Disney's Aladdin Nominated for 5 Tony Awards!!

It just keeps getting better!  This morning The Tony Award nominations were announced and received a fantastic 5 nominations including a nomination for the much coveted Best Musical Award!

The full list of Aladdin's nominations includes;

Best Musical - Aladdin
Best Book of a Musical - Chad Beguelin
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre - Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical - James Monroe Iglehart
Best Choreography - Casey Nicholaw

Wow!  What an incredible week it's been for this show!  Eight Outer Circle Critics Nominations, two Drama League Awards Nominations, seven Drama Desk Nominations and now five Tony Award nominations!  And in every one the show has been nominated for Best Musical and James Monroe Iglehart has been nominated for his performance as Genie!  Whilst the Drama League doesn't have categories for choreography, book or score, the other three do and every time Casey Nicholaw, Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Chad Beguelin and Tim Rice have been nominated.  It's an incredible testament to the show and proof that the long journey and all the changes from Seattle to Broadway have paid off.

Alan Menken's tweet, dedicating the Tony nominations to Howard Ashman, brought a tear to my eye;

AIMenken - Howard Ashman - this Best Score (and Best Musical) Tony nom is for you. It's your ALADDIN that we have brought to life at the New Am.

Broadway's Aladdin is a love letter to Howard Ashman and a fitting tribute to both his Broadway and Disney legacy.  And not just the show but the cast themselves, many of them grew up inspired by his work.  Just look at JMI, seeing the Genie perform Friend Like Me in the movie was one of his inspirations for becoming a performer and now he's on stage, living his dream and bringing that character to life to great critical acclaim.  It's all part of Howard's legacy.

I just want to say a massive congratulations to James, Alan Menken, Casey Nicholaw, Chad Beguelin, Tim Rice and everyone who brings Aladdin to life every night, those Best Musical nominations belong to you all and are so well deserved, I've never felt such energy and enthusiasm in a theatre.  I wish you all the best.  Keep bringing the magic to life!