Aladdin Opens in Tokyo!

Today is a very special day for Disney Theatrical as Aladdin's first international production will premiere this afternoon at Japan's Dentsu Shiki Theatre Umi in Toyko!

This is the first of several planned international productions for Aladdin and I just want to take this opportunity to wish the cast, crew and creative team the very best of luck for today's opening performance!  Make some magic everyone!

Happy Opening to The Hunchback of Notre Dame!

Michael Arden as Quasimodo and the cast of The Hunback of Notre Dame, Photo by Kevin Berne

Tonight is the night!  Following last year's critically acclaimed US Premiere production at the La Jolla Playhouse, the cast and creative team of The Hunchback of Notre Dame are reunited as they bring Victor Hugo's story to life once more at the Paper Mill Playhouse tonight!

The cast and creative team have all confirmed that the show has been through some changes since last year's premiere production so tonight's audience will be amongst the first to see this new and improved production!  After the incredible word of mouth the La Jolla run got I can't wait to hear what's been tweaked to make the show even better and I can't wait to see it myself in a few weeks!

For now though, I just want to wish everyone at the Paper Mill Playhouse the very best of luck for tonight's first performance.  This is your night, enjoy it and ring those bells with pride!

Happy Opening to The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Michael Arden as Quasimodo and the cast of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Photo by Kevin Berne

"As I ring these bells tonight, my cold dark tower seems so bright!  I swear it must be Heaven's light!"

 

Tonight is the night!  Fifteen years after Der Glockner Von Notre Dame opened in Berlin, the long awaited US Premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame officially opens tonight at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.

 

I just want to wish everyone at the La Jolla Playhouse the very best of luck for tonight's official opening.  From the ushers to the stars on stage to the friends and family supporting them in the audience.  This is your night, enjoy it.  I'm wishing you all the best.

First Look at The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Best Disney news of the day (yes, even better than Toy Story 4) - La Jolla Playhouse has released the first production photos of The Hunchback of Notre Dame featuring Michael Arden as Quasimodo, Ciara Renee as Esmeralda, Patrick Page as Frollo and the cast of the US premiere production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

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.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Song List Revealed!

Normally we don't get the song list of a show until after the first preview, but La Jolla Playhouse have posted a Know Before You Go guide to the show giving us a tantalising first glimpse at Disney's next musical masterpiece.  You can download the full PDF (including a fantastic interview with Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, Peter Parnell and Scott Schwartz) at the link.  Here are the highlights;

The Cast (in order of appearance)

Erik Liberman as Clopin Trouillefou
Patrick Page as Dom Claude Frollo
Lucas Coleman as Jehan Frollo
Samantha Massell as Florika
William Michals as Father Dupin
Michael Arden as Quasimodo
Andrew Samonsky as Captain Phoebus de Martin
Ian Patrick Gibb as Lieutenant Frederic Charlus
Ciara Renee as Esmeralda
Richard Ruiz as King Louis XI
Beth Kirkpatrick as Madam
Neal Mayer as Saint Aphrodisius

The Congregation (ensemble) includes Lucas Coleman, Ian Patrick Gibb, William Thomas Hodgson, Beth Kirkpatrick, Samantha Massell, Neal Mayer, Nora Menken, William Michals, Anise Ritchie, Vincent Rodriguez III, Richard Ruiz and Brian Smolin

Choral Ensemble - Sacra/Profana

Male Swings - Julian Decker & Christian Villanueva
Female Swing - Mary Joe Duggan

The Creative Team

Book by Peter Parnell
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Directed by Scott Schwartz
Choreographed by Chase Brock
Music Supervisor/Arranger - Michael Kosarin
Music Director - Brent-Alan Huffman
Orchestrator - Michael Starobin
Dance Music Arranger - Rob Berman
Scenic Designer - Alexander Dodge
Costume Designer - Alejo Vietti
Lighting Designer - Howell Binkley
Sound Designer - Garth Owen
Hair & Wig Designer - Charles G. LaPointe
Fight Director - Steve Rankin
Vocal Consultant - Ursula Meyer
Casting Director - Tara Rubin Casting
Local Casting Director - Teresa Sapien
Production Stage Manager - M. William Shiner
Assistant Stage Managers - Becky Fleming & Jennifer Kahn
Producing Director - Judith Richardson
Artistic Director - Shirley Fishman
Production Manger - Audrey Hoo

For the La Jolla Playhouse Christopher Ashley is Artistic Director and Michael S. Rosenberg is Managing Director.

Musical Numbers

Act One
The Bells of Notre Dame - Clopin, Frollo, Jehan, Father Dupin, Congregation
Sanctuary - Frollo, Quasimodo
Out There - Quasimodo
Topsy Turvy - Clopin, Congregation
Rest and Recreation - Phoebus, Frollo
Rhythm of the Tambourine - Esmeralda, Frollo, Phoebus, Quasimodo
God Help the Outcasts - Esmeralda, Congregation
Top of the World - Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Congregation
The Tavern Song (Thai Mol Piyas) - Gypsies, Esmeralda, Frollo
Heaven's Light - Quasimodo
Hellfire - Frollo, Congregation
Esmeralda (Act One Finale) - Company

Act Two
Entr'acte - Choir
Flight into Egypt - Saint Aphrodisius, Quasimodo, Congregation
Rest and Recreation (Reprise) - Phoebus, Quasimodo, Congregation
The Court of Miracles - Clopin, Gypsies
In a Place of Miracles - Phoebus, Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Clopin, Gypsies
Someday - Esmeralda, Phoebus
Made of Stone - Quasimodo, Congregation
Finale Ultimo - Company

And since the Know Before You Go guide includes the set rendering by Alexander Dodge I guess it's safe to share the Broadway World photos from the other day (big thanks to Sotiris2006 for actually saving these!)

It looks like an interesting mix of songs from the film, songs from the original Berlin production, all new songs for this production and even a song that was written for the film but cut.  But even if you recognise the names, don't expect to recognise the lyrics as Stephen Schwartz confirms "in addition to the brand new songs, there are a lot of songs in which there are new lyrics, or parts of the song are restructured."

Indeed this looks to be, much like Aladdin, a complete reimagining of the film for stage.  Whilst Aladdin went back to Howard Ashman's original concept, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is going back to the book.  The guide even states that this production is "Based on the Victor Hugo novel with songs from the Disney film".  Like Aladdin lost Abu, Quasimodo has lost his gargoyles (at least in the sense of the individual characters they were in the film), but whilst Aladdin  uses the latest special effects to bring the magic of the movie to life on stage, the story of Quasimodo will be a much more human take.  Director Scott Schwartz says "My guiding principle for the production is: if they couldn't do it in 1482, we shouldn't be doing it now.  In other words, the physical production is based all on period techniques that have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.  This is not a technological version of the story.  It's a human one."

Everything I hear about this production just makes me more and more excited to see it!  Next March can't come soon enough!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins this Sunday, 26th October, at La Jolla Playhouse.  Tickets are available here.

Aladdin Opens to Standing Ovations



Adam Jacobs as Aladdin in the 2011Seattle Pilot Production, Photo by Chris Bennion


 Last night's World Premiere of Aladdin received a standing ovation from a thrilled audience.  After the show Don Darryl Rivera (Iago) tweeted "What a beautiful sight to see a standing ovation on our first preview! #AladdinTO #CanYouFeelTheLoveTonight #WhoopsOtherShow" and James Monroe Iglehart (Genie) tweeted simply "I love this show! @Aladdin having a ball!"

There were reports of a few technical difficulties, but this is live theatre and that's why they have preview runs before the show officially opens.  I still remember seeing the first preview of The Little Mermaid in Denver and being told if we were really lucky we might even see a stage hand ("they're wearing black and don't have fins").  Despite the minor technical hiccups the audience loved the show and online reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, Aladdin is off to an incredible start.

Today's the Day - A Whole New World in A Whole New Way

It's finally here!  Tonight is the World Premiere of Disney Theatrical's new, Broadway bound, production of Aladdin!!  There's nothing left to say now but good luck to everyone involved.  It's been a long journey from the early work shops and original Pilot Production and it's all been leading to this.  This is your moment, you've earned it, enjoy it.  Best wishes to you all.  Let's make some magic!

The Final Countdown - Aladdin Begins Toronto Previews this Friday!

This Friday the doors of the Ed Mirvish Theatre will open, the audience will enter, the lights will go down and the pre-Broadway run of Aladdin will begin.

Today is the show's sitzprobe day, after a month of rehearsals in New York and 2 weeks of Tech in Toronto, the cast will be singing with a full orchestra for the first time.  It's an exciting day for any show and I think James Monroe Iglehart summed it up best when he tweeted "Nothing like Menken Music with Orchestra!"
 

Toronto born Jaz Sealey will play Prince Abdullah and understudy Kassim


News keeps coming in from around the web as well.  On Friday the Toronto Star published an article that includes interviews with/comments from Thomas Schumacher, Casey Nicholaw, Chad Beguelin and James Monroe Iglehart, and also has some nice rehearsal pictures from New York (this piece was written before rehearsals moved to Toronto).  The Winnipeg Free News and CBC News have both released pieces focused on Jaz Sealey, the sole Canadian member of the ensemble who portrays Prince Abdullah (if you've ever heard the formerly deleted song "Call Me a Princess" you'll recognise the name) and understudies Kassim.  Both are great articles that give some insight into the audition process, the tone of the show and the creative process of building a show from the ground up.

The World Premiere of this new production of Aladdin: Broadway's New Musical Comedy will be this Friday night!  The official opening night is 21st November and the show will continue through January 5th 2014 before moving to Broadway where previews begin 26th February.  Tickets for the Toronto production can be bought here.  If you can make it to Toronto to see the show then I would urge you to do so.  Not only do you get to see the show before it hits Broadway, but you can also catch a glimpse of the creative process at work as tweaks and improvements are made throughout the shows run (The Little Mermaid had a new ending before the show left Denver).  Plus, it's a great show, the Tuacahn production was the most fun I've had at the theatre in years, true Disney magic at work.

Aladdin: The New Musical Comedy Broadway Previews to Begin February 2014

"This spring, discover a Whole New World in a Whole New Way."

Wish finally granted!  Over 2 years after the Seattle Pilot Production, Disney Theatrical have today announced that Aladdin: Broadway's New Musical Comedy will begin it's Broadway Previews on February 26th 2014.

Both Playbill and Broadway World are reporting that this confirmation came via a Group Sales email and that Disney Theatrical are eyeing an official opening night of Thursday March 20th 2014.

The show's official website, www.aladdinbroadway.com has also undergone a make over today, officially launching the show's new title logo and tagline, that were originally revealed earlier this month at D23's Broadway and Beyond Evening, along with new artwork of Genie and the lamp.  The official site now also has links to ticket sales for both the Toronto Preview Run and Group Bookings for Broadway for groups of 15 or more.  Regular Broadway tickets will go on sale this Fall.

The group sales email, revealed by Broadway World, offers the following description of the show;

Disney's new musical comedy, Aladdin, brings the classic story from the screen to the stage for a theatrical experience beyond anything you've ever dreamed.  With just one rub of a magic lamp, Aladdin's breathtaking journey sweeps you into an exotic world filled with big laughs, bold adventure and true love.

Aladdin features all your favorite songs from the film as well as new music written by Tony Award winner Alan Menken (Newsies) with lyrics penned by the legendary Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast), Tony Award winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Aida) and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).

This new musical from the producers of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Spamalot).  Aladdin also boasts an incomparable design team, with sets, costumes and lighting from multiple Tony Award winners Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins), Gregg Barnes (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Natasha Katz (Once)."

The full advertisement can be seen below;

Still no casting announcement but hopefully we'll hear something much sooner than later now that things seem to be moving into high gear as the show inches closer to it's Toronto premiere this November.

And finally, I missed this last week, the Ed Mirvish theatre made this tweet last Friday;

@Mirvish - It's a whole new world at The Eddie! Tickets for @aladdin are now on sale! #aladdin #mirvishtheatre #toronto #mirvish

Now we've know tickets have been on sale for a few months now, and they're tweeted about them before, but what's more exciting about this tweet in the photo that came with it.  Looks like The Eddie has had a face lift for Aladdin.

Well that's all for tonight (and today is technically yesterday now, here in the UK).  Hopefully I'll be back with the cast announcement real soon!

A Whole New World in A Whole New Way - Aladdin Comes to Broadway!

It's official!!  Disney Theatrical last night confirmed that Aladdin will open on Broadway in 2014 at the New Amsterdam Theatre!!  The show's new tagline is Broadway's New Musical Fantasy.

First things first, make sure you head over to the show's official website, www.aladdinbroadway.com, and sign up for their email updates.

Now for those who've waited long enough and don't want to wait until next spring, good news!  Both Playbill and Broadway World are reporting that Aladdin will have have it's pre-Broadway preview run at Toronto's Mirvish Theatre this November!  The show will premiere in Toronto November 13th and run through to January 12th 2014.  No dates have been announced for Aladdin's Broadway premiere other than "Spring 2014".
Both Playbill and Broadway World are reporting that, according to Disney, this version of Aladdin will be an entirely new production "featuring a new script, tunestack and a wholly original design scaled to the Broadway stage and an epic story."

Disney have confirmed that most of the creative team from Seattle's 2011 Pilot Production will be returning, along with some new additions;

Alan Menken (Composer)
Howard Ashman (Lyrics)
Tim Rice (Lyrics)
Chad Beguelin (Book and Lyrics)
Casey Nicholaw (Director/Choreographer)
Bob Crowley (Scenic Design)
Gregg Barnes (Costume Design)
Natasha Katz (Lighting Design)
Ken Travis (Sound Design)
Jim Steinmeyer (Illusion Design)
Josh Marquette (Hair Design)
Michael Kosarin (Music Supervisor/Music Director)
Danny Troob (Orchestrator)
Glen Kelly (Dance Arrangements)

Casting and ticketing information has not yet been announced (like I said at the start, make sure you sign up for Disney Theatrical's email alerts!).

I'm so excited right now!  Guess I'd better start saving for next year's holiday!  To paraphrase Joey, "Broadway baby!!" (I've been watching way too much Friends recently).  It's going to be a whole new world, hope I see you there!

Broadway Beckons..?

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin in 5th Avenue's Pilot Production, Photo by Mark Kitaoka

Yesterday afternoon there was a very exciting (but equally sad) rumour reported by The New York Times.  According to "two Broadway theatre executives" Disney Theatrical's long running Mary Poppins is set to close on March 3rd to make way for the Broadway debut of Aladdin!  However, don't go booking that plane ticket just yet as it's reported that the New Amsterdam Theatre is to receive extensive renovations, which could take several months, prior to Al and his pals making their premiere in spring 2014.

Whilst it's just a rumour, this story has now been carried by pretty much all of the major Broadway news sites, such as Playbill, Broadway.com, Broadway World and others, including The Wrap which reports that "the Broadway production will involve a major new key player on the creative team" (though other articles have stated that it remains unclear whether or not there will be any additions to the creative team).

Most of the articles also claim that the show will be significantly overhauled from the 5th Avenue Pilot Production in Seattle in 2011 (though others have said that this also remains uncertain).  The Tuacahn, Muny and international productions last year were all based on a revised and expanded version of the original book, and each had unique staging and creative choices, so it's not unreasonable to think that further revisions will have been made based on audiences reactions to those productions (the Tuacahn had a survey on their website from Disney asking for feedback on the show).

Obviously nothing is official until Disney confirms it, but with the rumoured closing date of Mary Poppins less than 2 months away I'd expect to hear at least a denial or confirmation of that in the not too distant future. Mary Poppins is currently booking through to August but sadly that means very little (I had 20th July tickets booked for Tarzan when the show was pulled with literally 2 weeks notice) so I'd expect Disney to clear that up to give ticket buyers peace of mind - The Little Mermaid's closure was announced 2 months in advance (and that too was booking past it's closing date at the time).  We're already past the 2 month point for Mary Poppins, so if the rumour is true expect to hear something sooner rather than later.

Sad times for Mary Poppins (I remember seeing it back when it was running in London and had a great time), but fantastic news for Aladdin.  Hopefully Disney can get as much of the original Seattle cast back together as possible, they deserve first shot at this and I'd love them to be on the CD!


And finally, a quick apology (again!) for the lack of updates.  The holidays just crept up on me this year and the updates I meant to do just kept getting pushed back.  I'm hoping that this weekend I can get caught up with all the news from the international productions that I missed (I hear both were fantastic - congratulations to all involved - and that the show was so popular it's going back to Denmark this year!).  Happy New Year everyone, I hope you all had a truly magical holiday season.

UPDATE - Well that was a lot faster than I expected!  Mary Poppins' official site has confirmed that the show will play its final Broadway performance on March 3rd.  All I can say is that my heart goes out to the cast and crew of this great show and I wish them all the very best for the remainder of their run and for the future.

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.

The Muny's Production of Aladdin Premiere's Tonight!!

Rewind the clocks a year, the first Thursday in July saw the World Premiere performance of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre.  Tonight, The Muny's stage will come alive as America's oldest and largest outdoor theatre presents the world's third production of the Aladdin!

Book writer and new lyricist Chad Beguelin

The Muny's production is only running from tonight until Friday 13th July (so if you're in the area and haven't got tickets yet make sure you grab them fast here!) and at least 1 night during that short run they're going to be having a very special guest, the show's writer and new lyricist Chad Beguelin!  According to BND the Centralia native is returning home to see the show!  It's a really nice article about Chad's history and how he went from Centralia to bringing Aladdin to the stage, so make sure you give it a read.  It ends with the extremely optimistic line

For now, "Aladdin" is not destined for Broadway. But ...

"It's always a possibility," he said.

Can't hope for more than that!  All that remains is for me to say I wish the very best of luck to all the cast and crew at The Muny for tonight's premiere and the rest of their run.  If anyone reading is going, I'd love to hear what you think, so please leave a comment below!

Tuacahn's Production of Aladdin Officially Premieres Today!

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

After a week of previews Aladdin: The New Stage Musical officially opens tonight against the beautiful desert backdrop of the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Utah.

Playbill has posted an article on the show, "Hop a Carpet and Fly", here.  Of particular note is that the Tuacahn's production "marks the first regional engagement of the newly expanded and revised production of Aladdin, which debuted at Seattle's 5th Avenue".  Newly expanded and revised?  I guess that explains the 3 days of meetings that Alan Menken, Chad Beguelin and Casey Nicholaw had towards the end of last year after the show had finished its pilot production in Seattle!

The article also provides further cast and crew details;

"The ensemble feastures Joline Mujica, Erica Amato, Gabrielle Reid, Chris Warren Gilbert, Shari Jordan, Brant Michaels, James Royce Edwards, Matt Densky, Ayesha Ayeni, Carlita Ector, Noelle Marion, Summerisa Bell, Erica Bryce, Amanda Jolley, Samantha Gershman, Allyson Pace, Daysha Pedersen, Jesse Lee Coffman, Brooke Aston, Oyoyo Bonner, Nicole Johnson, Bronwyn Tarboton, Samuel Warburton, JP Sarro, Ramone Owens, Troy McGee, Michael Milkanin, Olin Davidson, Wyatt Hopkins, Andre Melendez, Evan Walker, Jesse Gonzales, Chyka Jackson, Eddy Schumacher, Alexis Smith and Tino Smith.

Aladdin is choreographed by Deanna Dys and musical directed by Camille Rolla. The production has scenic design by Doug Ellis, costume design by Wilma Mickler, lighting design by Bruce Duerden, sound design by David Swenson and hair and makeup design by Matt Reeves."

Broadway World also has a short article on the show highlighting the new promotional images released by the Tuacahn.

The first images feature Dan Domenech and Haley Carlucci as Aladdin and Jasmine, and Edward Juvier as the Genie.  These images are taken from the banner that first appeared on the Tuacahn's website a few weeks ago.

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

Edward Juvier as Genie, Photo by The Tuacahn

The final picture is all new and showcases Michael G. Hawkins as Jafar!


Michael G. Hawkins as Jafar, Photo by The Tuacahn

I must admit that this one surprised me the most.  Based on pictures of Aladdin and Genie (with Aladdin having a purple rather than patchwork vest and Genie being blue) I was expecting the characters to look closer to their film counterparts than they did in the 5th Avenue's production last year, so seeing Jafar looking so different to his film counterpart caught me by surprise.  Please don't take this as a negative as it's certainly not intended to be one.  My initial inclination is that the change from black and red to black and gold for Jafar may have been, in part, a creative choice based on the red rock backdrop of the amphitheatre in order to make him stand out more.  Or it could simply be a creative choice like giving Aladdin a patchwork vest.  The character is still easily recognisable as Jafar and the costume looks good, so I'm more than happy with his new look for this production.

One thing is for sure, this production is certainly ambitious!  Check out this article at The Spectrum where you can see a picture of a zipline being tested for Aladdin!  And this post at Riverdale Rising Stars by Bob Walton (who plays the Sultan in this production) where he shows off a picture taken (I presume) during rehearsals and you can see some of the set and the amazing desert backdrop.

All that remains now is for me to wish the cast, crew, and everyone at The Tuacahn the very best wishes for tonights gala fundraiser premiere of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical.  Make some magic everyone and hopefully we'll be reading fantastic reviews in the morning!