2015 News Round Up! (aka Broadway News Round Up 39)

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

Ok, new year, new start!

The second half of last year just flew by and I really fell behind with these news updates (I still can't believe the last one was done in July!).  For that I can only apologise and say I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again.  Like I said, new year, new start.

This post is going to be really link heavy as I try and get this blog back on track and I'm afraid this post won't cover everything.  I've gone through all my Google Alerts but trying to go back that far through Twitter is insane so there will be things I've missed so let me apologise in advance for anything I've not covered!

Two things that do stick in my mind that weren't in my Google Alerts are the royal family of Agrabah's TV appearances!  Courtney Reed appeared on Showtime's The Affair (season 2 episode 8) and Clifton Davis appearing on Madam Secretary (season 2, episodes 8-10) so if you've not caught them already that's certainly something to catch up with on demand!

Ok, I'll try and break up all the links with as many pictures and videos as I can to help keep things interesting!  Here we go :o)

Aladdin will be taking part in the Theatre Development Fund's 5th season of autism-friendly performances as part of the Autism Theatre Initiative.  The performance will be on Sunday 6 March 2016.  Further details (including other featured shows) can be found at the TDF's website.  Tickets are expected to go on sale roughly 6-8 weeks prior to the performance and are expected to sell out quickly.

Aladdin will also be taking part in 2016's Kids Night on Broadway.  Taking place on Tuesday February 9th 2016 this is a special performance where kids under 18 can see the show for free when accompanied by a full paying adult in an effort to help more children experience theatre.  However,tickets are already sold out!

OnStageBlog has posted a new (and glowing) review of the show.

The new Bway Zone website dedicated to everything Broadway has a page dedicated to Aladdin.  Nothing you won't have already seen I'm sure but it's a nice page and the site has a LOT more to explore.

Walks of New York is now offering a magical new tour - "Disney on Broadway: Behind the Magic" - that includes a look behind the scenes at Aladdin's home, the New Amsterdam Theatre.  You can read more details on the tour right here.  I'm definitely signing up for this one next time I'm in the city!

But if you want something even more in depth then check out this video on Adventures by Disney's new New York City Adventure!  You get to take part in a Broadway dance class (seen in the video learning some of the choreography for "Arabian Nights"), visit the New Amsterdam's prop room and all the wonderful props from all of Disney's magical shows, see Aladdin and then go back stage for a Q&A with some of the cast (like Don Darryl Rivera and Jennifer Rias in this video).  This one is definitely on my list next time I head to NYC!

The cast of Aladdin perform at the White House! Photo by Scott Suchman

Back in July the cast of Aladdin gave a very special performance at the White House!  Afterwards, Broadway World posted a wonderful look behind the scenes of the cast's visit!

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine at the White House! Photo by Scott Suchman

And, in case you missed it, you can still catch the entire performance right here courtesy of the White House's YouTube channel!

I never get tired of that!

As part of Good Morning America's 40th Anniversary they went back behind the scenes of Aladdin and you can watch the whole segment right here!

Aladdin also continues to set house records at the New Amsterdam Theatre, first taking over $2 million during a 9 show week this summer and then again at the end of November!  Then, as I already reported, they incredibly broke their 9 show record with an 8 show week at Christmas!  That means Aladdin has now set an astonishing 10 house records at the New Amsterdam Theatre!  In addition to its Broadway success, Forbes reports that Aladdin's Tokyo production has been sold out since it open earlier this year.

Ok, this next part I should probably just call the James Monroe Iglehart section!  That man was one busy Genie last year!

James Monroe Iglehart took part in the annual Broadway Barks event
James Monroe Iglehart introduced Wake Up with Broadway World
James Monroe Iglehart was the special guest star of the New York Musical Theatre Festival's final night concert, Under Construction

James Monroe Iglehart sang at the #Ham4Ham lottery pre-show performance in August.  And he wasn't the only one!  Lea Salonga also graced #Ham4Ham last month and performed a duet of "A Whole New World" with Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Playbill took a look at a week in the life of Seth Rudetsky that just happened to include JMI rapping about blue cheese at the NJPAC gala!

James Monroe Iglehart hosted the 15th annual Make Believe on Broadway gala, a special event to raise money to bring interactive theatre to chronically ill children.  As James told Backstage, "When you get into a hospital and you see kids are going through something and you realize you have a gift that you've been blessed with and that you can use...it opens up a whole different world. All of a sudden you're not performing just for the applause, just for the money. You're performing because you're brightening someone else's day."

But I've still not mentioned D23!  Yes, as you all know James was a very special guest at this year's D23 convention in Anaheim!  And we didn't event have to wait for The Originals concert to hear him sing!

In the opening Legends panel, which saw Jafar's animator Andreas Deja become an official Disney Legend, James took to the stage to perform Oogie Boogie's Song from The Nightmare Before Christmas to honour another new Disney Legend, Danny Elfman.

And then there was the concert!!  Hopefully I'm ok posting this since videos are all of YouTube and it's just so good I wanted to share the full thing!

If you're reading this blog then I'm 99% certain you've seen this, but just in case you managed to miss it here's Aladdin's Courtney Reed singing the most adorable version of "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman" that you will ever hear;

(And you can read her heart warming reasons for making the video here)

Last October the New Amsterdam Theatre played host to a fashion showcase of the latest dresses in the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings Bridal Collection.  The dresses are modelled after the Disney Princesses and since the New Amsterdam is home to Aladdin who better to model the Jasmine inspired gown than Aladdin's very own Princess Jasmine, Courtney Reed!

Courtney Reed, Photo by Slaven Vlasic

Courtney looks absolutely stunning and you can see a full gallery of images at Broadway World.

Courtney also took part in the first reading of the new play Subletters.

Adam Jacobs and his sister Arielle sat down for a chat with Broadway.com

Adam also took part in a fantastic interview with Going for Broadway, covering everything from his early education to current success in Aladdin.

Adam Jacobs spoke with Celebrity Radio about Aladdin and his new album Right Where I Belong and you can listen to it right here!

Last summer Richard-Salvador Wolff and Myrthes Monteiro, who play Aladdin and Jasmine in the Hamburg production, came to Broadway to see the show and Adam Jacobs captured the moment on Instagram.

And now here's a few pieces I missed from my post about Aladdin's recent Blu-Ray release!  Scott Weinger spoke with Nuke the Fridge about the film and the new Blu-Ray (and touched upon the Broadway show as well).  The cast of Broadway's Aladdin spoke with E! about the challenges the show faced in the beginning and it's rocky road to Broadway success.  And something a little extra special - Brad Kane and Lea Salonga reunited on ABC to sing "A Whole New World" for the first time in over 20 year!



Aladdin is full of magic, but not all that magic takes place on stage.  Aladdin's Joshua Dela Cruz (with help from Donald Jones Jr. and Angelo Soriano) popped a very special question this summer;

Aladdin's Trent Saunders and his equally talented siblings were the stars of Broadway's Saunders Siblings at 54 Below in August.

Aladdin's Tia Altinay joined up with Newsies Adam Kaplan to speak at the Actors Connection's Perfroming Arts Camp to help educate and inspire Broadway's next generation.  Broadway World was there and has a video from the event!

Aladdin's Brian Gonzales also helped to teach and inspire the next generation last summer, taking part in A Class Act NY's summer camp.

Aladdin's Andrew Cao stopped by to help the students of Kirby's Dance Studio whilst visiting family in Aurora after meeting them on their trip to NYC.

Original Kassim, Brandon O'Neill, starred as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance in August at the Ordway Centre for Performing Arts.

Aladdin's Steel Burkhardt took part in 54 Below's Bring Him Home, a tribute concert for Kyle Jean-Baptiste.

Aladdin's Daisy Hobbs performed in a showcase of her original songs at URBO in October.  And you can read more about URBO here.  If you're a musical theatre fan it sounds like somewhere you should definitely check out when you're in NYC.

Aladdin's Lauryn Ciardullo took part in the annual Broadway Can! benefit concert, featuring the songs of Seth Bisen-Hersh.

Aladdin's Kathryn Allison made her solo concert debut at 54 Below last November with Sirens, Songs, and Muses.  Broadway World has pictures from the event.

Aladdin's Trevor Dion Nicholas (London's future Genie!) took part in Musicals Tonight!'s At This Performance, a concert series that showcases Broadway's talented Standbys, Understudies and Alternates.

Aladdin's Rodney Ingram recently appeared on the Tyler Mount Vlog;

Aladdin's original Standby Jafar and Sultan, Merwin Foard, has hit the road with a new production of The Sound of Music and is the focus of a new article in the Charlotte Observer.  I hope that the show does make it to Broadway, Merwin certainly deserves his time in the spotlight.

Aladdin's amazing Director/Choreographer Casey Nicholaw was honoured at last year's NYMF Gala.

Casey Nicholaw accepts his NYMF Award, Photo by Russell Rowland

Broadway.com spoke with Jackie Gehrt about being part of Team Jasmine.

Aladdin's incredible book writer and lyricist Chad Begulin has a new show coming up this year!  Gotta Dance just finished it's out of town run in Chicago and is due to premiere on Broadway this Spring!

Huffington Post has posted a piece on New York's "Dr., Shoes", who makes and repairs the footwear for many Broadway shows, including Aladdin.

Before Aladdin was on Broadway there was Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular  at Disney's Californian Adventure.  Today the curtain will fall on that show for the final time as Aladdin and his friends bid Salaam and fly off to another Arabian Night.  Just before Christmas the LA Times spoke with the show's long running creative director, Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony, about the enduring appeal of the show.

I think that's just about it for Aladdin but there's still some important Hunchback news I want to share!

Samantha Massell at Fiddler on the Roof Opening Night, Photo by Walter McBride/Broadway World

Fiddler on the Roof recently made a triumphant return to Broadway and with it Samantha Massell made her Broadway debut as Hodel!  Congratulations Samantha!!  Samantha was voted Best Theatre Discovery of 2012 by St. Louis' River Front Times for her performance as Jasmine in The Muny's pre-Broadway production of Aladdin and was recently part of The Hunchback of Notre Dame's incredible cast (and will be on the cast recording due for release this month).  Sam's not the only Disney alum in Fiddler though as Aladdin's Brandt Martinez also stars in the show!

Ciara Renee as Hawkgirl

Continuing the trend of Disney's Broadway stars making the jump to DC Comic's TV multiverse, Hunchback's Ciara Renee made her DC debut on The Flash last year as Hawkgirl!  This month she'll star in CW's latest DC series Legends of Tomorrow!  As a pretty big comic geek I'm really excited to see this one!

Speaking of Disney stars who made the jump to the DCU - here's Newsies and Supergirl star Jeremy Jordan singing a fantastic Disney medley!  You just have to listen to this, Jeremy's amazing!  And when you're done, search for him singing Let It Go, you'll be glad you did!

I'm still crossing my fingers the circus comes back to town in Gotham so James can be on the show again.  Or, better yet, come back in a new role as a major character (hey, it worked for  Mark Hamill in the legendary animated series!).  It was nice seeing The Little Mermaid's Norm Lewis this season as well!

Back to Hunchback!  The Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Utah had another incredible season last year and their relationship with Disney seems to be going from strength to strength.  I loved their pre-Broadway production of Aladdin in 2012 and last year they teamed with Disney to launch a new musical, When You Wish (you can read the Salt Lake Tribune's review for that and their productions of Beauty and the Beast and Alan Menken's Sister Act here).  Well, this year they're staging another two Disney productions!  First they're bringing Tarzan back to stage in June, then in August they'll be staging The Hunchback of Notre Dame!!!  I might be wrong but I think this will be the first regional production following the US Premiere Productions at La Jolla and PaperMill Playhouse.  Both shows will run through to October along with Peter Pan.

If you've ever wanted to see these shows then I would urge you to go to the Tuacahn's productions this summer.  I've said it before but the outdoor amphitheatre is the most beautiful venue I've ever seen a show in and they use their unique venue to stage their productions in some truly breath taking ways.  Believe me, if I could be there I would be!

And, of course, it's not long now until the cast album!  Alan Menken took to Instagram to share a glimpse inside the recording studio!  I can't wait to hear this glorious show again!

Ok, that's everything for last year!  I'll be back next week with the first proper news round up of 2016!

Happy Birthday Trevor Dion Nicholas!

Trevor Dion Nicholas as Genie, Photo by Disney

 

Happy birthday to Trevor Dion Nicholas!

 

Trevor, I hope you have magical day!  I look forward to seeing you making magic in the West End next year!

 

 

The Villains Come Out to Sing for Halloween

Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, Photo by Disney

Happy Halloween everyone!

To get you in the spirit here's Jonathan Freeman's Disney Sessions medley!  Watch as Jafar himself brings some of Disney's greatest villains songs to life!

 

I could listen to this all day!

 

Have a fantastic Halloween everyone!

 



Salaam Worthy Friend - Aladdin Bids Farewell to Nikki Long

Nikki Long at Aladdin's Opening Night, Photo from Broadway World by Linda Lenzi

This week Aladdin said goodbye to another original cast member as Nikki Long took her final bow at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Nikki has been with the show for it's entire journey, from Seattle to Toronto to Broadway as both a Dance Captain and a member of the show's incredible ensemble.

I just want to wish Nikki the very best of luck and to say thank you for everything she has done for the show.

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 Goes to Washington

James Monroe Iglehart, Courtney Reed and Adam Jacobs, Photo by Disney

Well this is unexpected!  Aladdin announced on Twitter yesterday that the cast of the hit Broadway show are off to the White House this Friday to perform at the Kids State Dinner!  What an incredible honour for this amazing cast!

I just want to wish them all the best for Friday's performance!  Make some magic everyone!!

Broadway News Round Up 36

James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

Welcome to the latest news round up for Broadway's Aladdin!  Finally back on a weekly schedule (let's see how long it lasts this time!)

First off I just want to say a massive congratulations to last week's Tony Award winners, including Aladdin's Bob Crowley who won Best Scenic Design of a Musical, along with Benjamin Pearcy and Leo Warner, for An American in Paris, and Natasha Katz who won Best Lighting Design of a Musical for the same show.  Casey Nicholaw's Something Rotten! may not have taken home Best Musical (check out their fantastic new poster below) but, like Aladdin, it did take home Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical so congratulations to Christian Borle!

Something Rotten's new poster, image from @RottenBroadway on Twitter

And speaking of the Tony Awards, CBS may not have screened the Creative Arts Awards (which James Monroe Iglehart co-hosted) but you can now watch all of the awards online right here!  One day I hope JMI gets to host the Tonys.  I don't care about the time difference, that I would stay up for!  James even made Fashionista and AM New York's looks at the glitz and glamour of the red carpet!  He also hit the nail right on the head when discussing the appeal of live theatre with Ralphie Tonight on the red carpet and just when you think it couldn't get any better, the Genie meet the Little Mermaid;

Last week Broadway's Aladdin featured on ABC's The Bachelorette.  Now Wetpaint has some more photos from the episode, Business 2 Community has posted a short article on the episode and if you live in the US you can watch the whole episode right here on Hulu.  Or if you just want the Aladdin section Good Morning America has posted a special behind the scenes look at that part of the episode and Broadway World has the video of the Aladdin part of the show featuring Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed (both videos are sadly only viewable in the US).  Finally, the Bachelorette herself has also posted a blog about her Broadway experience over at People!

Finally this week, James Monroe Iglehart discussed his recent 54 Below show with Playbill as he and other Broadway stars talk about how they put their cabaret shows together.

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!

Broadway News Round Up 34

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Deen Van Meer

Hello again!  After last week's massive catch up this news round up feels pretty short and sweet.  But there's still lots going on with Aladdin's Broadway family.

Adam Jacobs and his sister Arielle took part in a sibling interview with Broadway World.  Aladdin fans take note that it sounds like Adam's schedule will be changing in the Fall and he might not be performing Wednesday matinees.

Trevor Dion Nicholas recently took part in the Young At Arts 10th Anniversary Benefit.

Kylie Myers touched a lot of people in the Broadway community and perhaps none more so that the cast of Aladdin.  Last week a childhood cancer Public Service Announcement featuring Kylie premiered in Times Square, the heart of the theatre world that Kylie loved so much.  Broadway World has posted a touching piece on Kylie's story, remembering her as she keeps Broadway smiling.

Broadway World caught up with James Monroe Iglehart ahead of his upcoming 54 Below debut.  And yes, you can get that meal at his 54 Below show this weekend!

As part of Aladdin's 1st anniversary Disney On Broadway have posted a very elaborate celebration meal on Pin Interest.

If you like awesome show merchandise then Aladdin is definitely after your money with the latest arrival at the New Amsterdam Theatre - Genie Bear!!

You can get your very own Genie Bear at the show's official online store and follow his adventures on Aladdin's Instagram page.  No international shipping so I guess I'll just have to go back again... ;oD

And finally Alan Menken's long time collaborator Stephen Schwartz is to be honoured this year with the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award.  Congratulations Stephen!

Now for some light hearted fun!  Being the evil villain that he is, Don Darryl Rivera has declared a hide n seek scare war on James Monroe Iglehart.

The scare war begins @jamesmiglehart #NeverHadAScareLikeMe 🙀 pic.twitter.com/Qu5qgJrJoJ
— Don Darryl Rivera (@DonDarrylRivera) April 26, 2015

First scare may have gone to Don but James wasted no time in striking back.

I was editing the video of me scaring @jamesmiglehart and he got me! #NeverHadAScareLikeMe 🙀 pic.twitter.com/GAH5KLrFZS
— Don Darryl Rivera (@DonDarrylRivera) April 27, 2015

Can't wait for round 2!

Sorry if the videos aren't working properly for you (I was having some issues getting them to embed properly for some reason).  If you can't see them above then you can check them out on Twitter here and 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.

Opening Night for The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Michael Arden and Ciara Renee as Quasimodo and Esmeralda, Photo by Matthew Murphy

After a week and half of previews the Paper Mill Playhouse's production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame officially opens tonight!  After last year's critically acclaimed production at the La Jolla Playhouse here's hoping for more of the same after the press leave the theatre tonight.  Then maybe, just maybe, Broadway could be next.

But that's the future.  Tonight is important for that, of course, but it's more important as a celebration of this production and all the hard work and energy that the cast, creative team and everyone at the Paper Mill have put into making this show the best it can possibly be.  The press will be there, but more importantly so will friends and family.  So to everyone at the Paper Mill tonight, on stage, back stage and in the audience, I will say simply this, enjoy it, celebrate it and be moved by it.  That's what live theatre's all about.  This is your night and I wish you all the very best.

And maybe, if we're lucky, we'll see this show make its way to Broadway one day, someday, soon.

Salaam Worthy Friends - Aladdin Bids Farewell to Marisha Wallace, Bud Weber & Michael James Scott

Marisha Wallace backstage at Aladdin

Bud Weber at Aladdin's Opening Night, Photo from Playbill Vault



 

Michael James Scott at Aladdin's Opening Night, Photo from Broadway World by Linda Lenzi

Today three more original cast members will take their final bow at the New Amsterdam Theatre as the bid the kingdom of Agrabah and Broadway's Aladdin goodbye.

As well as being part of Aladdin's incredible ensemble you may have been lucky enough to see Bud and Marisha in two of the show's main roles as Bud was one of Aladdin's understudies and Marisha was an understudy for Babkak (which I really wish I could have seen).

Michael James Scott was one of the show's amazing Stand Bys and has been on as both Genie and Babkak.  I had the pleasure of seeing Michael as Babkak last year and he gave a fantastic performance.

All three will be back on Broadway later this month as they join Aladdin's
 Director/Choreographer Casey Nicholaw to help him bring a little Something Rotten! to the stage.

I just want to wish all three the very best of luck and say thank you for all that they have done for the show.

Happy Valentine's Day

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I hope your Valentine's Day was a magical whole new world.

Next Week on Gotham...

James Monroe Iglehart and the cast of Gotham

Aladdin's James Monroe Iglehart will be in #BatNerdHeaven next Monday as he makes his debut on Fox's Gotham!

If you follow James on Twitter or read any interviews with him then you know he's a big comic book fan and his favourite character is Batman (you can see his Batman tattoo in this incredible episode of The JMI Show where he interviews himself!) so this really must have been a dream job for him!  And what an episode he gets to star in!  Not only is he playing the Ringmaster of Haley Circus (which is inspired casting!) but he also gets to appear in an episode that may, just may, feature the debut of the man who will be Joker...

James' episode of Gotham will air on Monday 16th February at 8pm ET and you can see him centre stage every night at the New Amsterdam Theatre as the Genie in Disney's Aladdin.

Broadway News Round Up 28

Jonathan Freeman and Don Darryl Rivera as Jafar and Iago, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

Hello and welcome to another news round up for Disney latest Broadway smash hit Aladdin.

It's a shorter post this week (after last week's mega catch up) but still plenty of exciting news, especially if you're an Alan Menken fan because this week saw the announcement of not just one but two new musicals from the Disney Legend!  TheaterMania reported that Alan will reunite with his Tangled and Galavant partner Glenn Slater to create the music for Happy Trails.  Happy Trails is based on the life and career of American icons Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.  Head over to TheaterMania for more details.  But it gets better!

The same day as the Happy Trails announcement saw another Menken musical being announced, one that proves Alan Menken is determined that all my future holidays will be to America and revolve around his musicals!  Teaming up with his Hercules lyricist David Zippel (there's another one I'd fly around the world to see on stage!) and Newsies book writer Harvey Fierstein, Alan Menken confirmed that he is currently working on a musical adaptation of Mrs. Doubtfire!!  You can hear the announcement for yourself over at Entertainment Weekly!  I really hope this one works out as I absolutely love the film.  Yes, no one will ever do it the same as Robin Williams but that doesn't mean that someone won't be able to make the role their own and put a new spin on it like James Monroe Iglehart did with Genie in Aladdin (in fact James even made TheaterMania's dream cast list for that very reason).

And one final piece of Alan Menken news before moving on to the Aladdin news.  Entertainment Weekly spoke with Alan about the stories behind the music.  It's a fascinating read for any fan of his work.  Oh, and make sure you watch the finale of Galavant on ABC tonight!

Alan Menken

Aladdin himself visited the Enchanted Tiki Room as Adam Jacobs took part in the Enchanted Tiki Talk podcast last week.  Make sure you give it a listen!

Courtney Reed posted a very special #TBT this week from her very first reading of Aladdin and the first time she met Adam Jacobs back in October 2010.

Highlights for Daisy Hobbs' concert debut, Here, An Evening of Song have been posted on YouTube and her first single from the show (Everyone Wants to Hear a Black Girl Belt) is now available on iTunes.

Michael James Scott and the stars of Broadway by the Beach spoke with Broadway World and share an exclusive teaser of the opening number.

And now some quick Hunchback updates!

Ciara Renee spoke The Pickwyck about her career and playing Esmeralda.

D23 are having a special VIP night at The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Paper Mill Playhouse on 15th March with 20% off tickets and a talk-back with lyricist Stephen Schwartz!  It's a fantastic opportunity if you can go!

Casey Nicholaw at the Broadway Premiere of Aladdin

One last bit of non-Aladdin news (though it is related) - Director Casey Nicholaw's new musical Tuck Everlasting premiered on Wednesday in Atlanta.  For the show Nicholaw was reunited with fellow Aladdin alum Andrew Keenan-Bolger (5th Avenue's original Omar) in the starring role of Jesse Tuck.  Tickets are available here.

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine in the 5th Avenue Pilot Production, Photo by Mark Kitaoka

And finally some international news!  The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye is back with more rumours on the West End debut of Aladdin.  It seems that the show's success on Broadway has made Disney re-think their theatre options in London.  Originally Baz had suggested that the show was pretty much signed to open in the Palladium next year, but "the Palladium is famous for family entertainment, and shows run there for two years (three at best)" and Disney now think that Aladdin, with its cross-generational appeal, could have a longer run.  Because of this Baz reports that Disney are now looking at the Dominion Theatre as Aladdin's potential home in the West End.  Obviously nothing is official until it's announced by Disney but we know more international productions are in the works and the West End hasn't had a new Disney production since Mary Poppins back in 2004.  I'm going to keep wishing this one is true as it would certainly save me a lot on plane tickets!

See you all next week!

Wishing You a Magical New Year

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

What an amazing year it's been!  Over twenty years after it was released in cinemas and three years after it's stage debut in Seattle, Aladdin finally premiered on Broadway with a dream cast who have been making wishes come true eight times a week since the show opened in February.

Tonight they will be in New York's Times Square to help make more wishes come true as the clock strikes 12, the ball drops and confetti wishes fill the air.  And if you want a little sneak peak at the magic make sure you check out the show's official Facebook page where you can see a video of the confetti test at the New Amsterdam Theatre earlier this week!

And you can watch the main event right here from 6pm EST until 12:15am EST

Have a fantastic night everyone.  Here's wishing you all a magical 2015!

Aladdin Nominated for 2015 Grammy Awards!

On Friday the nominations for the 2015 Grammy Awards were announced.  Now being honest I don't normally pay them much attention but this year Playbill had a headline that made me take notice.  Aladdin's Original Broadway Cast Recording has been nominated for Best Musical Theatre Album!!  I didn't even know that was a category!

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and West Side Story have also been nominated in the same category.

Congratulations to all of Aladdin's cast and everyone involved in the production of the cast recording.  And good luck!!

Make a New Years Wish with Aladdin

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

What are you doing New Years Eve?

Every year an estimated one million people fill New York's Times Square to watch the famous ball drop followed by (literally) a ton of confetti.  What you may not know is that on those pieces of confetti are New Years wishes from people all over the world.

This year Broadway's Aladdin is sponsoring New Year's Eve Wishes and you can add your wish to the confetti right here!

So, "What would you wish for?"

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!

Aladdin to Premiere in Japan!

 

 

Firstly, a big thanks to Sotiris (@sotiris2006) for bringing this to my attention last week!  After some rumours about London earlier this year (more on that in a second) it's now been officially announced that the first international production of Aladdin will open in Tokyo in May 2015.

 

Disney Theatrical Productions is once again teaming up with the Shiki Theatre Company to bring Aladdin to Japan.  This will mark the 5th collaboration between Disney Theatrical and the Shiki Theatre Company following 1995's Beauty and the Beast, 1998's The Lion King, 2003's Aida and 2013's The Little Mermaid.  Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions said "The heart and wit of the timeless tale of Aladdin, the Genie and those three wishes are beloved by cultures across the globe.  We look forward to bringing Casey Nicholaw's joyous, spectacular production to Japan in partnership with our valued friends at Shiki."

 

Chiyoki Yoshida, President and Representative Director of the Shiki Theatre Company echoed Schumacher's excitement, saying "I am very honored to be able to bring Aladdin to Japan as its first production outside of Broadway.  Shiki Theatre Company and Disney will celebrate our 20th year of partnership next year.  Aladdin is sure to open a door to 'a whole new world' for the live entertainment industry in Japan."

 

The Tokyo production will be cast locally in Japan and will be performed in Japanese.  The production will debut in May 2015 at the Dentsu Shiki Theatre Umi in Tokyo.

 

 

Whilst this is the first international production of Broadway's Aladdin, an earlier version of the show has previously been performed in Denmark and the Philippines in 2012/2013.

 

On the subject of international productions the Daily Mail's gossip columnist and entertainment writer Baz Bamigboye has hinted a few times that word is that Aladdin will be coming to London's West End, though probably not before 2016.  He first mentioned this in his 1st May column, stating that it was initially hoped that Aladdin would play in the Palladium in 2016 but Disney wanted to wait for the Prince Edward Theatre (where they did Mary Poppins and where Miss Saigon was then due to open) so Aladdin's West End debut would be delayed until "late 2016 or 2017".  This changed in his 26th June column where he reported that the success of Miss Saigon had changed Disney's mind about waiting and that the "top executive for Disney Theatricals will meet Palladium officials to discuss whether the Palladium would be the right venue for the Disney musical Aladdin in 2016."  Whilst his first report went mostly unnoticed, or at least uncommented on, this second report had more traction, being reported on Broadway World and several West End sites.  I did reach out to Disney Theatrical UK back in June but, understandably, received no reply.  Whilst I would love for the show to come to the West End this remains strictly a rumour for now.