Broadway's Princesses Take Their Party to the West Coast

Courtney Reed at a Broadway Princess Party, Photo by Nessie Nankivell

After five sell out engagements in New York, Broadway's favourite princesses are taking their magic carpets and pumpkin carriages on the road to the West Coast!

Aladdin's Courtney Reed will be joining Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast) and Laura Osnes (Cinderella) for a special three night event at the Segerstrom Centre for the Arts starting tonight!  In addition to their evening performances there will also be a special matinee performance at Citrus College on the 16th December.

So if you've always wanted to see one if these fantastic events but couldn't make it out to NYC this is your chance to catch these incredible ladies on the West Coast.  You can find more information on the event right here.

Tickets are available here (matinee tickets can be found here).

But that's not all! In addition to this West Coast event, the Broadway Princesses will be returning to New York's 54 Below next February for another one night only event on 11th February.  Tickets will go on sale tomorrow for Club 54 members and on Friday for the general audience.  The guest line up for this event hasn't been announced yet, but I suspect Arielle Jacobs may be representing Aladdin ahead of her Jasmine debut on the 20th so let's give her a big, warm, Agrabah welcome!

25 Years of Magic!

Has it really been 25 years?  "Look at me from the side, do I look different to you?" ;)

It's hard to believe but yesterday marks 25 years since Aladdin debut in cinemas!  Yes, Aladdin is 25 years young (and I feel really old!) and the casts of Aladdin have been celebrating around the world!

In London the cast of the West End production sat down to watch the movie that started it all;

Whilst in New York Oh My Disney went to see the show on Broadway and took the opportunity to watch the film with the one and only Jonathan Freeman;

And cast past and present took to social media to celebrate the film's anniversary;

Happy 25th anniversary #Aladdin ... thanks for becoming a movie 🧞‍♂️ This girl is grateful 🧞‍♀️ https://t.co/hhL033GDd7

— Courtney Reed (@RhodesReed) 26 November 2017

25 Years of this Masterpiece! https://t.co/Von4IbAK0X

— The Sultan 👳🏾 (@Irvine777) 24 November 2017

To the movie that changed my life, Happy 25th Anniversary Aladdin! @aladdin @AIMenken thank you!! #WishesDoComeTrue! pic.twitter.com/CDyW4zpn0l

— james m. iglehart (@jamesmiglehart) 26 November 2017

It's not just the musical cast who are celebrating!  Mena Massoud, star of the upcoming live action movie, took time out from shooting to re-watch the animated classic!

Happy 25th anniversary to #Aladdin & #Disney! Time for some popcorn & a celebratory viewing of an all-time classic. Who's with me peeps!? pic.twitter.com/elewJyIuUj

— Mena Massoud (@MenaMassoud) 25 November 2017

If you're not following Mena on social media then you definitely should be!  He's be posting some fantastic pictures and videos whilst making the movie, including some absolutely breath taking views from when they were shooting on location in Jordan.  This film is going to look stunning!

And, of course, the ones who started it all!!

Hey Princess @MissLindaLarkin can you believe #Aladdin was released 25 years ago today? I’d lie to you about being a prince just to fly you around the world on a Magic Carpet all over again ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/DwtsJUGqzM

— Scott Weinger (@ScottWeinger) 25 November 2017

Happy Anniversary to all of us that took that magic carpet ride!!! #Aladdin25 #ShiningShimmeringSplendid https://t.co/euufgD1jqy

— Lea Salonga (@MsLeaSalonga) 25 November 2017

Happy anniversary Aladdin!  Here's to the next 25 magical years!

Aladdin Returns Home & DDR Does Too!

Don Darryl Rivera is Iago in Seattle!

Aladdin is coming home!!  After an incredible run in Minneapolis Aladdin is returning to Seattle where it first premiered in 2011!

Even better, Don Darryl Rivera is coming with it!!!  Yes, DDR is returning home to play Iago!  Seattle is in for a treat!!

And so is Broadway!  Whilst Don Darryl is bringing Iago to life for his home town, Reggie De Leon will be making his Broadway debut bringing the villainous henchman to life in New York!  Congratulations Reggie!!

Aladdin will be playing at Seattle's Paramount Theatre from tomorrow through to 29th October and you can get your tickets right here!  Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to see Seattle's original Aladdin (Adam Jacobs) and original Iago share a stage again!  It's going to be magical!!!

London's Aladdin to Open West End Live

Last year Aladdin didn't have much of a presence at West End Live.  This was understandable though as the show had literally just opened earlier in the week.  The fact that we got Trevor Dion Nicholas giving a tease of Friend Like Me was more than enough.

What a difference a year makes.

This year the cast of Aladdin aren't just taking part in West End Live.  They're opening it!

Friend Like Me seems like a natural fit to open the event (especially after Trev's little tease last year) but I'm hoping we get Matthew Croke's rendition of Proud of Your Boy as well.  That's something I'm really looking forward to hearing.

West End Live 2017 will take place on 24th & 25th June with a jam packed schedule showcasing the very best the West End has to offer for free in London's Trafalgar Square.  Kicking off at 11:00 on Saturday (Gates open 10:30) and 12:00 on Sunday (Gates 11:30) make sure you get there early as this is a popular event and I speak from experience when I say the queues can be long (I watched Trev from the queue last year).

But the Aladdin cast's 15 minute opening segment on Saturday isn't the only time the stars of Agrabah will take to the stage next weekend.  On Sunday you can see Aladdin stars past and present in their own solo segments;

16:05 - Trevor Dion Nicolas & Neighbourhood Goliath (West End's incredible Genie & his band)
16:20 - Marisha Wallace (original Broadway cast, currently slaying it in Dreamgirls)
16:35 - Nathan Amzi (original London cast)

I definitely need to try and get back to London for this!

Next Stop - Melbourne!

Ainsley Melham as Aladdin, Photo by Deen Van Meer

The Australian production of Aladdin is going on tour!

Next April Ainsley Melham (Aladdin), Arielle Jacobs (Jasmine) Michael James Scott (Genie) and the gang will fly the magic carpet from Sydney's Capitol Theatre to Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne!

There's still time to catch them in Sydney where the show is running through to January 8th but make sure you get your tickets now as they're sure to sell out over the holiday season and as the end of the run approaches!

Tickets for both are on sale now from the show's official website so grab yours today!

Aladdin begins performances in Melbourne on 26th April 2017 and is currently booking through to 4th June 2017.

And now for an extra special treat!  This morning Ainsley Melham and Arielle Jacobs performed A Whole New World on The Morning Show and you can watch it right here!

Ring Bells, Bang the Drums! Aladdin is Going on Tour!!

If you can't make it to New York then the magic carpet is coming to you!

Disney Theatrical today announced the North American Tour of Aladdin!  The first stop on this magic carpet ride is a 12 week engagement in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from April 11 to July 2 2017 with future venues still to be announced.

Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher announced the tour saying "We've had the privilege of entertaining more than one million people in New York City with Casey Nicholaw's glorious production.  I am delighted that audiences in Chicago and throughout North America will soon have the opportunity to experience Aladdin in their own back yards."

"Aladdin will be the fourth new production we've launched in Chicago in 16 years.  Chicago's canny audiences, its theatrical infrastructure and its stunning theatres make it a peerless town for creating new productions.  We are thrilled to return with Aladdin."

Lou Raizin, President of Broadway in Chicago, added "We are excited Chicago will be the first North American city outside of New York to see Aladdin."

Group bookings (for 15 people or more) are now on sale and you can find more details at the show's official website http://www.aladdinthemusical.com/tour where you can also sign up for email updates.

Call me sentimental but I really hope that Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre is one of the stops on the tour!