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.