Reflections - Goodbye to Tuacahn's Aladdin

Tonight will see the final performance of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Utah.  Since June this fantastic cast and crew have been performing the longest running production of Aladdin to date, and to celebrate the end of their record breaking run I wanted to do something a little more special.

With the kind support of Tuacahn, I'm proud to present a short series of reflections by some of the cast on their time in Aladdin.  I also want to say a big thank you to Heidi Anderson, who made this possible.  Thanks Heidi!

Dan Domenech as Aladdin, Photo by Tuacahn

"The past 6 months have been a time to remember.   Aladdin is my favorite Disney story and I've been very lucky to be able to play him on such a grand stage and sing Alan Menken's music in yet another musical!  The production value of Tuacahn was incredible.  I was in a 3D movie, flew a carpet over 2000 people, rode camels and got backed up by a cavalry of horsemen (and women) for "Prince Ali"!  Disney has really created something special with this show and I'm excited for more audiences to see it as it moves forward.  The look on the kids faces when we meet them after the show is priceless.  That's the power of Disney baby!"

Dan Domenech (Aladdin)

Edward Juvier as Genie, Photo by Tuacahn

"What a thrill it has been to perform an incredible show in this natural setting! There are so many unforgettable moments from this experience. Working with camels and peacocks. Seeing the Tiger God for the first time. Filming and putting together the 3D sequences. Sitting in the sitzprobe and hearing our incredible orchestra bring that Disney magic to life. Singing "Somebody's Got Your Back" with four incredible guys night after night. Watching our amazing crew change sets from Agrabah to Baltimore every other day. Meeting all the kids after the show dressed up as Jasmine and Aladdin. But one of my favorite parts is seeing how much all kinds of people are drawn to this show and the story of Aladdin. They love it and feel part-ownership over the story. And Aladdin delivers. It's such a wonderful theatrical experience and the audiences here in Utah have been so amazing! Tuacahn has put on one heck of a show out here in the middle of the desert. It has been an honor to share the stage with such a giving company. To say this is a dream come true would be an understatement. The worst part is that it'll all be over in 7 performances. The best part is that I've found friendships and memories that will last a lifetime."

Edward Juvier (Genie)

Randy Aaron as Omar, Photo by Tuacahn

"I can honestly say I have had the time of my life working on this piece. I am all for theatre that allows for a family to come and experience it together.  Aladdin creates a tale that both adults and children can invest in successfully. There is also nothing more heart warming than hearing the laughter of children and knowing they are truly enjoying themselves. They are the future of theatre! Now on a personal note I have never laughed more myself onstage after working with Todd DuBail and Paul Vogt.  You don't know funny until working with these guys.  They are also some of the most giving actors I have ever had the pleasure of sharing a stage with. Love you guys!"

Randy Aaron (Omar)

Jeff Asch as Iago with Michael G. Hawkins as Jafar, Photo by Tuacahn

"This was a truly remarkable journey. The past 6 months in Agrabah were like nothing else. This was such an unbelievably talented cast from the smallest chorus part through the title character, making this trip even more electrifying. Playing the role of Iago was going to be a challenge from the beginning due to the fact we elected to make him human rather than a bird. The myriad of people who have seen the film version of this were all set to see someone flapping his wings on stage. Clipping those wings was fun. Being part of a stage show with 3D effects, a water scrim Tiger GOD, mind blowing pyrotechnics, that's in the middle of the desert, sold out crowd almost every night, and a cast, crew, band, and wonderful people in general made this fantastic and something I'll never forget. The best part of this whole voyage, however, was seeing how much the kids enjoyed this show. Their faces literally lit up like the fireworks after the show. I remember being young and how it felt to see theater... I can't imagine, though, what it must be like to see something of this magnitude as a kid, or an adult for that matter. 6 months of the same show can get old very fast, but I can honestly say this "high adventure" never got stale....lots and lots of love to all...."

Jeff Asch (Iago)


I just want to take this opportunity to say once again a massive thank you to everyone at the Tuacahn for all the support they've given me and this blog, and for putting on such an amazing show and making my childhood dreams come true.  I wish you all the best for tonight's final performance and for the future, whatever it may bring.  If you're lucky enough to be in the audience tonight, enjoy!  Tuacahn has been making magic with this show all summer and it all ends tonight.

Dan Domenech as Aladdin, Photo by Tuacahn

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

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!

The Tuacahn Cast Part 2 - Genie, Jafar and Iago

Continuing right where I left off;

Edward Juvier is Genie

Though he is best known for having performed in Les Miserables on Broadway, Edward has had a far more prolific career in regional theatre, having starred in a wide range of productions, many at the Stages St. Louis, including Guys and Dolls, Miss Saigon, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Secret Garden, Sleuth, Promises, Promises, Man of La Mancha, Laughter on the 23rd Floor and The Music Man among others.  He is also no stranger to Disney shows, having starred in regional productions of The Aristocats and Alice in Wonderland.

Michael G. Hawkins is Jafar

Michael has perhaps the most challenging role of all in this production; following in the footsteps of Jonathan Freeman who not only originated the role in film, but also on stage last summer.  A founding member of the Musical Theatre Guild in Los Angeles with a resume covering both stage and screen, Michael has a great background in musical theatre having starred in a wide variety of shows including Guys and Dolls (Las Vegas), Sweeney Todd, Chicago and originating the role of Adam in the world premiere of Western Star.  He has also had a lot of experience at playing the villain, having portrayed Bill Sykes in Oliver and Captain Hook in the recent national tour of Peter Pan.

Jeff Asch is Iago

Jeff Asch in Guys and Dolls

Perhaps best known as Maxwell in Saved by the Bell and for his appearances in several other TV sitcoms, Jeff has also some significant theatre credits, having starred in regional productions of Guys and Dolls, Rumors, Laughter on the 23rd Floor and The Man of La Mancha.  He has also directed productions of Oliver and Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's first collaboration, Little Shop of Horrors.

That's all for tonight!  The final part (Sultan and the trio) will be posted tomorrow.