This blog is dedicated to Disney's Aladdin: Broadway's New Musical Comdey. Following a successful Pilot Production at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre in 2011, and regional and international productions in 2012, Disney announced that Aladdin would be coming to Broadway in 2014. Aladdin had it's pre-Broadway engagement at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre and opened on Broadway 20th March 2014.
Who's up for an Instagram take over? Aladdin's resident Genie, Michael James Scott is hosting a fierce take over of Disney Theatrical's official Instagram account TODAY!
Taking place at 4:30PM EST, Michael will be going live with special guest Ciara Renee (Hunchback of Notre Dame's Esmeralda and Broadway's new Elsa). In these dark times this is bound to be a bright spot of Disney magic so don't miss it!
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)
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.
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 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)
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 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 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 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!
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!
We've know this was coming but now the first details have been released regarding the American Premiere Studio Recording of The Hunchback of Notre Dame!
"The American Premiere Studio Recording of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the only stage collaboration from two masters of the American musical, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, will be released on Friday, November 20th.
This studio recording, the first ever of the acclaimed American stage score based on the Academy Award-nominated film, will feature a 25 piece orchestra, a choir of 32 and some of Broadway's most formidable talent: Michael Arden (Big River) as Quasimodo, Patrick Page (Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark) as Dom Claude Frollo, Ciara Renee (Pippin) as Esmeralda, Andrew Samonsky (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) as Captain Phoebus de Martin and Erik Liberman (Lovemusik) as Clopin Trouillefou.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a dramatic retelling of the famous love story on a grand scale, with a lush, emotionally rich score. The musical features a score by Alan Menken (Aladdin,Beauty and the Beast) and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin)."
I am so happy right now! I mean it was pretty much a given that the cast would return but it's nice to have it officially confirmed.
Disney is still keeping their brand name away from the production (you can see above Disney isn't mentioned at all in the product description and the logo just says "based on" the novel and the Disney film) and the CD is actually coming from Ghostlight/Sh-K-Boom Records instead of Walt Disney Records who usually handle Disney Theatrical's releases. But that's perhaps the smart play for this piece, which is a lot heavier and features more adult themes than Disney's traditional productions. Ultimately it's not important, what matters is that this fantastic cast and this incredible music is going to be preserved forever in a cast recording. I sincerely hope that this CD contains, as much as possible, every single note from this magnificent production.
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!
Michael Arden and Ciara Renee as Quasimodo and Esmeralda, Photo by Matthew Murphy
Tonight the cast of The Hunchback of Notre Dame will take their final bow as the Paper Mill Playhouse's production reaches the end of its run.
Since I posted my review the other day it has sadly been confirmed that this production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame will not be transferring to Broadway. That doesn't mean it won't come to Broadway someday (Aladdin had it's Pilot Production in 2011 and didn't come to Broadway until 2014 following several additional, non-Disney, regional and international productions) but it won't be making a fast transfer like many, including myself, hoped for. So this is it. Two more chances to see this glorious production. If you can, go. You'll be glad that you did.
For myself I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see this show. Michael Arden, Patrick Page, Ciara Renee, Andrew Samonsky, Erik Liberman, everyone in the incredible ensemble and choir, the creative team and everyone who helps bring this show to life, thank you so much for this moving and inspirational piece of theatre. It's an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you, and all the best for the future, whatever it may hold.
Michael Arden as Quasimodo with the Congregation in the La Jolla Playhouse production, Photo by Kevin Berne
I'm going to start this review at the end. If you haven't seen this show and you have the ability to get to the Paper Mill Playhouse before it closes on April 5th then don't bother reading this, just get to their website (or call them) and get any seats they have left right now! Need to drive across the country, or even fly around the world? If you can afford it, do it! It's been almost ten years since I walked out of a theatre and went straight back to the box office to buy more tickets and I have NEVER seen the same show twice in one day before.
On leaving the matinee my wife and I literally walked back to the station to make sure the trains ran late enough then went straight back to the theatre to get tickets for the evening performance. Yes, there's been a lot of talk of The Hunchback of Notre Dame going to Broadway, and I wish with all my heart for that to happen, but there's no guarantees. We'd both waited years to see this and knew that, even if it does go to Broadway, it could be years before we see it again and we weren't ready to let it go after just one performance. It's also a show that demands a second viewing. After an extremely insightful talkback session with the cast after the matinee I found myself taking in small details and nuances that I'd missed the first time.
The first thing that strikes you on entering the theatre is Alexander Dodge's magnificent set. As there is no stage curtain the majesty of Notre Dame greets you the moment you step into the auditorium. This is not your standard Disney set, it's a black and white checkered floor with wooden beams and walkways adorned by stone gargoyles, the only colour coming from the magnificently recreated stained glass window that looks down on congregation from above. And the bells, when they come down and are rang by Quasimodo, are simply breath taking. The realism of the set is a reflection of the real, human focus of the production. Whilst you can recognise the structure of the Disney film in this new musical, this is a more mature telling of Victor Hugo's classic story and much stronger for it as the focus is placed almost entirely on the four leads and their interlocking story and relationships.
The second thing that strikes you is the sound. The choir take their places and the familiar choral opening of "The Bells of Notre Dame" begins, growing stronger as the congregation (ensemble) and cast, led by Erik Liberman's Clopin, all enter cloaked in hooded robes. The onstage choir (Continuo Arts Symphonic Chorus for this production) is used to fabulous effect throughout the entire production, including a wonderful Entr'acte in Latin, and just brings a added richness to what is already Alan Menken's best score. In contrast to the choir the ensemble is relatively small, made up of just 14 people who seamlessly transition from Parisians to Romani to Gargoyles to Cathedral Guards, as well as portraying several secondary characters throughout the piece, sometimes even within the same scene. Everyone sounds fantastic. The Hunchback of Notre Dame contains some of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz's best work, it's rich, powerful and beautiful, and it's brought to life effortlessly by this incredibly talented cast. Put bluntly, this show sounds gorgeous. It needs to go to Broadway for that alone, the world deserves a cast album of this show.
And what a cast it is! The first character we're introduced to is Erik Liberman's Clopin Trouillefou. Clopin's role seems both smaller and larger than it was in the film. He is no longer the main narrator of the piece as that role is now filled by the ensemble, but he feels like a fuller character with real relationships with both Esmeralda and, surprisingly, with Phoebus. I love his character arc with Phoebus, it's small and only in a few scenes but I think it works extremely well. Erik Liberman has added greater depth to Clopin. Whilst he's still the theatrical King of the Gypsies we now get to see the truth behind the facade of a man who cares deeply for his people. He doesn't even display anger at the prejudices that his people are subjected to, instead Liberman's Clopin has a weary, reluctant, acceptance of the world he must live in. It's a role that allows Liberman to be both theatrically over the top and subtle and nuanced and he embraces it.
One of the greatest changes for the stage adaptation is the fleshing out of Frollo. Instead of the outright villain of the animated classic, Frollo here is introduced as a good man and Patrick Page plays his tragic downfall masterfully. I've wanted to see Patrick since seeing a video of him singing "Be Prepared", there's a reason he's considered one of Broadway's greatest villain actors and he does not disappoint. His "Hellfire" is one of the highlights of the show, staged simply but incredibly effectively with Page visibly shaking as he kneels praying at the start. His Frollo is a lesson in how fanaticism is self defeating as Frollo is ultimately corrupted not by Esmeralda but by his own self righteousness. It's an incredibly complex performance that has you both loathing Frollo and his actions but also sympathising with him and wanting to see him redeem himself because you know he has it within him to be a good man.
Michael Arden as Quasimodo and the Congregation, Photo by Matthew Murphy
Where do I even start with Michael Arden? I think the greatest compliment I can pay him is to simply say he IS Quasimodo. From the moment he enters in "The Bells of Notre Dame", asking the audience "what makes a monster and what makes a man" as he transforms into the titular Hunchback before our eyes he is magnificent in both voice and physicality, embodying the role in a way I've never seen before and giving spine tingling renditions of "Out There" and "Made of Stone" (the latter of which moved me to tears in a way it never has before). It was fascinating to listen to him speak on how he created the role during the cast talkback, where he spoke of how he tied a belt around his knees and examined how that affected his movement and posture. Watching the show a second time with that knowledge you could see it in his movement. His performance was a master class in character creation and if/when this show does go to Broadway I'm certain there's a Tony Award in his future.
Andrew Samonsky's Phoebus de Martin is another character who benefits greatly from the musical's more mature tone and increased character depth. No longer the shining knight of the film, Phoebus is now flawed and haunted by his time at the front. His introduction in "Rest and Recreation" now includes a beautifully haunting moment as Phoebus recalls his "four years at the front" and vows never to return to that life. Andrew Samonsky perfectly portrays Phoebus' transformation from haunted soldier to man reborn through his love for Esmeralda, and their relationship is arguably the most realistic and heart breaking that Disney have ever put on stage, venturing into dark places that challenge the audience as well as the characters.
Ciara Renee as Esmeralda with the Congregation, Photo by Matthew Murphy
Whilst Arden's Quasimodo is clearly the lead, it's Ciara Renee's Esmeralda who is the thread that binds all the other characters together and her actions that drive the story forward. Renee brings Esmeralda to life with a perfect balance of compassion, determination and fragility. It's easy to see why Quasimodo, Frollo and Phoebus all become obsessed with her as it's a mesmerising performance that will literally move you to tears in parts of the show. Her duet with Andrew Samonsky's Phoebus is one of those moments. Cut from the film (ultimately replaced by "God Help the Outcasts") but restored here, "Someday" is at once grand in its message but intimate in its telling, and sung beautifully by Renee and Samonsky. One of director Scott Schwartz's aims with this piece was to make this a more intimate telling of Quasimodo's story and to bring it to life using classic theatrical techniques that would have been around in the period during which the story is set. Now, if you've ever heard the cast recording for the Berlin production of Der Glockner Von Notre Dame you'll know that intimate probably isn't the first word that comes to mind. That was an epic, large scale telling of the story and the cast recording (even when you barely know a word of German) sounds glorious! I don't mind admitting that when I heard this new production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was going to be a more intimate production I was worried that some of that would be lost. It's not. The music is as rich as ever thanks to an incredible cast and on stage choir. The intimacy comes from a greater focus on character and story over technical special effects. There's no jaw dropping special effects like Aladdin's flying carpet in this production, but the staging, whilst simple, is incredibly effective with pews and balustrade doubling as doorways and prison cells. There's a moment in "Out There" where members of the congregation lift a bench that Quasimodo is standing on and he slides down it, instantly calling to mind the waterway he slid down in the film. There's never any confusion with what's going on or what is being represented and it keeps your focus squarely on the actors and the story being told.
The choreography, by Chase Brock, is likewise simple but effective with Esmeralda's dance in "Rhythm of the Tambourine" being as seductive and enchanting as it needs to be. The lighting by Howell Binkley is equally superb but perhaps best viewed from a slight distance. We were sat in the un-tiered front rows the first time we saw the show and I missed some of the effects (like when the sunlight shines on Quasimodo during "Out There"), viewed further back the second time I was able to take in the full stage and the full effect of the set, choreography and lighting.
Patrick Page as Frollo with the congregation in the La Jolla Playhouse production, Photo by Kevin Berne
It took The Hunchback of Notre Dame almost 15 years to make it from Berlin to America and I can safely say that it was more worth the wait. In fact the only criticism I could possibly give is that the narration (which I thought worked extremely well) slightly slows the climatic build up of the music in "Esmeralda" and "Finale Ultimo" BUT that's only in comparison to the Berlin cast album which I've got so used to listening to, without that to compare it to I wouldn't have even thought of it and there's an extremely successful bit of narration from Quasimodo that's been added right at the end that I thought was extremely touching. The show is, quite simply, a masterpiece and Disney Theatrical needs to bring it to Broadway as soon as they possibly can. But, being an incredible piece of theatre isn't enough for this show, it's also contains an extremely powerful message that is as relevant today as it ever was. We all have good and evil, monster and man, within us, we all have differences, "flaws" that we'd like to keep hidden from the rest of the world if we could. The world would truly be a better place if we could all accept, as Esmeralda does, to not turn the other way, that "it has to be somebody's business" and accept each other for who we are. This is a show that needs to be seen.
Brandon O'Neill, Jonathan Schwartz and Brian Gonzales as Kassim, Omar & Babkak, Photo by Adam Jacobs
Since the big Aladdin news this week is the departure of Michael James Scott, Marisha Wallace and Bud Weber and the remainder of the original cast extending their contracts until February 2016, both of which I've already covered in separate posts, this news round up is actually going to be pretty light on Aladdin news! But that's ok as it was the first week of Tech Rehearsals for the cast of The Hunchback of Notre Dame over at the Paper Mill Playhouse so there's plenty to catch up on there!
But first, whilst the big news this week for Aladdin on Broadway has been the remaining principle cast members extending their stay in Agrabah through to February 2016, Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre have released a video of Aladdin's original Kassim, Brandon O'Neill, performing If I Loved You with Laura Griffith and Soliloquy from Carousel which ended today.
And Aladdin's new Kassim, Steel Burkhardt, will be taking part in Baldwin Wallace at 54 Below on April 11th as he and other alumni join current seniors from Baldwin Wallace's acclaimed Musical Theatre Program at 54 Below.
Aladdin's Khori Petinaud will be making the leap from stage to screen soon. Not sure where but keep an eye on her Twitter for more details as she is able to announce them! Congratulations Khori!
This week has seen the start of Tech Rehearsals at the Paper Mill Playhouse and the show's official press day so there's plenty of great Hunchback news to get through this week.
Let's start small, and by small I mean model size as TheaterMania has posted a picture of a set model for the show. As you can see it looks very similar to the pictures of the La Jolla Playhouse set, a lot more real than Aladdin's bright colours and fantastical locations, a perfect match for the mood of the piece based on the incredible word of mouth generated by the show's San Diego run.
I must admit, this seems to be a lot more press than the La Jolla run got ahead of its debut last year. Could it be that after the incredibly strong word of mouth Disney Theatrical may be considering a Broadway run for Hunchback? Obviously it depends on how well this run goes, but the last musical Disney debuted at the Paper Mill was Newsies and we all know what happened there. Keep your fingers crossed!!
Finally, Hunchback star Patrick Page is having one of his childhood dreams come true. Having brought so many Disney characters to life on stage, from Lumiere to Scar and now Frollo, Patrick will this summer be the voice of the Disneyland Parade and Fireworks! What an incredible honour and achievement! Congratulations Patrick!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins performances at the Paper Mill Playhouse on March 4th and runs through to 5th April with an official opening night on 15th March.
Tia Altinay, Khori Michelle Petinaud & Rhea Patterson in Aladdin, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann
Welcome to another news round up for Broadway's Aladdin! A shorter edition this week but there's still plenty going on in the magical land of Agrabah.
Broadway World is reporting that Aladdin's Tia Altinay (who understudies Jasmine) will be appearing in tomorrow night's At This Performance... at The Lion Theatre, New York. At This Performance... is a musical showcase created to highlight the talents of Broadway's standbys, understudies and alternates. Tickets are $26.25 each and are available from the box office. For the talent you'd be seeing that's an incredible price so if you're able to attend I'd highly recommend checking it out.
Also on Monday night, Aladdin alumni Andrew Keenan-Bolger will join other Broadway stars performing The Songs of Adam Wachter at Broadway's 54 Below. Further information can be found here. Again, it's a fantastic price to see some extremely talented Broadway performers, so if you are in NYC and looking for something to do tomorrow night you really can't go wrong with either of these events.
Timeout is reporting that Aladdin's Yurel Echezeretta (who understudies Kassim) spent time last week visiting Harrison School of the Arts, talking with the students and even directing and choreographing some scenes for their production of West Side Story (including the classic school dance and rumble scenes) which is being put on as part of the school's 25th anniversary celebration. I guess that technically makes it his directorial debut (or at least co-director), congratulations Yurel!
Ok, now everyone knows that Aladdin's dancers are pretty much the best on Broadway. They dance their butts off 8 shows a week. So if you want to learn then you want to learn from the best. Well, Aladdin's Dance Captain Michael Mindlin is teaching a Dance Audtion Technique Seminar this week on 13th November in NYC. More details can be found at Playbill.
Even when he's on holiday it seems I can't go a week without posting something about James Monroe Iglehart! If you missed Freestyle Love Supreme's show (which JMI is a part of) and you live in the USA then the show is now available on iTunes.
And finally, Broadway.com is asking you to rank your Top 10 Must See Performances on Broadway right now. Aladdin's Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, James Monroe Iglehart and Jonathan Freeman have all made the nominations so please give them some support!
From Agrabah to Paris! It's been an exciting week for The Hunchback of Notre Dame as the show last night completed its preview performances. Of course the biggest news of the week was our first official look at the cast. But that wasn't the only news to come out of the La Jolla Playhouse last week.
Theater Mania reported that Ciara Renee (Esmeralda) will be taking part in Broadway Sings P!NK in January 2015. Ciara will be joined by other Broadway stars singing new arrangements of P!NK's pop hits at two concerts to be held in New York on 19th and 25th January. More information, including tickets, can be found here.
In addition to our first look at the cast the La Jolla Playhouse also gave us our first look at the fantastic show merchandise that is available to anyone going to see the show. Since I'm an absolute sucker for Disney's show pins I'll definitely be picking up the pin badge when I see the show next year!
And finally, the San Diego Jewish Journal spoke with Director Scott Schwartz about the show. I swear, the more I read about this show the more excited I get to finally see it!
Ok, that's pretty much it for today. Except for one final thing I'll be back with in a few minutes...
Michael Arden as Quasimodo and the cast of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Photo by Kevin Berne
Ciara Renee as Esmeralda and the cast of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Photo by Kevin Berne
Patrick Page as Frollo and the cast of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Photo by Kevin Berne
The US Premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is currently in previews at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse and will officially open this Sunday, November 9th. The production runs through December 14th and tickets can be purchased from La Jolla's website.
