Countdown to Broadway - Manila 2012

Tom Rodriguez and K-La Rivera as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Atlantis Productions

Earlier this week I looked back at the European Premiere of Aladdin, now it's the turn of Atlantis Productions' Asian Premiere, the final production (not counting Denmark's encore run) before Disney announced that the show would be making its way to Broadway.  The countdown to Broadway is almost done!

On 24th February 2012 it was announced that Atlantis Productions had been chosen by Disney to stage the Asian Premiere of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical.  The show would run from 16th November through 9th December 2012, transporting audiences of the Philippines' Meralco Theatre on a magical Arabian adventure.

Tom Rodriguez and K-La Rivera as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Atlantis Productions

April saw the first casting announcement and the release of the show's poster (seen at the start of this post).  Tom Rodriguez was confirmed to be making his stage debut as Aladdin with K-La Rivera, who had starred in Atlantis' production of Into the Heights the previous year, as Princess Jasmine.

The full cast was later revealed to be;

Tom Rodriguez as Aladdin
K-La Rivera as Princess Jasmine
Aiza Seguerra and Calvin Millado (alternating) as Genie
Raul Montesa as Jafar
Jimmy Marquez as Iago
Bibo Reyes as Babkak
Johann dela Fuente as Omar
Jamie Wilson as Kassim
Jun Ofrasio as Sultan

The show was directed by Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga with choreography by Ceicle Martinez, sets by Lex Marcos and Lawyn Cruz, lighting by Jay Aranda, costumes by Twinkle Zamora and musical direction by Ceejay Javier.  Johann dela Fuente, as well as playing Omar, also provided hair and makeup design.  The article linked to above, by The Philippine Star, is well worth reading as the cast comment on playing their iconic roles.

Left to Right; Aiza Seguerra as Genie, Tom Rodriguez as Aladdin, K-La Rivera as Jasmine and Calvin Millado as Genie, Photo by Atlantis Productions

I haven't been able to find many reviews for Atlantis Productions' Aladdin, but the one I did find, by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, pretty much mirrors exactly how I felt when watching the Tuachan's production.  As Pam Pastor says, "we felt like kids again while watching the show.  We were smiling practically the entire time (our mouths actually started to hurt), we laughed gleefully. we clapped our hands.  And yes, we'll admit it, we kind of booed Jafar, too ... "Disney's Aladdin" was a fresh take on a beloved tale, a colorful musical spectacle that offers fun and laughs for both children and adults."  One thing that the review doesn't mention is that the sets for this production were actually made out or recycled materials (bottles, cans, etc.).  It's an incredibly interesting approach and one I wish I could have seen as it looks beautifully done in the few photos I have seen.



Tom Rodriguez and K-La Rivera as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Atlantis Productions

So, like all productions of Aladdin to this point, it went short and sweet.  When the Pilot Production took its final bow on 31st July 2011 all we knew about Aladdin's future was that Disney's original intention for the show was to license it out to professional and amateur groups, by the end of 2012 we'd had two amazing regional productions along with incredible premiere productions in both Europe and Asia.  Aladdin had travelled the world where, like with 5th Avenue's Pilot Production, it had been embraced by its audiences.  But the most exciting news about the show was still just a rumour, just a simple comment by Alan Menken at a D23 event... Broadway was coming!

A New Fantastic Point of View

Where has the time gone?  I hope you all had a great Easter weekend the other week, I can't believe we're in April already!  There's not too much news to report on the Aladdin front, auditions have been and gone, and if you went to them I hope they went well, so I'd expect things to be pretty quiet until the summer.

The official twitter (@aladdin) has tweeted a single quote;

"Gotta keep, one jump ahead of the breadline, one swing ahead of the sword." - @aladdin

It's not much, but at least it's something.  It's the first tweet since January (I know, I'm a fine one to talk about that!) but hopefully it means the account will start being more active soon.

The Facebook page has been a little more active, posting the same quote as above and also sharing a new promo image;

They've also made a small change to their logo and the show's subtitle.  No longer Broadway's New Musical Fantasy, the show is now

I love the colour scheme of gold and purple, but I do still wish they'd change the font to something that feels a little more Aladdin.

Their most recent update is a bit more interactive, yesterday they asked fans "When I think of Aladdin, I can't help but start singing..."

Obviously the film songs have got most of the votes, but it's nice to see some people (and not just me!) pick Proud of Your Boy, and it was really nice to see someone saying  A Million Miles Away.  Why not head on over and add your opinions?

Whilst there's been no Aladdin casting news, two previous Aladdins have been cast as other Disney heroes.

The original Aladdin, Adam Jacobs, is currently playing the title role of Zorro at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.  Tickets are on sale at the theatre's website and the show runs until 5th May.  If you're in Atlanta make sure you check it out (and ok Zorro's not technically a Disney hero, but Walt Disney did do the series in the 50s so it can still count).

Meanwhile, Tuachan's Aladdin, Dan Domenech, has been cast as the title character in Disney's Tarzan as the show makes its Asian Premiere at the Meralco Theatre in June.  You may recognise the name of the theatre as it was also home to last year's Asian Premiere of Aladdin (I know, I really need to get that article on the international shows done!).  The show runs June 14th to July 8th and is being produced by Viva Atlantis Theatricals who are a joint venture between Viva Communications and Atlantis Productions who produced last year's production of Aladdin.  Tickets don't seem to be on sale yet (at least online) but if you're going to be in Pasig City whilst the show's on then keep an eye on Atlantis' website or try contacting the theatre directly to secure your seats.  Dan was a fantastic Aladdin last year so you're in for a great show with him as Tarzan.

And that's about everything for this time but I just want to end on this tweet from 15th March.  No casting has been announced, but it's to know that Adam Jacobs is still keeping in touch with Alan Menken...

""Watch and learn," @AIMenken says to me as he sidles up to the piano, plays and sings "Proud of Your Boy". #bowingtogenius" - @AdamJacobsNYC

Asian Premiere of Disney's Aladdin: The New Stage Musical

Tom Rodriguez and K-La Rivera as Aladdin and Jasmine

Tonight sees the Asian Premiere of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical.  I've not been able to find out much about this run of the show so far, so I'll be doing a little digging over the weekend to try and bring you some more information on it.  The Asian Premiere production is being done by Atlantis Productions at the Meralco Theatre and will run from tonight through to 9th December.

I hope to have some more details to post early next week (as well as an update on the European Premiere run in Denmark), but for now I just want to wish the cast and crew at the Meralco Theatre the very best of luck for tonight's premiere.  Make some magic everyone!

For ticket information on the show, please see Atlantis' website.

Aladdin and Jasmine Cast for Asian Premiere

With all the Tuacahn announcements recently (and more from there very soon!) I've fallen behind on international news!  Aladdin'sGenie over at Aladdin Central has found an article from The Philippine Star announcing the casting of the Aladdin and Jasmine in Atlantis Productions' Asian Premiere of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical.

"Playing the title role of Aladdin is PBB contestant and actor Tom Rodriguez. Tom has appeared in Maalaala Mo Kaya, Angelito, My Driver Sweet Lover, Here Comes the Bride, and Petrang Kabayo.

Chosen to play the iconic role of Princess Jasmine is recording artist K-La Rivera, who received an Aliw Award nomination for Best Actress for her critically-acclaimed performance as Nina in In The Heights."

Courtney Reed, who originated the role of Jasmine in last summer's World Premiere at The 5th Avenue, had also previously starred in In the Heights so K-La is in good company!

More casting will follow soon with the show to premiere in November at the Meralco Theatre.

Three Updates to be Exact!

Hi all, sorry it's been so long (again!), the last month has just flown and events (like a smoking laptop charger and broken boiler) have kept me from getting online as much as I would have liked!  Without further ado, here's the latest news in the world of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical;

Atlantis Productions Announce the Asian Premiere of Disney's Aladdin: The New Stage Musical

According to Playbill (and brought to my attention by the wonderful AladdinsGenie over at Aladdin Central, really if you aren't checking out that amazing site, please do!) Atlantis Production, through special arrangement with Music Theatre International will stage the Asian Premiere of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical this November!  According to Atlantis Productions' Creative Head Bobby Garcia, they are "We are honored that Disney has handpicked us to premiere the musical in Asia. We look forward to creating the enchanting world of Agrabah and the romantic Arabian nights where Aladdin and Princess Jasmine take flight on their magic carpet ride"

Casting and dates will be announced soon.  Expect further information to be posted on Atlantis' official site and here as it becomes available.

John Musker Answers Fans' Questions with Sarah Ashman


John Musker



You may remember earlier this year I mentioned that Howard Ashman's sister Sarah was offering fans a rare chance to interact with Disney writer/director John Musker at her site Part of His World.  Well the first four questions have now been answered;

http://howardashman.com/blog/john-musker-question-countdown-number-10/

http://howardashman.com/blog/john-musker-question-countdown-number-9/

http://howardashman.com/blog/and-now-without-further-delay-john-musker-question-number-8/

http://howardashman.com/blog/john-musker-question-countdown-number-7/

These questions offer an amazing insight into the minds of some of the creative geniuses responsible for Disney's renaissance era and some of my most precious childhood memories (and I'm sure many of yours as well).  Whilst you're at her site, make sure you take the time to look around, it's a beautifully personal site and an amazing tribute to Howard Ashman.



Howard Ashman

This last bit of news isn't really about the musical, but it is Aladdin related.  Friday 23rd March was a sad day for many Disney fans;

Glen Keane Resigns from Disney Animation

Glen Keane, along with Ron Clements, views some early footage from Aladdin

After an incredible 38 year career with Walt Disney Animation Studios, Glen Keane resigned last Friday to explore new territories in animation, which he remains convinced is "the ultimate form of our time with endless new territories to explore".  His full letter of resignation can be read over at Cartoon Brew. During his time with Disney, Glen Keane was responsible for bringing many classic characters to life, including Ariel, the Beast, Pocahontas, Tarzan and, of course, Aladdin. Most recently he was the Executive Producer and Animating Director of Tangled.

A spokesperson for Disney confirmed the news with The Hollywood Reporter, saying “After an incredible 38-year career as an animator, storyteller, and filmmaking pioneer with Walt Disney Animation Studios, Glen Keane has decided that the time has come to take the next step in his personal exploration of the art of animation.  As much as we are saddened by his departure, we respect his desires and wish him the very best with all his future endeavors.”

I would like to take this oppurtunity to wish Glen Keane all the best with his future endeavours and to thank him for the part he played in bringing so many of my childhood favourites to life.  I would also like to wish the very best to the next generation of Disney animators, those who trained under Glen Keane, and look forward to seeing them push the boundaries of Disney animation as Glen Keane did.  And, of course, I can't wait to see what Glen does next!