The Muny Casting Announced for Aladdin: The New Stage Musical
"Adapted from the beloved animated feature, Disney's Aladdin presents the favorite movie characters and all of the songs from the film's Oscar-winning score, plus never-before heard Menken/Ashman songs restored from early drafts of the film. Variety hailed this new full-length stage version of Aladdin as "fresh, funny and very entertaining."
Tony Nominees Robin de Jesus and John Tartaglia star as Aladdin and the Genie, respectively. Joining them will be Jason Graae as Omar, Curtis Holbrook as Iago, Francis Jue as Kassim, Eddie Korbich as Babkak, Samantha Massell as Jasmine, Ken Page as the Sultan, and Thom Sesma as Jafar.
Disney's Aladdin is directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by Alex Sanchez"
I also want to say sorry for the delay in posting this! It was announced just before the bank holiday weekend so it slipped by me until read Broadway World's newsletter the other day! More details on the cast can be found in Broadway World's article
here and I'll do my own look at the cast over the weekend (hopefully!).
Single tickets are now on sale
here.
European Premiere Casting
Steffen has very kindly alerted me to an update on Denmark's upcoming European premiere of
Aladdin: The New Stage Musical. The original article can be found
here. And here's the translated version (thanks to Google translator and a little editing);
"When Fredericia Theatre opens the European premiere of the musical version of Disney's Aladdin in October, it will be with Johannes Nymark, Maria Lucia and the young talent Pelle Emil Hebsgaard in the three main roles.
All sails are set for when Fredericia Theatre, on 4 October this year, can open the doors to the European premiere of Disney's musical Aladdin, which will be Fredericia Theatre's largest venture to date. Ever since the announcement of the show before Christmas the theatre has been working overtime to find the perfect cast. With just under six months until the premiere, Fredericia Theatre is now proud to present its main cast.
Theatre director Soren Moller is a proud man:
"I am happy, relieved and proud that we have found our dream cast to star in Disney's Aladdin. These are three extremely demanding roles, and it's hard to find the right actors/actress, who have both the talent and the right look and feel for the characters. It is a cardinal point to me that we never cast someone just because they are known, but because it is precisely that they are the right person for the role. It simply provides the best theatre. In Johannes Nymark, Maria Lucia and Pelle Emil Hebsgaard I will not hesitate to say that we have found three sparkling stars as a dream match for this show."
From stepsko and rain dance to Arabic street boy in a turbanIn the title role of Aladdin, Fredericia Theatre, welcomes back Johannes Nymark. He graduated from the Danish Musical Academy Fredericia in 2009 and has appeared at the theatre in High School Musical. He got his first big breakthrough this spring in Singin 'in the Rain at the New Theatre, where he continued dancing and singing his way through cascades of rain as it fell as Don Lockwood.
After the summer he changes his shoes, stepping out with a turban and a flying carpet as the young Arab Aladdin who falls in love with the beautiful Princess Jasmine. She is played by our greatest young musical star right now, Maria Lucia.
From Disney's Beauty and the Beast to Disney's Aladdin
After success with the title role in Sugar last fall and just now in Chess at Aarhus Theatre, Maria Lucia is back in a big new Disney musical. She made her professional musical debut in Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the New Theatre seven years ago. This will be her second time playing opposite Johannes Nymark as the two played together in Les Misérables at the New Theatre three years ago.
In the role of Jasmine the audience also gets the opportunity to meet Kristine Provide Eriksen, who understudies (alternates?) for Maria Lucia. With critically acclaimed leading roles in shows such as Mamma Mia! in Tivoli and Singin 'in the Rain Kristine has established herself as a leading female musical performer.
United Talent follows in Robin Williams' footsteps
The musical's third major role is the hyperactive, turbo-speed talkative Genie better known as the spirit of the lamp, who Robin Williams memorably provided the voice for in the 1992 Disney classic Aladdin.
After extensive auditions, the theatre decided to give the role to the young talent Pelle Emil Hebsgaard, who was also educated at the Musical Academy. This will be his biggest role ever. Pelle Emil has appeared in several musicals at Fredericia Theatre and has just received lots of acclaim for his performance as Eugene in the successful production of Grease in Tivoli this spring.
In total, the ensemble consists of over 30 musical performers, singers and dancers. The show is directed and choreographed by Lynne Kurdziel, American formato Animation Company Nørlum and Frausing Jens and Anders Jensen Digmann together create the production's scenography, Anna Juul Holm creates the many lavish costumes, and conductor Christian Baltzer will be swinging the baton for an 18 piece orchestra."
