Aladdin Celebrates 500 Shows on Broadway!

 

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

Yesterday Aladdin celebrated its 500th Broadway performance at New York's New Amsterdam Theatre!  I can't believe that this magical show has already reach the 500 milestone!

I've not said it enough recently (and that is going to change!), if you are in New York then you owe it to yourself to see this incredible show.  It will lift your heart with pure joy and make you want to get up and dance in the aisles.  Plus it has the best cast on Broadway, yes I'm biased but trust me they're awesome!

I just want to say a massive congratulations to all the cast, crew, front of house staff, the creative team and everyone at Disney Theatrical for this magical achievement!  Next stop 1000!

Aladdin Opens in Tokyo!

Today is a very special day for Disney Theatrical as Aladdin's first international production will premiere this afternoon at Japan's Dentsu Shiki Theatre Umi in Toyko!

This is the first of several planned international productions for Aladdin and I just want to take this opportunity to wish the cast, crew and creative team the very best of luck for today's opening performance!  Make some magic everyone!

The Bells of Notre Dame Sing Once More

Michael Arden and the Congregation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Photo by Matthew Murphy

Broadway World exclusively revealed last night that the US Premiere Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame that played at La Jolla Playhouse and the Paper Mill Playhouse is to receive an official cast recording!!!  There's no more details at the moment but given that several cast members have tweeted about it I think it's (hopefully) safe to say that pretty much all of the original cast will be returning for the recording, including stars Michael Arden (Quasimodo), Ciara Renee (Esmeralda), Patrick Page (Frollo), Andrew Samonsky (Phoebus) and Erik Liberman (Clopin).

I don't think I can put into words how happy I was to read this news on Twitter earlier today.  Sure, I'm a little sad as I think this is, for now, definitive confirmation that Disney Theatrical have no intention at all of bringing Hunchback to Broadway.  But, for Disney to take this decision, to produce a full cast recording without any Broadway show to support it, just shows their faith in this material and, I believe, in the fans who have been so passionate in their support of it.  Quasimodo may not get to Broadway, but his story will be heard.  Now, people all around the world will have the chance to hear this masterpiece of musical theatre.  I, for one, can't wait to hear it again!

And since this is an Aladdin blog I just want to give a quick shout out to Samantha Massell who's gone from making her Disney debut in The Muny's production Aladdin in 2012 to featuring on an original Disney Theatrical Cast Recording in 2015!