James Monroe Iglehart are both on Buzzfeed's list of "Hottest Broadway Hunks of 2014".

Aladdin topped Broadway.com's list to be proclaimed their best show of 2014.  It didn't quite make it as high on their fan poll but it still made the top 5!

Huge congratulations to James Monroe Iglehart for making it into USA Today's Top Life Photos for their 2014 Year in Review!  Incredible achievement, well done!

If you've been missing James' I Dream of Genie vlog (I know I have!!) then Broadway.com have something for you as all their vloggers look back on the year that was!

Disney Legend Alan Menken talks with D23 about his new show Galavant (I hope you're watching, it's brilliant) but also talks briefly about working simultaneously on the Broadway production of Aladdin and the US Premiere production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Speaking of the Disney Legend, here he is singing the soundtrack to your childhood at a recent ABC press event for Galavant.  Enjoy!

Not strictly Aladdin related, though it was where I first saw the show, The Spectrum has written a fantastic piece about Tuacahn's Artistic Director Scott Anderson and the Tuacahn's Disney connection (this year the Tuacahn is premiering Disney Theatrical's new revue show When You Wish).  And with the Tuacahn being considered for productions of The Jungle Book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Newsies it looks like the Disney connection will be strong with Tuacahn for many years to come!  I can't stress enough that if you have the chance to see a show at the Tuacahn then you owe it to yourself to go. It really is a unique experience and the memories will last a lifetime.

James Monroe Iglehart is to be one of the performers at the Drama League's 31st Musical Celebration of Broadway.  This year's gala will honour the career of the one and only James Earl Jones.

If you couldn't make it to Daisy Hobbs' solo debut earlier this month here's a sample of what you missed.  Enjoy!

This week Playbill spoke with some of the unsung heroes of Broadway - the Standbys!  Check out what Merwin Foard and Michael James Scott have to say about stepping into the shoes of Jafar, Genie and Sultan at a moments notice.

Already bought all of the Aladdin show merchandise?  Well Don Darryl Rivera has you covered!  Check out this new shirt he's created for anyone who's ever wanted to be a Disney villain and get yours here!

And finally a brief update on The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  SDGLN's "Best of Theater" list for 2014 was quite extensive and Hunchback received several mentions - one of the best musicals, Scott Schwartz for direction, Patrick Page for his portrayal of Frollo and the set design by Alexander Dodge.  Well done all!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has also been nominated for several Craig Noel Awards;

Outstanding Residential Musical
Outstanding Musical Direction - Brent Alan Huffman
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male - Patrick Page
Outstanding Lighting Design - Howell Binkley
Outstanding Scenic Design - Alexander Dodge
Outstanding Direction of a Musical - Scott Schwartz

Well done everyone, and good luck!

If you missed it at La Jolla, make sure you catch it at the Paper Mill!
 

Broadway News Round Up 20

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Deen Van Meer

Starting this week's update with some incredible news.  Aladdin has once again broken the house record at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre taking $1,614,428.00 in the week ending 12th October.  That's the second time this year that the show has set a new house record!!  Congratulations everyone!!

It's the ensembles turn to shine this week as Aladdin's Bobby Pestka recently did a wide ranging interview with The Broadway Blog that's well worth checking out and Yurel Echezeretta will be taking part in the 6th annual Broadway Can! benefit on 16th November.  This annual concert of Seth Bisen-Hersh songs is being held to support City Harvest for New York's hungry.

Broadway World is reporting that Aladdin will be one of the exhibitors at the 6th annual At This Stage Education Expo at the Minskoff Theatre on Monday 27th October.  Further details can be found here.

And finally, this week Thomas Schumacher, President of Disney Theatrical, sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss everything from The Lion King to Frozen.  In the process he touches on Aladdin and even drops some hints at possible Marvel and Lucasfilm properties that could one day make their way to stage.  If you're a Disney fan or a theatre fan then you owe it to yourself to read this.  It's a fantastic read and offers an incredible insight into Thomas Schumacher and Disney Theatrical.  And on an Aladdin related note - 4 more international productions are in development!!!  I really hope one of them is the rumoured West End production!!

Vacation Alert - Jonathan Freeman will be away from 22nd through 26th October and 8th-9th November.  Merwin Foard will once again be bringing the evil Vizier to life at those performances. 

Vacation Alert - Don Darryl Rivera will be out of the show from 28th-31st October.

Not quite Aladdin related but the Tuacahn Amphitheatre will be presenting 2 Menken musicals and a brand new Disney Revue show as their 2015 Broadway in the Desert season.  Early bird tickets are now on sale for Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act and the all new Disney's When You Wish.  If you've ever seen a show at Tuacahn then you know these will be very special indeed.

Ok, Hunchback time!

It's been a strange week for The Hunchback of Notre Dame news.  The show officially entered tech rehearsals this week and the biggest news came as Broadway World presented a first look at the beautiful set of the show only for the image to disappear almost as soon as it appeared (much like the early character concepts for Aladdin's Seattle run did).  For what it's worth I'll leave the link here in case the image comes back up.  The set looked great.  Very realistic compared to what we're used to from other Disney shows but it really fit Hunchback well.  I wish I had the picture to share with you but I'm sure more official images will be released very soon as the show begins in exactly a week's time!

The Rage has a great article on the show.  It's pages 22-23, and I'm pretty sure this is the first time that the show has officially been called "Broadway-bound" which is incredible news!  It notes that this new production will be very different to Berlin's Der Glockner Von Notre Dame, which was an incredibly large scale production, focusing "much more on the four main characters".  I can't wait to see what they've done with it!

And finally, happy birthday to Esmeralda herself, Ciara Renee!  I hope you have a wonderful day.

Broadway News Round Up 16

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

 

Ok, after doing amateur shows and having internet problems I'm finally back with the first of three news round ups covering all of the Aladdin Broadway news from the last few weeks!  After a few slow news weeks it seems the flood gates have opened again so there's a lot to catch up on!  Ready?  Here we go!

ABC News recently went behind the scenes and have now posted their full Back Stage Pass special online with some amazing video footage from the show.  This is one not to be missed!

Disney Insider interviewed Aladdin himself, Adam Jacobs

I Believe has posted their 6 reasons why Aladdin on Broadway is unmissable

A host of Broadway stars, from Chicago, Mamma Mia!, The Rockettes and Aladdin's own Genie, James Monroe Iglehart, teamed up to help Meredith Vieira launch the new The Meredith Vieira Show;

Adam Jacobs took part in a fantastic interview with Paul Wontorek on Broadway.com's Show People.

For Broadway Week Aladdin offered one lucky couple a choice between 3 magical wishes;

This next video is just something awesome that the cast of Aladdin did for the daughter of cast member Andrew Cao;

Merwin Foard, who you may have seen in Broadway's Aladdin as Jafar or Sultan, has been adding another Disney credit to his resume.  Even if you haven't seen Merwin bring Jafar or Sultan to life on stage you will have certainly heard his voice if you're a Disney fan as he has lent his vocals to animated classics such as Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan and Aladdin and the King of Thieves as the singing voice of Aladdin's father, Cassim.  For this new project he's traded the arid heat of the Agrabah deserts for something a little more... Frozen.

Photo by Merwin Foard

Not strictly Aladdin related but it is exciting news from Disney Theatrical - the cast has been announced for The Hunchback of Notre Dame!!  I have wanted to see this show since hearing the Berlin cast album several years ago and there's been that much talk on and off over the years that I almost thought it would never happen, but it's finally coming to the stage at the La Jolla Playhouse (October 26th - December 14th 2014, extended from the initially announced December 7th) and the Papermill Playhouse (March 4th - April 5th 2015).  The show is directed by Scott Schwartz with a book by Peter Parnell and features music by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz who provided the beautiful soundtrack for the original animated classic.  The cast is headed up by Michael Arden as Quasimodo, Patrick Page as Frollo, Ciara Renee as Esmeralda, Andrew Samonsky as Phoebus and Erik Liberman as Clopin.  The full cast announcement can be seen at Broadway World.  Disney's D23 fan club is already offering their members an exclusive VIP Experience (similar to the ones they have previously offered for Aladdin) and have posted an interview with Patrick Page about his portrayal of Frollo and his previous work with Disney Theatrical.

And finally, make sure you cast your vote for the Broadway Cast Recording of Aladdin in Broadway World's 2014 Album Awards!

Ok, that's everything from September 1st through September 10th (when Aladdin celebrated 200 performances on Broadway!), on Tuesday I'll be posting the next news round up covering 11th-20th September before finally getting up to date on Wednesday!  It's good to be back!

Broadway News Round Up 11

Two weeks worth of news updates today (apologises for missing last week, more on that later)!

Courtney Reed as Princess Jasmine, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

First up this week, Broadway World reports that Princess Jasmine herself, Courtney Reed, will be one of the teaching artists at this summers 7th Annual Dare to Go Beyond Children's Performing Arts Camp.  Courtney, along with over a dozen other Broadway stars, will be donating her time and experience to help teach the next generation of artists.  This year's camp runs 28th July through to 1st August.

On August 17th Aladdin's Dennis Stowe joins Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher and other Broadway stars and creatives in the Broadway Sleeps Out event to raise support and awareness for homeless children.  You can find out more at Covent House's website where you can also donate to help support the cause.  The participant's own support pages are linked above, Thomas Schumacher has already exceeded his target of an incredible $10,000 so let's help Dennis reach his goal!

This Friday (25th July) James Monroe Iglehart will be co-hosting "The View"!  "The View" airs 11am - 12pm ET on ABC so make sure you check him out!  Here's a little preview courtesy of Aladdin's Instagram account.

The one and only Jafar, Jonathan Freeman himself, spoke with Playbill about his theatregoing experiences and the performances that have stayed with him.

Ron Clements and Jon Musker, the directors of Disney's original, animated, Aladdin saw the show last week and James Monroe Iglehart, quite rightfully in "Disney Nerd Heaven", shared a photo of the moment on his Instagram.

Another Disney alumni also visited the show this week as Phil Collins headed back stage after the show to meet the cast this weekend.  Playbill was there to capture the moment.

Courtney Reed and James Monroe Iglehart took part in the 16th annual Broadway Barks event, helping to find pets a good home, and Broadway.com was there to capture the moment.  Vanity Fair was also there and they were able to catch a few words with our favourite Genie who told them that another furry friend, his cat Zoe, had claimed his Tony Award.

Buzzfeed voted Adam Jacobs' Aladdin the "Hottest Disney Character Brought to Life" in their "26 Hottest Performances on Broadway".

Broadway World reported that Brian Gonzales (Babkak) joined other Broadway stars for the annual Voices of Broadway performance at the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts.  You can see some photos by following the link.

If you're musically inclined then you would be most rewarded to consider this!  Aladdin's Piano/Vocal Selections will go on sale 1st August!  Whilst I'm really excited for this release, part of me is a little disappointed that all of the reprises are cut.  I know that's just the way they do the vocal selections these days (The Little Mermaid was the same) but I miss the days of Beauty and the Beast where they included everything bar the overture, the entr'acte and the incidental music.

For anyone trying to make it on Broadway, Tara Rubin (who cast Aladdin on Broadway along with many, many other shows) spoke with Playbill to offer some audition advise.

And finally a quick vacation alert!  Jonathan Freeman will be away tomorrow night (22nd July) and Merwin Foard will be playing the role of Jafar.


Ok, at the start of this post I promised an explanation for missing the news update last week.  The honest truth is I was busy, but it was something blog related and (fingers crossed) I'll be able to share it with you all soon!

I've also set up a new Twitter account for the blog (@AladdinBDWYBlog) so you can follow me on Twitter for all the latest updates.  Instagram is next!

And that's everything for this week.  Let's end on this amazing video that Disney Theatrical shared recently where James Monroe Iglehart proves to be a real life Genie and grants some lucky fans' wishes at Aladdin's daily lottery!

Broadway News Round Up 9

To start this week's news round up here's one final piece on the Tony Awards and this one is rather special as it's written by Aladdin's own Marisha Wallace - True Story: I'm a Black Girl from North Carolina & I Performed at the 2014 Tony Awards!  Marisha is part of the ensemble and one of Jasmine's attendants, but if you're really lucky you may also get to see her playing the part of Babkak (I love this as it shows incredible gender equality by Disney for these supporting roles and it's also a nice call back to Howard Ashman's original treatment where there was a female member of Aladdin's gang).

Continuing the theme of great female performances, Courtney Reed took part in Broadway Sessions on May 23rd and Broadway World have now posted a video of her singing Gravity.

The New York Times has published an article focusing on the work of Glen Kelly that's well worth a read.  Glen Kelly provided the dance music arrangements for Aladdin and this article provides a fascinating insight into an area that I admittedly had no knowledge about.

We Blog the World has posted a short fan review of the show.  They even used the photo manip of Genie holding aloft a Tony Award that I made which, I have to admit, is kinda cool!

Emerson College's Entertainment Monthly has also posted a positive review, calling James Monroe Iglehart's Genie "one key player that elevates it to Broadway stardom", Adam Jacobs "everything you want in the character of Aladdin" and Don Darryl Rivera "a standout ... his comedic moments have the entire audience laughing out loud".

Last week Merwin Foard took the stage as Sultan Hamed.  Since I posted a photo of him as Jafar I figured I'd post this one as well (any excuse to post a photo!)

And finally another Vacation Alert!  Adam Jacobs will be away from 7th-14th July, and a quick reminder that Courtney Reed will be away from tomorrow (1st July) until 6th July.

Ok, one last thing!  On a more light hearted note JMI's Genie topped Broadway.com's weekend poll as the most wanted guest at a 4th July BBQ party!

Broadway News Round Up 8

Firstly, sorry there was no news round up last week, real life got in the way.  That said, it's time to pick up where I left off last time... When was that again?  Oh yeah, that was Tony Sunday when a certain Genie named James Monroe Iglehart won a TONY AWARD!!!!



James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

I know I already did a big post on the Tonys but I just had to say it one more time!

Plus there's a lot of stuff I didn't post in my initial coverage of the awards, so here's a quick Tony Award news round up;

Courtney Reed talks with George Brescia about her Disney Princess pink dressing room.

Just before the main event Broadway World posted rehearsal footage from Friend Like Me's Tony Award performance along with a brief interview with Chad Beguelin

Playbill has a replay of the Tony Awards Red Carpet that you can watch right here.

NY Times' Arts Beat gives a running commentary of the evening (and Friend Like Me a score of 31 on a scale of 0 to 10!)

Courtney Reed posted a reaction video on Instagram (this you just have to see!)

Playbill posted a write up of the winners, noting "Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical was presented to an ecstatic James Monroe Iglehart for his hilarious performance as the Genie in Aladdin, and he made sure audiences would remember it by spicing it up with an effervescent "praise shout" in celebration."

The NY Times also posted a full write up of the show which included some wonderful comments from JMI; "The praise shout was not planned," he said.  "If it's planned, it's not real.  I had to give praise because my mama told me to keep God first and blessings would happen."  He also added, "The Tonys is the most dignified awards show, and I wanted to undignify it a little."  Speaking of not too dignified, Mr. Iglehart said he would not be having dinner at a fancy restaurant Sunday night.  He and his wife were going to hit McDonald's because it keeps him humble, he said.  Then "we go back to our house, and we kick it with our cats, and this lets us know that this is still real life." (and he posted the proof of his McDonald's on Twitter).  LA Times also shared some comments from James following his win.

San Jose Mercury News has posted an article on James' Tony win entitled "Cal State East Bay Grad Nabs Tony Award"

Courtney Reed featured on Vogue Italia as part of their Tony Awards coverage, looking gorgeous in a stunning blue dress.  It's no wonder that she and James both made the New York Observer's Best Dressed List and Courtney made it onto The Gloss' list as well.

With the official Tony Awards over Broadway.com wanted to give out a few more, including the "Disney Dudes Clean Up Nice Award" to Adam Jacobs and Chad Beguelin and "The Most Blinged-Out Dude Award" to James Monroe Iglehart (who looks awesome with his Tony!).

As for JMI?  He's feeling a little crazy right now :o)

I'm not sure if I missed this or if it was awarded after I went to bed but watching the winners video above I just realised that Aladdin's Natasha Katz won Best Lighting Design of a Play for her work on The Glass Menagerie so congratulations Natasha!  And congratulations to all the other winners as well.

And on a lighter note - following the Tony's Adam Jacobs gain a lot of new fans, so many that he took to Twitter to thank them for crashing his website!  Saying "Thanks for crashing my website fans!! Bandwidth exceeded. We're back online now. #UltimateCompliment #TonyExposure adamjacobs.net"

Ok, moving on from the Tonys.  I mentioned two weeks ago (wow time flies) that Merwin Foard was playing the role of Jafar as Jonathan Freeman was off that Sunday, well here's a great picture of him along with the fabulous Don Darryle Rivera as Iago that he posted on Twitter;

If you want to see Merwin as Jafar then be sure to check out the show on the 22nd or 24th June when he'll be playing the villainous Vizier again and on 26th June he'll be trading black robes for white and taking to the stage as the Sultan (you have to have a good memory to be a Stand By!)  And if you've seen Merwin and wondered why his voice sounded familiar it's because he was the singing voice of Aladdin's father Cassim in Aladdin and the King of Thieves!

The Seattle Times has posted a fantastic piece on Don Darryl Rivera and Brandon O'Neill who were both part of Aladdin's Pilot Production in 2011 and made the leap from regional stage to the Great White Way with Aladdin earlier this year.  The Seattle Times also published a 2nd piece looking at Seattle talent in all of the Tony nominated shows which also featured DDR and Brandon O'Neill.

WDW Radio has published an exclusive interview with ensemble member Daisy Hobbs who has been with the show since 2011's Pilot Production.

Buzzfeed has included Aladdin in it's countdown of the top "16 Spectacular Musical Numbers from the 2013-2014 Broadway Season".  Yes, it's Friend Like Me, and yes it's number one!!

Playbill has posted an interview with Vocal Coach Liz Caplan

On 16th June Courtney Reed and Michael James Scott (Stand By Genie and Babkak) both took part in Broadway World's concert series performance The Lord & The Master celebrating the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim.  The event was live streamed so hopefully some videos of the event will soon be posted to the Joe's Pub YouTube channel.

Playbill reports that Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Omar from Aladdin's 5th Avenue Pilot Production) and Michael Midlin (a Swing/Dance Captain in the Broadway production) are amongst the Broadway performers supporting the Heart NYC Gallery's photo exhibit seeking to help place LGBT foster children in new adoptive homes.  The event is part of National Pride Month and runs through 20th June.

Disney's official blog, Oh My Disney, teamed up with Pixar animator and singer Nick Pitera (who is best known for his YouTube musical tributes) to create a one-man tribute to Aladdin.

Ensemble member Andrew Cao talks with StageLight about being a father and on Broadway.

ABC News has posted a short video of James Monroe Iglehart meeting the kids of Disney Musicals in Schools and, hopefully, inspiring the next generation of Disney's Broadway stars.

Last night James Monroe Iglehart joined Julie James at 54 Below as her guest on The Julie James Show.  Hopefully some videos will be released soon!


What else happened this week?  Oh yeah, this came out!!

Sure I've had the digital copy for weeks now but it's so good to finally have the physical CD in hand with a beautiful foreword by Alan Menken, a summary of the show by Chad Beguelin and, of course, all the lyrics!  And to celebrate Disney Music released a very special video of Adam Jacobs and Alan Menken recording one of the album's bonus tracks;

Oh how I wish I could sing like that!

As I reported earlier this week, to promote the launch of the physical cast album the stars of the show took part in a special signing event at Barnes and Noble.  Fortunately Broadway World  and Playbill were on hand to take photos of the event!

And now for some upcoming events!!  Adam Jacobs will be taking part in tomorrow night's The Broadway Musicals of 1990-2014, part of Town Hall's Broadway by the Year series.  More information and ticket details can be found at Broadway World.  And James Monroe Iglehart has joined the cast of Black Stars of the Great White Way along with Clifton Davis (Sultan), the concert takes place tomorrow night at Carnegie Hall and you can find more information and tickets here.  All the best to Adam, James and Clifton for tomorrow night!!

Vacation Alert - Courtney Reed will be away from 1st July to 6th July, Jonathan Freeman is away 22nd and 24th June and Clifton Davis is away 26th June.

And finally, the next block of tickets for Aladdin is now on sale!  Tickets can now be bought through to 4th January 2015 from www.aladdinthemusical.com!  Speaking of tickets, D23 is hosting another Members Night at Aladdin for its Gold and Silver members on 27th September.  Tickets for the event are $199.50 per person and include a VIP ticket (premium seating, a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage in a commemorative cup, souvenir lanyard with pin, exclusive gift), a D23 members gift and, best of all, a Q&A with the cast after the show!  Tickets go on sale at 10am tomorrow.