Lia Chang Gets to Know Broadway's New Iago

Alan Muraoka as Iago, Photo by Alan Muraoka (via Instagram)

Whilst Don Darryl Rivera is starring in The Man of La Mancha Broadway veteran Alan Muraoka has returned to the Great White Way for a limited run as everyone's favourite evil sidekick.

Last week Alan Muraoka did a great interview with Lia Chang about his return to Broadway after 12 years and his history with Aladdin (which goes back to before his run as Iago!)

It's a great interview so make sure you check it out right here!

I can't wait to see Alan's performance for myself in a few weeks!

Proud of Your Boy - An Interview with Adam Jacobs

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Deen Van Meer

One of my favourite memories of the Seattle production of Aladdin was being fortunate enough to interview many of the principal cast members of the show.  When it was announced that Aladdin would be coming to Broadway I always hoped that I'd be able to do that again and tonight I'm extremely happy and honoured to be able to present an interview with Aladdin himself, Adam Jacobs!

Hi Adam!

Thanks for agreeing to do this again, I can't believe it's been over three years since we last did this for the Seattle Pilot!

Last time we did an interview you were in the middle of rehearsing for Seattle, so that seems like a good place to start. What was that production like to be a part of and how did you approach the character of Aladdin?

 

Looking back now, Seattle seems like a distant memory!  I feel like a LOT has happened since then and the show has grown and changed so much.  That was an exciting time, full of possibilities and experimentation.  Everyone's creative juices were flowing and we all were hyped up and daring to push the limits of what we could do.  My approach to Aladdin was taking what I already knew about him (aversion to authority, rough around the edges but with a heart of gold, witty and insouciant) and tried to delve a little deeper into the "why".  Where did his laissez faire attitude stem from?  How much was his mother an influence in his life? Was there a father figure?  Creating my own backstory helped create and inform the character.
 

What was your favorite part of the show in that production and is that still your favorite part in this new production?
 

I loved how the Seattle audiences received us with open arms.  I also loved watching “High Adventure” from the wings (and still do).
 

Between playing Aladdin in Seattle and returning to the role on Broadway you certainly kept busy, reuniting with Courtney Reed in Once On This Island and starring as Zorro.  What is it that attracted you to these roles and what do you look for in a show?
 

I tend to be attracted roles that require a bit of athleticism.  I had to learn how to fence in Zorro and working with Terry King, one of the foremost fight choreographers today when it comes to sword-fighting, was super fulfilling.  I love playing characters that have a hero's journey.

Adam Jacobs as Zorro, Photo by Grey Mooney

When did you first learn that Aladdin might be heading to Broadway, how did you come to be involved with the production, and what was it like to get that call saying you'd got the part?

I actually found out I'd be playing Aladdin on Broadway while I was rehearsing for Zorro.  Getting that call straight from the Disney producers was incredible to the say the least.  My wife happened to be in town that week in Atlanta and we were jumping for joy in the hotel room.
 

Having been with the show since the early workshops and pilot production, how did it feel to finally get to bring the show to Broadway and to do so with many of your Seattle cast mates?
 

Having been with the show from the very beginning makes our arrival here even that much more fulfilling. Stepping into the New Amsterdam Theatre and seeing them load our set in was electrifying.  We felt like all the hard work and all the revisions and rewrites and the blood sweat and tears were worth it.
 

Having played the part before, did this inform how you approached the role or did you try to approach it as if you’d not played the character before when you started rehearsing for Toronto?
 

When I started rehearsals again for Toronto, it was like putting on a familiar coat, or riding a bike.  Aladdin was still within me and it didn't take much coaxing to bring that character back to life.

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

 

The show went through some big changes between Toronto and Broadway (arguably even bigger than the changes between Seattle and Toronto) but the final show is much stronger for it.  What were those final rehearsals like in the run up to your Broadway opening?
 

Honestly it was a little chaotic.  We were still making script changes the day before opening and I was a little sad when it actually became "frozen".  Even though I was excited to have the show set, I always go through a little bit of mourning when the creative process ends.
 

Looking back over all the versions of show, from early workshops to Broadway’s opening night, is there anything that you miss/were sorry to see go from those earlier versions and what’s been your favorite addition/change to the show?
 

Well, sure there were jokes here and there that I loved and was sad to see go, but all the trims and cuts helped streamline the story and it was the right thing to do.  I miss Babkak's "It's the vamp" line, and I miss parts of "Call Me A Princess".  But I also love some of the new lines like "I think the chosen people are a few hundred miles to the west..."
 

The cast album is incredible.  What was it like in the recording studio?
 

A bit nerve-wracking.  Knowing it's forever made me a bit jittery.  Having Alan Menken there didn't help either :). But I'm super pleased with how it came out.

Adam Jacobs in the recording studio with Alan Menken

In our previous interview, you spoke about your pre-show routine for playing Simba (in The Lion King), what’s your pre-show routine like for Aladdin?
 

It's actually not too different.  I still do some of the same exercises and warm ups, but now I just add some juggling and a little tap-dancing.
 

What’s the best part about being Aladdin on Broadway?
 

Greeting the fans at the stage door is the best.  Seeing people of all types and ages excited and happy from watching us fills me up every time.  Even if I feel like I didn't have the best show, hearing people say how much they loved it makes it all worth it.
 

If you weren't playing Aladdin, which role would you want to play in the show?
 

I'd love to take a crack at Kassim just to do “High Adventure.”  I just love that number.

"High Adventure", Photo by Adam Jacobs

And finally, what's your favorite show and why?

 

I don't have a definite favorite, but one of my favorite shows is West Side Story.  I love that score and the choreography.  I remember watching the guys dance "Cool" in the film and being entranced by how much the dance was telling the story.  Those love songs are pretty incomparable too :)

Adam, once again, thank you so much for doing this interview.  It was incredible getting to see you bring Aladdin to life earlier this year, I wish you all the best.


In addition to Adam Jacobs, I just want to say a big thank you to Disney Theatrical for arranging this interview for me.

Adam Jacobs is currently playing the title role in Disney's Aladdin at the New Amsterdam Theatre, New York.  Tickets are currently on sale through to January 2015 and can be purchased from the show's official website.  If you want to know more about Adam make sure you check out his website.

Aladdin's Media Day Round Up

Last week the cast of Aladdin made two very special appearances on ABC television.  Appearing live direct from Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre they performed the show's opening number Arabian Nights on "Good Morning America" and the second act opener Prince Ali on "The View".

I'm sure that most of you have probably seen the videos already (and if you live in the US you were probably lucky enough to see them live on TV) but they're certainly worth watching again!

First up, GMA went behind the scenes to meet the cast and even learn some of the dance moves from the show;

Then came a very special live performance of Arabian Nights!

Now for some reason (which I honestly can't figure out) The View's live performance of Prince Ali is region locked.  If you live in the US you can view the performance here.  And if you don't, well there's always YouTube;

I wouldn't normally dream of posting an unofficial YouTube video of footage from the show but since this was a specially recorded performance that has been aired on TV for promotional purposes I think it's ok to make an exception.  Hopefully the official, higher quality version will be uploaded to Disney Theatrical's YouTube channel sooner rather than later so we can all enjoy it as it should be seen.

That night ABC's "Nightline" went behind the scenes with Director/Choreographer Casey Nicholaw and the cast;

There some fantastic footage of both behind the scenes and the show itself in the Nightline video and I think Casey sums up the show when he agrees that it does have a raised eyebrow, "it's a fun night and it's a fable".

But that wasn't the end to Aladdin's media frenzy as Courtney Reed also stopped by CBS's "The Couch" to talk about the show;

That's it for the media day round up!  This weekend I'll be doing a massive news round up trying to catch up with everything I missed whilst I was away and over the Easter break including the reviews!

Press Day Round Up

Last Tuesday was Press Day for Disney's Aladdin: Broadway's New Musical Comedy and as promised here's a round up of all the news, photos and interviews that have been released from the day (plus a few things I missed earlier).

I know I've already posted this but let's start with Disney's First Look video;

And now onto the new stuff!

First a few pieces from before Press Day;

Jonathan Freeman talks Jafar with Theater Mania
Nicholas Christiani, who helped construct sets for Aladdin, has won the United States Institute for Theatre Technology's Golden Hammer Award for Scenic Technology

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

And now the main event;

Buzzfeed interviews Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed and James Monroe Iglehart
Broadway.com's Press Day video interviews (super satisfied Disney nerd?  That's me!)
Broadway.com's Press Day photo gallery
Tyranny of Style interviews Costume Designer Gregg Barnes (this is an incredibly detailed interview and I highly recommend it, it's a fascinating read)
Broadway Box asks the cast and creative team their magic carpet fantasies
Broadway World's Press Day video interviews
Broadway World's Press Day photo coverage
New York Times names James Monroe Iglehart one of their "Four Face New Faces to Watch this Season"
Broadway Box lists JMI's Genie as one of "Seven Photos from the Week that Took Our Breath Away"
Playbill's Press Day photo call
Entertainment Weekly meets the cast and creative team on Press Day
Playbill's Press Day video interviews
The Associated Press speaks with Casey Nicholaw and the cast on Press Day
Access Hollywood talks with Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed on Press Day
Theater Pizzazz's video interview with the cast on Press Day (looks like the First Look photo shoot video at Press Day was a little different... I spy Jafar!!)
Disney Insider interviews with Chad Beguelin

Courtney Reed as Princess Jasmine, Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

And finally Disney continued its Artist Spotlight series with new videos featuring Adam Jacobs, James Monroe Iglehart and Courtney Reed.

James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

That's everything (so far!), if I find more I'll be sure to update this post.

Aladdin: Broadway's New Musical Comedy begins previews next week with an official opening on 20th March.  Tickets are now on sale at www.aladdinthemusical.com.

Edit - And here's a few more (thanks to Sotiris for pointing some of these out to me!

NorthJersey.com talks with James Monroe Iglehart (and now I really want to hear JMI sing When I Find My Baby from Sister Act)
USA Today had posted a video interview with the cast along with some exclusive rehearsal footage (including clips from A Million Miles Away and Act One Finale/Proud of Your Boy Reprise) but the page is no longer online.  I've posted the link in case it comes back up again.
Theatre Mania talks with the show's stars, Casey Nicholaw and Chad Begulin

News Update - Courtney Reed Interviewed by Daily Herald and More

Courtney Reed as Princess Jasmine with Brandt Martinez, Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

A special news round up this week as the Daily Herald has published an interview with Courtney Reed.  In the interview Courtney talks about her Broadway debut in Mamma Mia, what led her to become an actress and, of course, playing Princess Jasmine in Aladdin.

Disney's official blog has posted a sneak preview of the upcoming merchandise for the show.  Looks like I'll be getting a few new t-shirts in New York!  The merchandise for Aladdin will be available at the New Amsterdam Theatre when the show opens and also (I believe) online via the Disney Store.

And finally, this week Disney Theatrical have announced that Rush Tickets for the show will be $32.50.  These tickets will go on sale the day of the performance and are limited to 2 tickets per guest.  Seating locations will be at the theatre's discretion and Rush Tickets may not be available for every performance.  You can read the full announcement at Playbill.

Tickets for Aladdin are now on sale at the show's official website.  Previews begin February 26th with the official Opening Night on 20th March.

Aladdin's Final Days in Toronto

Happy New Year!!

Well it's here, 2014.  This week Aladdin is playing it's final shows in Toronto.  If you still want to see the show before it hops on that magic carpet to the Great White Way then there are still a few seats left for both of Saturday's performances and Sunday's final matinee (tonight and tomorrow are both sold out).  Tickets are available from the Mirvish's website.

After wowing audiences for the past 2 months and bringing some of the heat of the Arabian desert to snowy Toronto (at least inside the theatre) it's almost time to say goodbye to Canada.  But unlike the last time most of this cast said goodbye to their characters this time it's only for a month, they know where they're going next and that's Broadway!

And that leads me nicely to this next piece of news.

Brandon O'Neill

Several members of Aladdin's cast will be making their Broadway debuts with this show, including Brandon O'Neill who plays Aladdin's friend, Kassim.  Just before Christmas Brandon spoke with Inlander about his musical background, his road to Broadway and the difference between the 5th Avenue's Pilot Production and the new Broadway bound production of Aladdin.  It's a very interesting read and well worth checking out.  Oh and twelve weeks of twelve hour days?  No one ever said being on stage was easy!!

 

Alan Menken was also interviewed recently, speaking with the Daily Tribune about the current trend of adapting movies into musicals.  It's not entirely Aladdin related but it's a very interesting read and I highly recommend giving it a look.

 

Coming back to Aladdin, as we end one year and start a new one it's often traditional to look back on what has been and look forward to what's to come.  Broadway World recently did just that with Aladdin topping their list of 2013's hottest news stories and coming second in their list of "14 Things We Can't Wait For".  Obviously they have good taste :o)

Aladdin Toronto Previews Update and Song List

Disney's Aladdin has been taking audiences in Toronto on a magic carpet ride for just over a week now, but if you were there last night then you weren't seeing exactly the same show as previous audiences.  Like with all good preview runs, Aladdin's creative team is watching, seeing what works and what can be improved.

Yesterday afternoon Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) posted on his official Facebook page "New lines, new changes! C'mon brain! #AladdinTO #PreviewRealness"

This is an incredibly exciting and creative time for any show and I'd love to be there to watch Aladdin as it evolves from that first preview last week to the show that will be coming to Broadway next year.

And speaking of exciting and creative, here's a short interview that Alan Menken did with The Canadian Press during Toronto rehearsals.

A very favourable early review can be found here and discussion on the Broadway World message boards is generally positive.  However it's important to remember that the show is still in previews and still changing (as evidenced above) so these comments, whilst certainly valid and interesting to read, are based on a "work in progress" production.

For me the most exciting thing to come out of these early reviews and discussions has to be the new song list for the Toronto production (if you want to compare, the Seattle song list is here);

ACT 1
Arabian Nights - Babkak, Omar, Kassim and Company
One Jump Ahead - Aladdin and Crowd
Proud of Your Boy - Aladdin
Arabian Nights Reprise 1 - Babkak, Omar and Kassim
Call Me a Princess - Jasmine and Attendants
Call Me a Princess Reprise - Jasmine
Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim - Babkak, Omar, Aladdin and Kassim
A Million Miles Away - Aladdin and Jasmine
Diamond in the Rough - Jafar, Iago and Aladdin
Friend Like Me - Genie and Company
Arabian Nights Reprise 2 - Babkak, Omar and Kassim
Act 1 Finale (Friend Like Me Reprise/Proud of Your Boy Reprise 1) - Genie and Aladdin

ACT 2
Prince Ali - Genie, Babkak, Omar, Kassim and Company
Arabian Nights Reprise 3 - Babkak, Omar and Kassim
A Whole New World - Aladdin and Jasmine
High Adventure - Babkak, Omar and Kassim
Somebody's Got Your Back - Genie, Aladdin, Babkak, Omar and Kassim
Proud of Your Boy Reprise 2 - Aladdin
Prince Ali Reprise - Jafar, Sultan and Company
Genie's Exit (Somebody's Got Your Back Reprise) - Genie
Finale Ultimo (Arabian Nights Reprise 4/A Whole New World Reprise) - Company

There's definitely been some interesting changes since the original 5th Avenue Pilot Production and last year's regional productions.

Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim has been moved to later in the show.  This used to follow Arabian Nights so Aladdin's introduction is now more in line with the film with One Jump Ahead (and I have to wonder if this means they've added in the original "It begins on a dark night..." Cave of Wonders scene as well).

One Jump Ahead Reprise is missing from the song list.  It could simply be that they're counting it with Proud of Your Boy as the original production used it as a lead in, or it could be cut as it's no longer needed with Proud of Your Boy in the show.  Personally I liked it as a lead in but I can also understand why they would cut it as Proud of Your Boy covers the same emotional beats.

Why Me (the only "new" Menken/Rice song in the Pilot Production) has been cut.  This was sung by Jafar and Iago as they cast a spell searching for the Diamond in the Rough.

Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim now takes place in the marketplace before Aladdin meets Jasmine.  Thinking about it this actually does work better.

The original Arabian Nights Reprise 2 has been cut (Toronto's Reprise 2 was Seattle's Reprise 3)  This Ashman/Menken verse was sung by Babkak, Omar and Kassim as Aladdin's "uncle" Jafar led him to the Cave of Wonders.  It has been replaced by the new Menken/Beguelin song Diamond in the Rough.

In Act 2 new reprises of Arabian Nights and Proud of Your Boy have been added.  I'm not sure about Arabian Nights Reprise 3 but I'd guess that Proud of Your Boy Reprise 2 takes place after Aladdin breaks his promise to Genie and realises he needs to tell Jasmine the truth about who he really is.

It appears that the pre-wedding reprise of High Adventure has been cut and that Sultan and the crowd have been added to Prince Ali Reprise (unless the Wedding Day Suite which included High Adventure Reprise and Prince Ali Reprise has just been renamed to the more well known Prince Ali Reprise)

That's all for this Arabian Night ;)

Edit - Thanks to Everdream0's comment below we can now confirm that (at least at the moment) One Jump Ahead Reprise is still in the show and serves as a lead in to Proud of Your Boy like it did in the Seattle Pilot and the subsequent regional and international productions.  We can also confirm that High Adventure Reprise is indeed cut from the show.

Thanks again Everdream0.

Behind the Scenes Video - Bringing Aladdin to the Stage in Toronto

The news keeps coming today!  Mirvish Productions have just posted a behind the scenes sneak preview at Aladdin, including interviews with Composer Alan Menken, Writer/Lyricist Chad Beguelin, Director/Choreographer Casey Nicholaw and President & Producer of Disney Theatrical Thomas Schumacher.

Check it out here;

And here's the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USig3ZxnkH4

Early days, but it looks great!

680 News Interviews Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed

Well that was faster than I expected!

Fresh from Twitter;

AdamJacobsNYC - First of many Aladdin interviews! RT "@680News: [VIDEO] @Aladdin actors excited to bring Disney musical to #Toronto

His tweet linked to 680 News' interview with himself and Courtney Reed where they discuss playing Aladdin and Jasmine in the upcoming production of Aladdin.  Enjoy :)

Expect this to be the first of many updates over the next few weeks.  Here we go!

More Auditions, Preview Tickets, a New Poster and a New Song for Jafar?

Firstly, if you went to any of the Aladdin auditions over the last week then I hope they went well and that you had a good time.

It looks like Disney is casting a pretty wide net for this show as Playbill have added another four open chorus calls for Orlando (March 2nd/3rd), LA (Feb 26th/27th), Chicago (March 12th) and Toronto (March 16th).  If you're going - good luck!

Toronto's The Star has published an article entitled Aladdin, Once, Les Miserables highlight new Mirvish season.  According to the article this is the Mirvish's 50th year and they're celebrating by presenting their largest subscription program ever, including "the world premiere of the new Disney stage musical Aladdin".  The article goes on to state that "Aladdin will have its premiere tryout here at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, on its way to Broadway, as previously reported in The Star, with Tony Award winning director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw helming the proceedings."

This week also saw The Mirvish launching their own page for Aladdin complete with a new poster and banner for the show!

The poster's a little small (hopefully a larger version will turn up soon) but it's great to see new artwork turning up so soon!

The Mirvish's page includes the following description of the show;

"In an exotic, faraway land, one man’s life is about to change with the lucky rub of an ancient lamp—and you’re invited to join the magic carpet ride.

Welcome to ALADDIN, Disney’s new Broadway-bound musical, adapted from the hit film and featuring some of the best-loved music by Academy® and Tony Award®-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricists Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin, with a book by Beguelin.

Brought to you by the producer of Toronto’s record-breaking hits The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, ALADDIN will be directed and choreographed by Tony® -winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon) and will feature the award-winning and acclaimed design team of Bob Crowley (sets), Gregg Barnes (costumes) and Natasha Katz (lights), with illusions by Jim Steinmeyer.

With its timeless story, extravagant sets and costumes and a host of memorable characters and songs, ALADDIN will transport you to a place you only know in your dreams. Go ahead, make a wish. And discover a whole new world, in a whole new way… at ALADDIN."

Individual tickets aren't on sale yet (I'll update as soon as they are), but if you live in Toronto and love theatre then why not consider getting a season subscription for all 7 of the 2013/2014 season shows?  Information on the Mirvish's 2013/2014 subscription can be found here.

And finally, Playbill has published an interview with none other than Alan Menken himself at the Junior Theatre Festival.  The full interview can be found here and Mr. Menken talks about Newsies, the process of adapting his film work for the stage and, of course, bringing Aladdin to Broadway;

"At the same time Howard Ashman and I were writing "The Little Mermaid," we were writing "Aladdin." So we had a whole score that involved Aladdin's mom, and his sidekicks, Babkak, Omar and Kassim, and it had a lot of plot elements that we don't have in the movie. And the movie was great, but I said, "If we are going to do this theatrical adaptation, for me, the perk would be to try to bring in the songs that Howard and I wrote for the movie that never made it in.

So we have "Proud of Your Boy," a number that Aladdin was originally to sing in the movie to his mother directly, but now it's to his mother in heaven. There's a number "Babkak, Omar, Aladdin and Kassim," which is kind of the friends' Vaudeville number that they do in the streets of Agrabah. There's a song called "High Adventure," where they perform a rescue at the end of Act Two, which is so much fun. It's one of those numbers I was dying to see on stage. There's "Call Me Princess" for Princess Jasmine, which was a real early throw-away, but we were able to make use of that thanks to my new collaboration with Chad Beguelin (Elf, The Wedding Singer), who wrote the book.

He was brilliant in finding ways to adapt songs we had originally written into the new book, and we also wrote three new songs together with him as my lyricist. We wrote one new song for the Genie, one new song for Jafar and a new duet for Aladdin and Jasmine — and we still have all the original songs from Howard Ashman and Tim Rice from the film. So much creative energy has gone into this new Aladdin, I love it. We had a production in Seattle that was one of the highlights of my life and we've even improved it since then."

Now, I may be reading too much into this, but have we just had the first bit of information on a new song for this new production?  In the above quote Alan Menken mentions 3 songs written by himself and Chad Beguelin for the show; a song for Genie (Somebody's Got My Back), a duet for Aladdin and Jasmine (A Million Miles Away) and a song for Jafar (???).  Sure Jafar had a "new" song in the 2011/2012 productions, but Why Me is one of the unused Menken/Rice songs that was done for the movie, not a new song by Menken/Beguelin.  So is the Jafar song he mentions a new one for this production?  And if so, what does that mean for Why Me?  Is this going to be an addition or a replacement?  I guess we'll have to wait until November to find out!

And it's always great to hear Alan Menken call the 2011 Pilot Production of Aladdin one of the highlights of his life :)

Tonight - The European Premiere of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical

Johannes Nymark and Maria Lucia as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Soren Malmose

At Denmark's Fredericia Teater tonight Aladdin: The New Stage Musical will recieve it's European Premiere!

Steffen has once again very kindly alerted me to some new Danish articles on the production.  The Jyllands Posten has the first pictures (including the one shown above) and the fantastic news that due to demand the show's run has been extended until 19th November!  And Vimeo has a short video interview (in Danish) with the show's Aladdin and Jasmine, Johannes Nymark and Maria Lucia.

I wish everyone involved with the Fredericia's production the very best for tonight's premiere and a successful run.  I can't wait to hear all about it over the next few days!  Make some magic everyone!

European Premiere Rehearsal Videos

Hi everyone, firstly I just want to say sorry it's been so long and, more importantly, a big thank you to both David and Steffen who have been posting updates on the upcoming Denmark production in the comments sections.  Because of their much appreciated help, some of you may have already seen the videos I'm posting here now, but it's always good to watch them again ;o)

The first is video can be found on YouTube and features behind the scenes footage from early rehearsals along with interviews (in Danish) with theatre director Soren Moller and actor Pelle Emil Hebsgaard, who plays Genie.

An even longer behind the scenes video can be found at Fredericia Avisen.  This video shows pretty much the full choreography for Arabian Nights and Prince Ali (basically it's the first video but uncut and without the interviews).

And if that's not enough here's some new videos that I actually just found by accident when embedding the first YouTube video!!

Here is an interview (in Danish) with Johannes Nymark who plays Aladdin;

And here is the trailer for the show, which has it's premiere next Thursday!  Wow, less than a week until the European Premiere of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical. Can't quite believe how fast that's come around!  Whilst there's no footage in the trailer, it does offer us a quick glimpse at the costumes for Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie (and it looks like Fredericia is joining Tuacahn with a blue Genie).

Tickets for the show, which runs 4th October through 11th November, are now on sale at its official website www.aladdinthemusical.dk.

Once again a big thank you to Steffen and David for keeping things up to date.  I knew that Jane and I being part of an amateur production of Whistle Down the Wind would take up a lot of my free time, but having never had a pet before I was totally unprepared for the two adorable bunnies that recently came into our lives.  But things are getting back to normal now (a new normal anyway), and I'd determined to have my full Tuacahn write up done next weekend in time to post by the 1st October.

Aladdin: The New Stage Musical at Tuacahn Amphitheatre

I know I keep saying this, but there's not long left to see this fantastic show in the ideal setting of the Tuacahn Amphitheatre, so if you can see it please make the journey, you really won't regret it.  Tickets are still on sale at their website.

4th July Parade, New Photos and More from Tuacahn's Aladdin!

With last month's focus on The Muny's short run and then the 1st anniversary of the show, I didn't post some fantastic updates from Tuacahn!

Whilst I don't think they celebrate 4th July in Agrabah, Aladdin and Jasmine both joined in the festivities for St. George's annual 4th July parade.

Samuel Warburton and Haley Carlucci as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Tuacahn

Tuacahn's production of Hairspray also had a float in the parade showcasing Tracy Turnblad and Link Larkin.  You can check out the full gallery at Tuacahn's Facebook page, including Tracy and Link on a magic carpet ride when the cast decided to switch floats!

Samuel Warburton and Haley Carlucci as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Tuacahn

I know quite a few fans felt that there weren't enough production photos released from 5th Avenue's pilot production of Aladdin, but that's certainly not the case this time around!  As some of you have no doubt already seen, at the end of last month Tuacahn uploaded a massive gallery of production photos to their Facebook page.  Make sure you check them out asap!  Here's a selection;

Proud of Your Boy - Dan Domenech as Aladdin, Photo by Tuacahn

Call Me a Princess - Haley Carlucci as Princess Jasmine, Photo by Tuacahn

Can your friends pull this out their little hat? - Edward Juvier as Genie, Photo by Tuacahn

Why Me? - Michael G. Hawkins and Jeff Asch as Jafar and Iago, Photo by Tuacahn

Street Rats on 3! - Paul C. Vogt, Randy Aaron, Todd Dubail and Dan Domenech as Babkak, Omar, Kassim and Aladdin, Photo by Tuacahn

And if you want an idea of some of the effects and the scale of this production;

The Cave of Wonders appears, Photo by Tuacahn

Genie leads Prince Ali's parade to the stage, Photo by Tuacahn

Seeing these reminds me just how lucky I was to be able to see this show at the Tuacahn.  It really is the perfect setting for the show and the cast is amazing.  And yes the parade does include peacocks;

Prince Ali's peacocks, Photo by Tuacahn

And finally, last week KSL news confirmed that Aladdin has been breaking Tuacahn box office records all summer and posted a video interview with Dan Domenech (Aladdin), Haley Carlucci (Jasmine), Edward Juvier (Genie) and Director Scott Anderson which includes production footage from the show!  Check it out here!

If you've not been and are able to get to the Tuacahn in the next 2 months, I really can't recommend it enough!  This show (and Hairspray) is well worth the trip.  It's a fantastic production at an amazing venue.  Where else do the cast come out (in costume!) to greet the fans after the show?!  Tickets are still available at the Tuacahn's website and the show runs until 19th October.  Take the magic carpet ride, you won't regret it!

So it goes short and sweet... - Dan Domenech and Haley Carlucci as Aladdin and Jasmine

The Muny's Most Popular Show? Aladdin!

The cast of Aladdin at The Muny

CBS St. Louis are reporting that Aladdin: The New Stage Musical  was the best attended show at The Muny during their 2012 season, selling 74,857 tickets over 9 shows.  With support like that at The Muny and continued sell outs at the Tuacahn (where the show runs until mid October), it's no wonder Disney are said to be planning a Broadway run for this show!

As a farewell to The Muny's production, here's a a video interview with Robin de Jesus (Aladdin) that I missed back in July!

And a few reactions from the audience as well ;o)

This weekend I've got a lot of catching up to do with the Tuacahn's production and (fingers crossed) there'll be a Broadway announcement in the not too distant future!

New Photos for Tuacahn and a New Video for The Muny

Dan Domenech and Haley Carlucci as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Tuacahn

Just a short update tonight.  At the weekend I posted links to Playbill and Broadway World's photo galleries for The Muny's production of Aladdin, now I'm happy to say that they've finally posted galleries for the Tuacahn's production as well.  You've probably already seen some of these pictures with the reviews but there's a bunch of new ones too.  And I can say that the photo of A Whole New World doesn't do justice to the feeling you get when they soar overhead,  it's just something else.  Playbill's gallery can be found here and Broadway World's here.

And The Muny have posted two new videos to YouTube featuring interviews with the director Gary Griffin and John Tartaglia who plays Genie.

Enjoy!

Tuacahn's Aladdin - First Review, First Interview and Even More Pictures!

Well the first review is now in and it looks like the Tuacahn has a hit on it's hands!  The Salt Lake Tribune says that "Tuacahn's 'Aladdin' flies high" and "strong comic acting, onstage chemistry and a live orchestra help ground a stage show packed with special effects."

The full review can be seen here.  If you are planning on seeing the show, make sure you book your tickets (at the Tuacahn's website) as quickly as possible because the Tribune's review goes on to state that this could be a "tough ticket this summer, as many of the shows are already sold out. Last year, some 20,000 people were turned away for Tuachan’s production of "Little Mermaid" and that could easily happen for "Aladdin" this year."  Indeed Aladdin's fundraiser premiere was held to help raise money towards the Tuacahn's planned expansion so that they don't have to worry about turning people away at future productions (such as next year's Mary Poppins).

Another key thing to note from the review is that those critics who were dissatisfied with the staging of "A Whole New World" in Seattle last year will be happy to know that in this production the carpet flies high over the audience.

The Tuacahn Blog has also been updated with their own look at the cast of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical and Hairspray, with the majority of the cast impressively pulling double duty and working on both shows!  And their Facebook album has been updated to feature new promotional images of all the core cast members;

Dan Domenech as Aladdin, Photo by Tuacahn

Haley Carlucci as Princess Jasmine, Photo by Tuacahn

Edward Juvier as Genie, Photo by Tuacahn

Michael G. Hawkins as Jafar, Photo by Tuacahn

Jeff Asch as Iago, Photo by Tuacahn

Paul C. Vogt as Babkak, Photo by Tuacahn

Randy Aaron as Omar, Photo by Tuacahn

Todd Dubail as Kassim, Photo by Tuacahn

Bob Walton as the Sultan, Photo by Tuacahn

The photos really show off the fantastic costumes that have been created for this production.  Some are closer to the movie than they were in Seattle, some are wildly different, but they all look amazing.

Shortly before the show opened Dan Domenech was interviewed by the Las Vegas Review.  You can read the interview here.  There's some really nice stuff in there, including that his first CD was Aladdin when he was a kid (kinda makes me feel old - I had it on cassette!), so make sure you check it out.

That's about it for this time (I will get The Muny cast article done, I've just been busier than expected as I've suddenly realised I'm going to Utah VERY soon and haven't even started to get anything ready!).  The only thing left to mention is that the Tony Awards were last weekend and there were some fantastic wins for Disney Theatrical with Newsies and Peter and the Starcatcher bringing home a combined total of 7 awards, including the award for Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics)Written for Theatre for Alan Menken and Jack Feldman for their work on Newsies.  I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them both, all other award winners, and everyone involved with both productions.

Edit - Updated Already!!  Here's a short behind the scenes preview video at KUTV and that carpet ride does look like it has the potential to be amazing!