Aladdin Musical News 2016 (3)

Welcome to the third news round up post of 2016!

Plenty is happening in the magical world of Agrabah at the moment with Aladdin's original Broadway cast celebrating 2 years on Broadway tomorrow and the new London cast due to start rehearsing in less than a month!

So let's get started and make some magic!!

Aladdin Broadway - Show News

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Deen Van Meer

Firstly, this should come as no surprise as we're past the end of the previous contracts but it's nice to have it officially confirmed - Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Courtney Reed (Jasmine), James Monroe Iglehart (Genie), Jonathan Freeman (Jafar), Don Darryl Rivera (Iago), Brian Gonzales (Babkak) and Clifton Davis (Sultan) have all extended their contacts for another year!  These seven stars, who have all been with the show since it opened on Broadway, will now be in the show until at least February 19th 2017!

"We're privileged to be in the rare position of having seven of our original stars continue in Aladdin.  Adam, Jonathan, James, Courtney, Brian and Don Darryl have been an integral part of Aladdin since its journey to stage began, and I am thrilled that they, along with Clifton Davis who joined us in Toronto, will continue delighting audiences at The New Amsterdam Theatre for another year."
Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions

Steel Burkhardt (Kassim) and James Moye (Stand By Jafar/Sultan) have also extended their contracts for another year, with Brad Weinstock (Omar) and Major Attaway (Stand By Genie/Babkak/Sultan) joining the cast last month.

I am so happy that the original cast are continuing for another year!  They are absolutely amazing and simply embody these characters now.  I can't wait to see them again later this year!  Keep making magic everyone!!

James Monroe Iglehart and Al Rocker in Aladdin, Photo by Shay Frey

As Aladdin prepares to celebrate it's second anniversary on Broadway The Today Show hosts Al Rocker and Natalie Morales paid an extra special visit to the show earlier this month, appearing on stage with James Monroe Iglehart, Adam Jacobs and the cast during Friend Like Me!

This extra special rendition of Aladdin's show stopping production number should air on The Today Show on March 20th as part of Aladdin's anniversary celebration!

As part of the show's second anniversary celebrations Broadway.com has posted an incredible behind the scenes look at just what goes on behind the curtain to get Aladdin ready to go every night!  This is a fantastic video, it perfectly captures the energy and excitement that you feel before the curtain rises and the show begins so make sure you check it out!

Also this month, Aladdin held a special autism friendly performance with the Theatre Development Fund.  This is a special annual event aimed at making shows more accessible to children and adults on the autism spectrum along with their families.

It's been a while since I've found a new review of the show but I just had to share this review from The National.  I just love that final paragraph - "a great storyteller is someone who puts in a touch of magic, passion and a whole load of hard work to bring a story to life"

Aladdin Broadway - Cast News

Ok, this is huge and I probably should have given it it's own post but...

JAMES MONROE IGLEHART IS GONNA BE IN TANGLED: BEFORE EVER AFTER!!!!!

Sorry, got carried away!

Yes, James (along with a whole host of other Broadway stars, including Newsies' Jeremy Jordan) will be lending his voice to the series due to premiere on Disney Channel next year!  In the series set after the film (but before the short Tangled Ever After) James will be voicing Eugene's friend Lance Strongbow!

The show will be featuring new songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater (so if Galavant doesn't get that third season we can still look forward to weekly Menken/Slater songs!) so keep your fingers crossed that James will get to show off his incredible vocals on TV!

I really can't wait for this!!  But I do want to know how Rapunzel got her hair back...

You can read more at D23 and the Oh My Disney blog.

James also took part in Speechless at Joe's Pub last month and I wish I could have been there or at least find some video to share with you as it sounds like a hilarious evening!

Adam Jacobs took part in a concert of The Nutty Professor at the Birdland and has shared some great photos from the event on Instagram.  And that's not all!  Broadway World have posted a highlights video from the event which you can check out right here!

Ok, we all know Adam is an amazing singer but did you know he's an awesome artist as well?  Check out this incredible piece he did for #DoodleForHunger!

Courtney Reed, Photo by Nessie Nankivell

Last weekend Courtney Reed took part in the Broadway Princess Party at 54 Below!  Judging by the pictures she posted on Instagram and the reactions on Twitter it was a pretty incredible night.  If you missed it then be sure to catch the next one on 20th June!  And you can see more photos from the event on Playbill, Theater Mania and Broadway World.

Massive congratulations to Clifton Davis who has been nominated for Best Actor at the International Christian Film Festival for his role in Prayer Never Fails.  Good luck for the awards next month!!


Aladdin's Yurel Echezarreta last month did a great interview with The Broadway Blog (and I'm now insanely jealous that anyone can achieve an Agrabah body without going to the gym!!)

At the start of March Donald Jones Jr. took a few nights off from chasing Aladdin and his friends to star in Carnegie Hall's production of West Side Story.

Aladdin's Kathryn Allison is starring in her first solo 54 Below show next week, Sirens, Songs, and Muses.  You can get tickets for the performance right here so if you're in NYC make sure you go along!

If you want to get in Broadway shape then make sure check out Khori Petinaud's new website Fly Wheel Sports!  The cast of Aladdin is in crazy good shape and with her classes you can be too!

And make sure you check out Aladdin's Giuseppe Bausilio's YouTube covers of "Pour Some on Me", and "Twist and Shout".

You can also ask him your questions on AskFM!  There's some great ones on there, including some about Aladdin.  Plus if you missed it live you can now listen to WPKN's interview with Giuseppe right here.  Giuseppe is in the show until 27th March so catch him while you can!

Aladdin Broadway - Creative Team News

The World Premiere of Alan Menken and Glenn Slater's latest musical A Bronx Tale at the Paper Mill Playhouse was a great success (they even added an extra night!) and received some fantastic reviews.  Here's a small sampling of the reviews;

The Broadway Blog
NY Times

Disney have announced that Aladdin's book writer and lyricist, Chad Beguelin, is writing the stage adaptation of Frozen for Disney's California Adventure!  Frozen - Live at the Hyperion is due to open on May 27th, replacing Aladdin -  A Musical Spectacular (also by Beguelin) which end it's incredible 13 year run in January.

Saving the best for last!

Thomas Schumacher at the TDF Gala, Photo by Aurora Rose/Variety

Earlier this week a host of Disney Theatrical stars gathered for the Theatre Development Fund's gala in honour of Disney Theatrical's President and Producer Thomas Schumacher!  The stars included Broadway's original Aladdin, Adam Jacobs, Broadway's original Mary Poppins, Ashley Brown, and an international gathering of Genies as James Monroe Iglehart, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Michael James Scott and Major Attaway performed a special rendition of "Friend Like Me";

Quadruple Genie Salute to Tom Schumacher at @TDFNYC Gala! @aladdin @jamesmiglehart @iamMJScott @astonishingtrev pic.twitter.com/2cVOdvPqQB

— Jordan Roth (@Jordan_Roth) 15 March 2016

You can see more pictures and read more details at Theater Mania and Variety and check out a fantastic clip of the finale right here!

And you can read more on Thomas Schumacher's work with the TDF in this fantastic Playbill article.

Aladdin Broadway - Old Friends

Andrew Keenan-Bolger's new book, Jack & Louisa Act 2, has been released and you can check out a trailer for it right here!  And you can also check out Andrew and the rest of the cast's reaction to seeing Tuck Everlasting's marquee for the first time along with the first rehearsal footage from the show!

Marisha Wallace (currently starring in Something Rotten!) last month joined other Broadway performers for Shakespeare on the Sound's Gala evening to celebrate it's upcoming production of Hamlet.

Marisha also posted a Q&A on her Broadway Beat YouTube channel!  You can check out Part 1 and Part 2 right here!

Since leaving Aladdin Merwin Foard has been travelling the country with The Sound of Music.  You can check out a new review and some footage from the production right here and see all the latest tour dates on the show's website.

The Muny's Jasmine, Samantha Massell, recently took Playbill behind the scenes of a two show day at Fiddler on the Roof and you can check out the antics right here!

Aladdin International

Check out the marquee!!

Photo by Newman Displays

We're less than a month away from the official start of Aladdin's London rehearsals and I can literally feel the excitement building!  I say official start because the cast are already tweeting about tap rehearsals, costume fittings and more so get following them!

But if you can't wait a month (and I don't blame you!) then you can catch Aladdin himself, Dean John-Wilson, Miss Atomic Bomb at London's St. James Theatre!  The show officially opened this week and is playing through to 9th April so you've still plenty of time to catch Dean before he hops on that magic carpet to Agrabah!

You can check out some production photos and behind the scenes videos right here at the show's website and here's a sample of what the critics are saying;

Monstagigz
The Spy in the Stalls
What's On Stage
What's On Stage - Opening Night Interviews
West End Frame
Live Theatre UK
The Stage - Opening Night Interviews
Broadway World West End

West End Frame also caught up with Dean after the press launch to talk about Miss Atomic Bomb and Aladdin.  Just reading Dean's reaction to getting the role is incredible, I really can't wait to see him in it and see what he does with it.

What's a Genie to do in a new city?  Join Trevor Dion Nicholas on a quick trip around London!

And London was just the start of Trevor's recent travels!  Between Broadway and London he's even found time to visit a fellow Genie in Japan!

West End Meets Tokyo! Photo by Trevor Dion Nicholas

Marsha Songcome is no stranger to the Prince Edward Theatre having just completed her run as Gigi in Miss Saigon.  If you missed her there then make sure you catch her in this rendition of "Take  Me or Leave Me" from the Miss Saigon at the Hippodrome concert event!

Aladdin's Mitch Leow has just launched his new website so make sure you check it out right here!  Those aerial photos are incredible!

And finally - it's been confirmed that Aladdin will be offering a daily ticket lottery once the show has officially opened (so from 16th June).  Tickets will be £25 and the draw will be held two hours before each performance, winners will be able to purchase up to two tickets each in cash.  So if the show you want is sold out then make a wish, say a prayer and join the lottery for your chance to grab some amazing last minute seats to this incredible show!

Other Disney Stuff!

Everything is awesome!  Especially these new Disney Lego Mini Figures due out later this year!!

I'm such a big kid!  I seriously can't wait for these!

The original Aladdin, Scott Weinger, is returning to our screens in Netflix's Fuller House, reprising the role that made him famous in the original Full House.

The Orange County Register recently caught up with some of the original cast of Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular to talk about their memories of the show and what made it truly magical for the cast as well as the fans.

Also looking back at Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular, Mouse Planet shares their memories of the show.  Frozen - Live at the Hyperion has some big shoes to fill but it also has a fantastic writer, I can't wait to see what Chad Beguelin comes up with.  Hopefully I'll get chance to see this one live one day!

Broadway News Round Up 32

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Deen Van Meer

Before I start the news round up this week I just want to say a massive congratulations to Courtney Reed and the entire Team Broadway Strong who took part in Cycle for Survival earlier today and raised a fantastic $40,784 for rare cancer research!  An amazing job everyone!  You can see a picture Courtney posted of the team here.

James Monroe Iglehart recently did a great little interview with Cal State;

I missed this when it went on sale but today is the first ever autism friendly performance of Broadway's Aladdin.  Presented by The Theatre Development Fund's Autism Theatre Initiative the autism-friendly performance of Aladdin sold out within 5 hours of tickets going on sale!  This performance of Aladdin completes the Autism Theatre Initiative's 4th season (other shows this year included The Lion King, Matilda and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time).  For these special performances The Theatre Development Fund purchases every ticket in the theatre to sell at discounted prices to families who have members on the autism spectrum.  During the production itself jarring sounds and strobe lighting are reduced and staffed quiet areas are provided in the theatre lobby.  For more information on this great initiative and for information on upcoming autism friendly performances check out their website.

Tomorrow night (Monday 9th March) Aladdin's Trent Saunders (who understudies for Aladdin) will be taking part in Musicals Tonight!'s latest At This Performance... at The Lion Theatre on 42nd Street.  At This Performance... is a showcase of the talents of Broadway's Standbys, Alternates and Understudies, the unsung heroes of every Broadway musical.  More information can be found at Broadway World.  And speaking of Trent Saunders, Theater Mania has posted a piece about Trent and his equally talented siblings which is well worth a read.

If you missed him in Carousel you can catch Aladdin's original Kassim, Brandon O'Neill, in ACT's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof running 17th April through 17th May.  More information about the production (part of ACT's 50th Anniversary season) can be found at Broadway World and ticket's can be purchased from ACT's website.

Show Tickets posted an interesting piece recently, looking back at Aladdin's road to Broadway and the changes that the show went through along the way.  Whilst there's nothing really new it's a nice reminder of the journey Aladdin took from Seattle to New York and it does have some interesting observations on Disney Theatrical's ongoing efforts to keep Aladdin in the public eye that make it well worth a read.

In fact those observations made me think of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Take Away, it's a popular Saturday night show here in the UK and it's currently running a competition to win a trip to New York that includes tickets to Aladdin!  So if you live in the UK here's your chance to win an amazing holiday and tickets to the most magical show on Broadway!

Broadway World is reporting that Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher is to serve on the judging panel of the Tony Awards' first education award, the Excellence in Theatre Education Award.  Congratulations Thomas!  More information about the new award can be found here.

And finally, Disney Blog The Tiara Talk Show has posted their review of Aladdin.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame began previews this week at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse and, despite an unfortunate snow day, there's already some fantastic word of mouth coming out about the show.

Before I get the latest news, Hunchback's Samantha Massell retweet a FANTASTIC competition for any Disney or musical theatre fan!  A chance to win tickets for two to the official Opening Night of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Paper Mill Playhouse on 15th March.  But that's not all, the prize also includes entrance to the after show party and a meeting with the legendary Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz!!  Click here to enter!  And if you win after seeing this then make sure to say thanks to Samantha whilst you're there!

Ok, now you've entered the competition of a lifetime here's the rest of the week's news :o)

Theater Mania has a short video interview with the cast and creative team.

Broadway World has posted an interview with Patrick Page about his career of villainy and bringing Frollo greater depth in this new telling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The Soul of the American Actor has posted an interview with Erik Liberman (Clopin).  It's not strictly about Hunchback but it's very informative about Erik himself and his approach to his craft.

Broadway News Round Up 25

Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann or Deen Van Meer

Welcome to another news round up for Disney's Aladdin on Broadway!  I'm aware that I've not done one of these for a while so there's a lot to catch up on, but first something to get you all in the festive mood since we've reached December!  Here's James Monroe Iglehart putting an Agrabah twist a Christmas classic.  And after Thanksgiving Disney Theatrical certainly have a lot to be thankful for as both Aladdin and The Lion King broke house records again during Broadway's highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend in history!  Aladdin pulled in $1,759,955 as it broke the New Amsterdam's house record for the third time (or is it fourth now?  I've honestly lost track!)

On December 14th Disney are celebrating 20 Years on Broadway with an hour long Backstage with Disney on Broadway: Celebrating 20 Years special on ABC.  The event will be hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and feature performances from Elton John, Mary Poppins' Ashley Brown and Aladdin himself, Adam Jacobs.  The special will take you into the rehearsal room with The Lion King, to opening night with Newsies and backstage during Aladdin's "Friend Like Me" so it's definitely a show that you don't want to miss!

But before that Broadway World is reporting that Adam Jacobs and James Monroe Iglehart will be on The View this Tuesday morning (9th December) so make sure to check it out!

Continuing the 20th anniversary celebrations of Disney Theatrical NY1 News went behind the scenes at Aladdin to speak with Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, James Monroe Iglehart and Jonathan Freeman.  They also spent time with the touring cast of Newsies attended the opening night of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in San Diego and spoke with the head of Disney Theatrical, Thomas Schumacher.

On Thursday 11th December James Monroe Iglehart will be joining other Broadway stars at 54 Below for the Don't Quit Your Night Job Holiday Spectacular where Broadway and improve meet... and make out.  Tickets are on sale now so don't miss out!  And that's not all!  James will be back at 54 Below on 19th January as part of song writer Scott Alan's 54 Below debut.

Continuing the tradition of Aladdin cast members supporting good causes, Adam Kaokept recently spent time helping Broadway Serves at the NYC Rescue Mission's Thanksgiving Banquet.  Well done Adam!

James Monroe Iglehart talks to NYC City Guide about Aladdin and picking his targets in the audience!

Joshua Dela Cruz talks with The Jersey Tomato Press about his High Adventures in Aladdin.

Aladdin's Michael James Scott is taking part in King of Glory, the annual Christmas concert of the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Florida on Friday 12th December.

Broadway World has photos of some of Aladdin's cast members at the Broadway Dream's Foundation's Night of Dreams gala.

The Burlington County Times (a New Jersey community newspaper) has a new review of the show. (subscription required)

Broadway World reports that Aladdin's Bud Weber is taking part in an industry reading of Sing Me Home (and also give an email address where you can request complimentary tickets!)

The New Amsterdam Theatre will be host to the 26th annual Gypsy of the Year on Monday 8th December (4:30pm EST) and Tuesday 9th December (2pm EST) which will celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Wiz.  The show will feature special appearances by a number of Broadway stars, including Aladdin's James Monroe Iglehart, and the panel of judges includes Aladdin and Jasmine themselves, Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed.

Adam Jacobs and James Monroe Iglehart's appearance on Seth Rudetsky's Chatterbox is now on the SethTV website. (subscription required)

Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher talks with Vulture about how Broadway has changed in the last 20 years and the highs and lows of bringing Disney to life on stage.

Last month Adam Jacobs taught a musical theatre workshop with A Class Act NY and Broadway World has the photos.

And speaking of Adam Jacobs, the readers of Broadway.com recently voted Adam into the Top 10 sexiest men alive on Broadway.  Congratulations Adam.

Disney Channel stars Ben Savage and Rowan Blanchard (Girl Meets World) recently went backstage at the New Amsterdam Theatre and met the cast of Aladdin;

The West End rumours keep on coming as the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye wrote last month "the Broadway show Aladdin arrives at the London Palladium in early 2016.  The folks at Disney were meeting with Palladium executives this week for another round of discussions that will, eventually, seal a deal."  No sources were quoted, not even the usual anonymous Broadway/West End executives/producers that normally get mentioned in reports like this (as happened in January 2013 when Aladdin was first rumoured for Broadway) but with 2 international productions already announced and more confirmed to be coming it's extremely likely that this report is accurate.  That said, Baz Bamigboye does lose some credibility when he goes on to state that "Rice wrote the lyrics for the animated film version then worked with Director Casey Nicholaw and other writers on numbers for the stage iteration" as Tim Rice was not involved with the Broadway production of Aladdin nor the earlier Seattle Pilot production in 2011.  And when he says "they need to calm it down a bit for London" well, let's just say I respectfully disagree.

And on the subject of international productions the Herald Sun is reporting that, according to a rumour "which is building among the arts industry" Aladdin is set to open in Australia in 2016!  As with the West End rumours this is unofficial until it is confirmed by Disney but if both of these rumours are true then Aladdin is having one of the fastest international roll outs in Disney Theatrical's history!  Not bad for a show that was never meant to go to Broadway!

Not exactly Aladdin related but the Tuacahn (who staged a fantastic production of Aladdin in 2012) has been nominated in several categories of the 2014 Broadway World Salt Lake City Awards for this year's production of The Little Mermaid including a Best Actress nomination for Heidi Anderson for her portrayal of Ursula.  Heidi was Marketing Manager at the Tuacahn during their production of Aladdin and was a big supported of this blog so please take a moment to vote for her and the Tuacahn's production of The Little Mermaid.

And finally Disney Theatrical recently announced a new ticket exchange program for their Broadway shows.  Recognising that people these days often have hectic and unpredictable schedules you can now exchange your ticket right up to 2 hours before the performance!  Playbill have all the details.

Next week is the final week of the US premiere production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse and if the tweets that have been filling my homepage these last 3 weeks are any indication then it's been an absolutely incredible run and Broadway is almost certainly looming on the horizon after the Paper Mill's run next March.

But don't take my word for it!  Here's some more fantastic reviews to tell you just what you're missing if you haven't seen this show! (Big thanks to Alex for sending me a lot of these links!)

Broadway World calls it "a feast for the eyes... and the soul".
Disney Examiner says "it's not an exact replica of Disney's film version, but if you're looking for a complex, alternate look at the story, you have to watch this musical production that brings the tale to an epic, darker level."
Disney Club of UCLA calls it "unforgettable" stating that "Scott Schwartz's masterful presentation at La Jolla Playhouse has greatly exceeded any preconceived expectations."
Neon Tommy calls the show "an absolute triumph" before going on to say "It is tragic, sweet, disturbing, inspiring, and revelatory.  The exciting work that La Jolla Playhouse has done to bring this old and classic tale to the stage may finally bring The Hunchback of Notre Dame to the forefront of American theatre on the Broadway stage, and sets the gold standard for musical theatre adaptations to come."
Entertainment Today says "there is little doubt that this production of Hunchback will have a long run on Broadway"" and advises readers to see it now during it's San Diego run.
Examiner gives the show 5 stars saying it "is both spectacular and a spectacle, and is alive and well."
The Guardian also gives the show 5 stars saying it's the show's "newfound complexity that will put this musical right on track to becoming a Broadway hit."

NY1 took a look at the show and spoken with Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz and Scott Schwartz about Hunchback.

Chase Brock spoke with Edge Media Network about choreographing The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Disney's D23 fan club reflects on the recent D23 Member Night at The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

And on a lighter note Hunchback's Samantha Massell and Nora Menken have been posting some unique backstage videos as the girls of Hunchback play the kazoo.  Check them out here and here.

I Dream of Genie Episode 8

James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

Your final wish is granted as Broadway.com and James Monroe Iglehart bring I Dream of Genie to its spectacular, musical finale!

In this week's final edition James answers more fan questions in "Ask a Genie" (and promises to keep answering them on Twitter), with backing music supplied one last time by the talented Jaz Sealey, and conducts some impromptu interviews with the awesome Don Darryl Rivera and the head of Disney Theatrical, Thomas Schumacher!

I love this episode!  "Ask a Genie" was as fun as always, the finale was fabulous, but I absolutely love the interviews!  They just capture the feel that James used to have on The JMI Show and I loved it!  Plus for all the years I've been doing this and all the knowledge I like to think I have about Disney Theatrical, watching this I realised I know practically nothing about Thomas Schumacher!  What a career!!  Bringing Cirque du Soleil to America, Walt Disney Animation (including some of the biggest films of the 90s renaissance era), and, of course, Disney Theatrical - from producing 1997's The Lion King to becoming President in 2003 and overseeing everything that's come since and everything that's yet to come (just watch the show!)

Anyway, that's enough from me, watch, enjoy, and say a big thank you to James and Broadway.com for eight magical episodes.  Now, who do I need to speak to about season 2?

Challenge Accepted

On Saturday the cast of Broadway's Aladdin took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and nominated Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical, and their award winning composer Alan Menken.

You can now watch their response on Alan Menken's official Facebook page.

Guess it's over to Casey Nicholaw now!

Broadway News Round Up 12

I know time's meant to go faster as you get old but this is crazy!  You turn thirty and the next thing you know it's been two and half weeks since the last news round up!  Hopefully this will be the start of things getting back on track!

Let's start with the big news of the last few weeks and a man who will have no problem sticking to a weekly schedule - James Monroe Iglehart is Broadway.com's latest Vlogger!!

James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

Yes, our favourite Genie is now going to be staring in his own video blog series, appropriately titled "I Dream of Genie" for 8 weeks starting from tomorrow!  The full announcement can be read over at Broadway.com.  I can't wait for this series, James is a great guy and a terrific presenter so I have no doubt this series will be insightful, humorous and extremely watchable.  Hopefully it's also a prelude to more episodes of The JMI Show too (hey, a guy can wish, can't he?)

On 25th July James had one of his wishes come true as he co-hosted The View and Disney Theatrical celebrated by releasing a special video;

And Broadway.com have some footage from the show!


Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed teamed up once again, this time testing each other in EW's Disney Pop Quiz (I love how Courtney mimes dinglehopper!)

Courtney Reed, Photo by Bruce Glikas

And, Fresh from her victory over Adam, Courtney had another reason to celebrate the other week as she took part in a special handprint ceremony at Planet Hollywood in Times Square!  Broadway.com and Playbill  both have more coverage and photos from the event, including Courtney celebrating with a MASSIVE bowl of spaghetti, so make sure to check them out.

InStyle also caught up with Courtney recently to find out just how Jasmine looks that good as Courtney shared the secrets behind looking like a real life Disney princess.

Last time I mentioned that Courtney would be taking part in the annual Dare to Go Beyond summer camp and now Broadway World have some photos from the event (I can't see Courtney in them, but she did post some on Twitter).

Earlier this week Aladdin's Marisha Wallace joined other Broadway stars as part of Broadway Sings for The Trevor Project.  More details of the event and the work done by The Trevor Project can be found here.  I'm sorry I didn't know about this in enough time to give people a heads up.

Whilst on the subject of good causes, I want to give another push for support for both Dennis Stowe (who plays Razoul and others in Aladdin on Broadway) and Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher who are both due to take part in Broadway Sleeps Out to raise money for homeless children.

As part of Broadway World's "Broadway Quick Change" series Robert Hartwell helps James Monroe Iglehart put his own stamp on his dressing room with the aid of some trips to Mid Town Comics and Toys R Us (and it looks awesome!)

Between TV appearances, prepping for his video blog and having his room redecorated, James also found time to be an honorary beauty queen at Pageant as he visited the show this week.  Make sure you check out Broadway.com for the hilarious photo!

And of course it's nice to know that Aladdin continues to go strong as it continues to be the best selling new musical on Broadway and Deadline reports that Disney's Broadway Trio (Aladdin, Newsies and The Lion King) between them took almost 20% of Broadway's total box office last week!  Aladdin this week extended it's current booking period through to 1st February 2015 and tickets to the show can be bought from the official website - www.aladdinthemusical.com.

Finally, I just want to wish a belated Happy Birthday to the one and only Omar, Jonathan Schwartz who celebrated his birthday on 30th July!

That's all for this now!  I'll be back tomorrow for JMI's first "I Dream of Genie" and then this weekend for another news round up.

Broadway News Round Up 11

Two weeks worth of news updates today (apologises for missing last week, more on that later)!

Courtney Reed as Princess Jasmine, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

First up this week, Broadway World reports that Princess Jasmine herself, Courtney Reed, will be one of the teaching artists at this summers 7th Annual Dare to Go Beyond Children's Performing Arts Camp.  Courtney, along with over a dozen other Broadway stars, will be donating her time and experience to help teach the next generation of artists.  This year's camp runs 28th July through to 1st August.

On August 17th Aladdin's Dennis Stowe joins Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher and other Broadway stars and creatives in the Broadway Sleeps Out event to raise support and awareness for homeless children.  You can find out more at Covent House's website where you can also donate to help support the cause.  The participant's own support pages are linked above, Thomas Schumacher has already exceeded his target of an incredible $10,000 so let's help Dennis reach his goal!

This Friday (25th July) James Monroe Iglehart will be co-hosting "The View"!  "The View" airs 11am - 12pm ET on ABC so make sure you check him out!  Here's a little preview courtesy of Aladdin's Instagram account.

The one and only Jafar, Jonathan Freeman himself, spoke with Playbill about his theatregoing experiences and the performances that have stayed with him.

Ron Clements and Jon Musker, the directors of Disney's original, animated, Aladdin saw the show last week and James Monroe Iglehart, quite rightfully in "Disney Nerd Heaven", shared a photo of the moment on his Instagram.

Another Disney alumni also visited the show this week as Phil Collins headed back stage after the show to meet the cast this weekend.  Playbill was there to capture the moment.

Courtney Reed and James Monroe Iglehart took part in the 16th annual Broadway Barks event, helping to find pets a good home, and Broadway.com was there to capture the moment.  Vanity Fair was also there and they were able to catch a few words with our favourite Genie who told them that another furry friend, his cat Zoe, had claimed his Tony Award.

Buzzfeed voted Adam Jacobs' Aladdin the "Hottest Disney Character Brought to Life" in their "26 Hottest Performances on Broadway".

Broadway World reported that Brian Gonzales (Babkak) joined other Broadway stars for the annual Voices of Broadway performance at the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts.  You can see some photos by following the link.

If you're musically inclined then you would be most rewarded to consider this!  Aladdin's Piano/Vocal Selections will go on sale 1st August!  Whilst I'm really excited for this release, part of me is a little disappointed that all of the reprises are cut.  I know that's just the way they do the vocal selections these days (The Little Mermaid was the same) but I miss the days of Beauty and the Beast where they included everything bar the overture, the entr'acte and the incidental music.

For anyone trying to make it on Broadway, Tara Rubin (who cast Aladdin on Broadway along with many, many other shows) spoke with Playbill to offer some audition advise.

And finally a quick vacation alert!  Jonathan Freeman will be away tomorrow night (22nd July) and Merwin Foard will be playing the role of Jafar.


Ok, at the start of this post I promised an explanation for missing the news update last week.  The honest truth is I was busy, but it was something blog related and (fingers crossed) I'll be able to share it with you all soon!

I've also set up a new Twitter account for the blog (@AladdinBDWYBlog) so you can follow me on Twitter for all the latest updates.  Instagram is next!

And that's everything for this week.  Let's end on this amazing video that Disney Theatrical shared recently where James Monroe Iglehart proves to be a real life Genie and grants some lucky fans' wishes at Aladdin's daily lottery!

Broadway News Round Up 7

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

As the countdown to the Tony Awards reaches its climax it's been a busy week for the cast and crew of Aladdin as they rehearsed for their Tony Awards performance (believed to be the show stopping Friend Like Me) in addition to their regular 8 show week.  And with Aladdin up for 5 awards, including the much coveted Best Musical award, there's been plenty of news to keep up with as well!

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed are taking part in Broadway.com's Ask a Star so if you have a question for Broadway's Aladdin and Jasmine then this is your chance!  Click the link and ask away!

In the wake of last week's cast album debut, Broadway Direct have posted a short review of the album along with the albums of other new musicals from the 2013/2014 season.

Adam Jacobs was award the Fauxny Award for "Best Performance by Teeth in a Broadway Actor's Mouth" (I said in my review he had a winning smile!) and Aladdin also won "Best Magic Trick Stolen from Another Show that's been Open for the Last 25 Years" for the Magic Phantom Chair that's used in Friend Like Me and "Best Attempt at Making Totally Suspect Cultural References and Appropriation Like, Totally Not a Problem, Dude".  As you can probably tell the awards just for a laugh and aren't supposed to be taken seriously!

Adam Jacobs tells NewYork.com what he loves about the city, and so does James Monroe Iglehart.

James Monroe Iglehart talks with USA Today during an interval about the show and about Tony buzz!

Writer and Lyricist Chad Beguelin talks with Broadway.com about Aladdin's long road to Broadway and turning the show around from "cute" to Tony Award Nominee.

Entertainment Weekly reports that for the week ending 1st June Aladdin was the highest grossing of the new shows, "playing to full houses and nearly 88 percent of its potential gross in the cavernous 1,723-seat New Amsterdam Theatre" making it the only new show in the top 5 performers!

Broadway World Toronto looks at Toronto's connection to the 2014 Tony Awards, including Aladdin which played it's pre-Broadway run at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre.

Deadline talks with Thomas Schumacher and Alan Menken about Aladdin, Tony Awards and Howard Ashman.

Broadway Spotted and Sioux City Journal have posted short reviews of the show and a new fan review can be read here.

USA Today offers their opinion on who should win and who will win the at the Tony Awards, Aladdin is mentioned a lot in the "should win" category, but for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical they had this to say; "James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin's exuberant, show-stopping Genie, is this year's safest bet."  Also putting Aladdin in the "should win" category for Best Musical is NewsTelegram.com whilst the Daily Record gives JMI as their pick for the win as well as giving a nod to Casey Nicholaw for Choreography.

Disney's Official Blog talks with James Monroe Iglehart about living his dream as the Genie and he takes the Oh My Disney Quiz (I may have posted the quiz before!)

Jonathan Smith talks with City Pulse about being a substitute percussionist for Broadway's Aladdin.

Broadway World has reported that Aladdin's Marisha Wallace will be taking part in Broadway Sings for Pride later this month.

Simply Showbiz has posted an interview with Courtney Reed and Adam Jacobs (and it sounds like more interviews are coming up!)

And that's it for this week!  Tonight all eyes will be on the Tony Awards, hosted by Hugh Jackman and featuring performances by the casts of all of this year's Best Musical and Best Musical Revival nominees and more.  The show starts at 8pm ET on CBS with online coverage starting at 6pm ET with live footage from the Red Carpet arrivals on www.tonyawards.com.  You can find more information about the Tony Second Screen (including the Red Carpet and Pressroom Cam) here.  For international fans like me you can find broadcast information here or simply watch live on the Tony Awards website.  I'll be watching live and hopefully I'll have some great news to post in the early hours of the morning (the Awards start at 1am here, it's gonna be a long night)!

Broadway News Round Up 6

Well the big news this week was the digital release of Aladdin's Original Broadway Cast Recording and Disney have released a new video to celebrate the event - In the Recording Studio

And if that's not enough to convince you to pick up a copy (assuming you haven't already), Disney are currently streaming the entire album on the show's official website!  If you like what you hear then please make sure to pick up a copy either digitally or when the CD is released later this month.

But of course that wasn't the only news this week.

NY Times' Arts Beat reported a record week from Broadway, stating that "Among the new shows this spring, Disney's "Aladdin" was the top selling musical with $1,207,953" and ""Aladdin" and the new revival of "Les Miserables" have been vying week-to-week for the No. 1 title among new musical productions".  That's some great company to be in!

Examiner have posted a new review for the show, calling Aladdin "a great addition to The Great White Way".

Variety looks at Aladdin and the legacy of Howard Ashman.  Howard Ashman, along with Alan Menken, helped to revitalised Disney animation in the late 80s and early 90s, returning to the studio to it's musical and fairy tale roots and in the process inspired a generation.  Though Howard sadly passed away in 1991, before Beauty and the Beast was even released in cinemas and whilst Aladdin was still in production, his legacy endures today.  Twenty three years after his death all three of his Disney classics have gone full circle, being adapted for the Broadway stage that initially inspired them, with Howard Ashman receiving posthumous Tony nominations for both Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin (which he could still win!), but that is not his most incredible legacy.  His greatest achievement is his inspiration to others, including Chad Beguelin, who worked with Alan Menken to restore Howard's work and bring Aladdin to stage, and Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the song writers behind Disney's latest musical megahit Frozen who are now themselves writing the songs that this generation will grow up singing just as Ashman and Menken did for mine.

And speaking of Howard's legacy, here's a great interview Chad Beguelin did with Out about restoring Howard's songs and vision in Aladdin.

James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, Photo by Cylla Von Tiedemann

James Monroe Iglehart took part in The New York Times' In The Performance series Tony Awards edition, performing a jazzy cool-cat rendition of Friend Like Me.  Now, if you're anything like me then you've probably heard JMI sing this song like 20 times since Tuesday but this is well worth a listen as he gives it a different feel to the cast album/stage version, one better suited to the more intimate environment he's performing in.

As the countdown to the Tony Awards continues James also features in a few special videos;

The Tony Awards Tie the Knot (watch out for an appearance by Andrew Keenan-Bolger as well and no one is saying how the carpet flies!)

CUNY TV's Pat Collins and 4 time Tony Award Winner Harvey Fierstein host a special Tony Preview as they discuss several of the major categories for the upcoming awards.  Watch out for interviews with both Alan Menken and James Monroe Iglehart;

WNYC talks with James Monroe Iglehart and Disney Theatrical's Thomas Schumacher about Aladdin

Whilst Aladdin didn't take anything home at the Outer Circle Critics Awards or Drama League Awards, the Camp Broadway's 2014 Family Favorite Awards have declared Aladdin to be both Best Musical and Best Show for a First Time Theatregoer.  They also declared Adam Jacobs Matinee Idol of the Year and James Monroe Iglehart to be Showstopper of the Year (naturally!)

Last but certainly not least on the subject of awards, tonight is the Drama Desk Awards and you can watch live at Theater Mania from 7:15pm Eastern (Red Carpet, Awards Ceremony from 8:00pm).  Good luck everyone!!

I guess I'd better get an Instagram account as this week Aladdin joined the photo website.  Many of the cast already have their own pages and you can now find the show's official page here; http://instagram.com/Aladdin

And finally, yesterday Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed took part in Schmackary's Broadway Bakes fund raiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, spending 2 hours serving up delicious cookies for their fans... and co-stars as Don Darryl Rivera just happened to stop by ;o)  You can see photos from the event on their Instagram pages (yeah, I definitely need to get one of those!)

That's all for this week!

Broadway News Round Up 5

I hope everyone has had a good Bank Holiday/Memorial Day Weekend!  Welcome to the first weekly news round up (let's see how long I can keep this up, lol).

First up this week is a very special new video that Disney Theatrical have posted on their YouTube channel - The Surprise Hit of the Season!

Jim Hill interviews James Monroe Iglehart for the Huffington Post about winning his dream role and Aladdin's long road from Seattle to Broadway.

The Wall Street Journal also takes a look at Aladdin's journey to Broadway, talking with Thomas Schumacher, Casey Nicholaw, Chad Beguelin and James Monroe Iglehart about the overhauls it went through in order to become one of the biggest hits this season.

Another positive fan review has been posted.

CBS New York has posted an article on why they feel JMI should take home the Tony Award (and oh how I hope he does!)

Times Square Chronicles talks with Casey Nicholaw and James Monroe Iglehart.

Timeout: Central Florida Entertainment Guide go to diner and back stage with Yurel Echezeretta.

Make sure you vote in the first annual Ghostlight Awards, honouring those behind the scenes who are too often overlooked.  Aladdin has nominees in the following categories;

Best Concessions/Bar Staff - Eric Pagan
Best Dance Captain - Michael Mindlin
Best Dresser - Carrie Kamerer
Best Dresser - Leslie Moulton (Leslie is Don Darryl Rivera's dresser)
Best Merchandise Seller - Heather Card
Best Merchandise Seller - Clint Escandell
Best Usher - Megan Duffy
Best Usher - Josh Garcia

Voting closes tonight so please hurry!

James Monroe Iglehart and Casey Nicholaw talk with Theater Talk;

James Monroe Iglehart talks secrets with Broadway.com.

Courtney Reed has posted a Throwback Thursday Instagram photo of herself and Adam Jacobs from the 5th Avenue's Pilot Production of Aladdin that I'm pretty sure I've never seen before!

Adam Jacobs, James Monroe Iglehart and Casey Nicholaw talk with ABC News about Aladdin and their 1 wish.  Adam's is the most selfless but I really want JMI's wish to come true and I really, really want Casey's wish to come true (though I'd never have the cash or the room if it did!).  It's a great interview and well worth watching.  Like Casey says, this cast loves the film, loves their characters and that comes across on stage, it's what makes them the perfect cast for this.

Jonathan Freeman talks with Entertainment Weekly about Aladdin, all things Jafar and Owen Suskind's story.

Broadway's World's Backstage with Richard Ridge talks with Casey Nicholaw about Aladdin and his career so far.

And finally, congratulations to Jaz Sealey who made his debut as Kassim yesterday!

That's all for this weekend, I'll be back with another news round up next weekend but I have a few more posts coming up tonight as well!

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.