Newsies Tickets now on Sale and Q&A with John Musker at Part of His World

Two updates today.  First get ready to seize the day as tickets for Newsies: The Musical, which stars Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Omar in Aladdin: The New Stage Musical) as Crutchie, are now on sale here.  The show is booked for a limited run of just 12 weeks from 15th March until 10th June at New York's Nederlander Theatre, so be sure to get them now whilst they're still hot off the presses as they're sure to go fast.

Ok, that's enough of the bad puns.  The second piece of news is that Howard Ashman's sister, Sarah Gillespie has posted a new blog asking for questions for John Musker.  As most of you will know John Musker was, along with Ron Clements, co-director of both The Little Mermaid and Aladdin where he worked with Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.  If you have a question you'd like to ask (about Howard, John and their work, not necessarily about Aladdin) pop over and say hi!  This is an amazing opportunity for any Disney fan to ask a question of one of their best directors.  I know I'm going to try and think of one or two!

One Year Later

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Mark Kitaoka

I can’t believe that this blog is a year old.

This time last year Disney Theatrical officially announced that, in partnership with The 5^th Avenue Theatre, they were finally brining Aladdin to the stage. I originally created this blog to follow the production and limited run of that pilot production. At the time I expected I’d be doing nothing more than re-posting news from other websites, creating one location where you could find out everything about the show. I was happy with that. This blog was, and still is, a labour of love. On a whim I contacted Adam Jacobs and 5^th Avenue when casting was announced. If I’m being honest I didn’t really expect a reply, and I certainly didn’t expect the wonderful magic carpet ride that was waiting for me!

Due to the incredible generosity of The 5^th Avenue and the cast and crew of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical this blog went from simply reporting news to being able to advise fans in advance of upcoming promotional material (such as Courtney Reed’s TV performance of "Call Me a Princess"), and I had the great privilege of being able to interview almost all of the principle cast. And I still hope there’s more to come! One thing I cannot do is overstate how fantastic the people at 5^th Avenue were to me, I really could not have done this without them.

Courtney Reed as Princess Jasmine, Photo by Mark Kitaoka

Those of you who have been coming here over the last year will probably have noticed that this is the first post I’ve done that doesn’t use a quote from the film (or in some cases the show) for the title. The honest truth is I’m running out of appropriate quotes and I don’t really want to double up on post titles (I know I’ve done that at least once already!). And the time felt right for a change, anything related to the original Seattle run will still use a quote as a title but as we move into the show’s next phase of life - officially licensed regional productions - I’ll be using more "normal" titles... maybe the quotes will come back if the show goes to Broadway ;o)

This year Aladdin: The New Stage Musical is being produced exclusively at just two regional theatres; The Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Utah and The Muny in St. Louis. Tickets for The Tuacahn are on sale now, season tickets for The Muny are now available, single tickets will go on sale 2^nd June at the links provided. I hope that I’ll be able to follow both productions as well as I followed 5^th Avenue’s production last year, but whatever happens I will at the very least report the news from around the net as quickly as I can (and for that I owe a great deal to the people at Aladdin Central who have been a fantastic help over the last year).

James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, Photo by Chris Bennion

Last January I did a post on my 3 wishes for the show (assuming Broadway was out of the question). I wished for an Seattle Cast Recording, an official Disney Theatrical produced tour and a DVD of the Seattle production. At least I acknowledged how crazy the last one was!! Of course none of these wishes have come true yet. I still hold on to the hope that Disney will release a Seattle Cast Album. I know they never did a studio recording but I’m 99.9% certain that the show was recorded for archival and reference purposes and with today’s technology I’m sure the sound quality would be good enough to release on CD, plus they had an amazing cast that included Jonathan Freeman as Jafar! Unless they’re planning to get the cast back together and take the show to Broadway in the next year or two there’s really no reason not to do a CD. The sales would certainly be there.

The official tour wish? Well give it time. Alan Menken, Chad Beguelin and Casey Nicholaw had 3 days of meetings regarding the show last November. This was almost certainly to discuss (and implement?) the next round of developments for the show before the regional productions later this year (and Europe in the not too distant future). Maybe I’m reading too much into this (and I’ll be the first to admit a lack of knowledge on how things work behind the scenes in the world of musical theatre) but I’m viewing Casey Nicholaw’s involvement as a very positive sign that Disney could (and I really want to emphasis the could here, this may be nothing more than me being overly optimistic) be looking at doing more with the show than simply licensing it out to various professional and amateur groups. If after the Seattle run Disney Theatrical feel that some tweaking is needed to perfect the show then I can completely understand Alan Menken and Chad Beguelin being brought back in as they are the writers and any script changes really needs their input. Though he was involved with the script of the original production, Casey’s involvement suggest, to me, that something more could be a possibility. The Seattle production was done as a pilot, a blueprint for lack of a better word, to show how the show should be done. Any future regional productions (including those coming this year) will be done by new directors. They will be based on the blueprint of the Seattle show, but it is also likely that they will make certain adjustments based on their own vision of the show, the venue, their budget etc. So to bring Casey Nicholaw back for this round of developments suggests that there is at leastsome hope of Disney Theatrical doing their own production of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical in the not too distant future. Whether this is a tour (the domain www.aladdinontour.com was registered by Disney back in 2010) or maybe even Broadway remains to be seen. Of course to keep this in perspective it could simply be that Disney and Casey wanted to alter the blueprint of the show before it went out to the regional directors.

Third wish? Never gonna happen, especially if Disney are even remotely considering the idea of an official tour or Broadway run. But fingers crossed for a special feature about the Seattle production on the 20^th Anniversary edition of the film rumoured to be coming out this year!

In all honesty, as nice as those wishes were, thanks to 5^th Avenue my Aladdin wishes were more than fulfilled last year, and thanks to an amazing woman saying "I do", all my personal dreams came true as well. Last year was an amazing year for me, I hope it was for all of you as well. Here’s hoping this year will be even better. Now I just need to work out what makes a good first anniversary present... I hear there’s a really nice spa resort in Utah that’s just round the corner from an outdoor amphitheatre...

Street Rats on Three!

Photo courtesy of Brandon O'Neill

Today I am very honoured to be able to present an interview with Brandon O'Neill.  Brandon has been extremely busy since originating the role of Kassim in Aladdin: The New Stage Musical last summer, playing the dual role of Mac and Kenneth Ormiston in Saving Aimee and recently concluding his run as Prince Christoper in Cinderella (both at 5th Avenue), and has very kindly taken the time to answer some questions about his career and his time as Kassim.

How did you originally get into musical theatre, and who (or what) would you say have been your biggest influences?

I got into musical theatre on accident. I was a musician first. I moved to Seattle from my hometown of Spokane, WA looking to meet other musicians and start a new band. The first guy I met was a pianist and composer named Rob Knopp who told me he was writing a grunge era rock opera called "Diana Moves". I had no idea what a rock opera was. He invited to sing on the demo recording and then we ended up doing several live readings of the piece around town.  I was noticed by several casting directors- including the then Artistic Director at the Village Theatre - Brian Yorkey (Tony Award and Pulizter Prize for "Next to Normal") He encouraged me to give this theatre thing a shot. I listened and within a year I was full time.

As far as influences, musically speaking, they all lie outside of theatre. Artists like Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Fred Hammond and Bobby McFerrin are big. Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson are up there as well. As far as acting goes- I always find myself intrigued with guys like Robert Downey Jr., Edward Norton, and Kevin Spacey- men who can transform themselves on screen. The only influences I really have in the theatre are the incredible actors I've had the pleasure of working with over the years. Seattle powerhouses like Allen Fitzpatrick, David Pichette, Peter Crook, Anne Allgood, Amy Thone, and Timothy McCuen Piggee among others.

Do you remember Aladdin from its original release? Were you a fan of the film before you got the part?

I absolutely remember Aladdin! He was a Disney hero who kinda looked like me:) I remember trying to do all the voices along with the Genie. And who didn't love Abu?

How did you come to be involved in the Seattle production and what was the audition process like?

Initially, I was officially "unavailable" to audition for Aladdin. I had already been cast as Sky Masterson in the 5th Avenue's production of Guys and Dolls which conflicted with the Aladdin schedule. Granted, a good problem to have, but I was SUPER bummed to not get a shot at a show I was at least "ethnically right" for. (ha ha). The casting director at the 5th was kind enough to let me be the "Reader" in the auditions so at least I could meet the people at Disney and Tara Rubin Casting. After 4 days of auditions, I had read as all of the principal characters including Jasmine. After the final audition I was asked to leave the room. I was then approached by the casting associate and told that they wanted to audition me. Stunned but willing, I was then given 20 minutes to learn a song. I came back and sang and they asked me to stay for the movement call. I must have done alright.



Brandon O'Neill as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls



When did you learn you’d been successful and what was your reaction to the news?

I was on a family vacation when I got the call form the 5th about Aladdin. I couldn't believe they had worked something out with Guys and Dolls. It would mean alot of work on my part- double duty- Guys and Dolls performances at night and Aladdin rehearsals during the day. I actually gave it a week of thought before answering. I didn't want my role as Sky Masterson to suffer. I wanted to be sharp and give my best in both endeavors. With some helpful prodding from friends and family- I accepted, and I'm so glad I did.

What’s it like creating a totally "new" character in such a well loved story?

Creating a new character in a well loved story means you always have to keep the story and tone of the world of the play in mind when making your choices. But otherwise, I found great creative freedom in adding depth to what was already written for Kassim. This sense of freedom to create was most definitely nurtured by the director- Casey Nicholaw and Chad Beguelin, the writer. They dared us to come up with new and funny material. It was also vital that the trio had chemistry. It turned out to be a match made in heaven. Brian Gonzales (Babkak) is one of the funniest and bravest actors I've ever worked with and Andrew Keenan Bolger (Omar) simply emits light and talent everywhere he goes. We became inseparable and relied heavily on one another.  A great trust and love was developed over the weeks and we would back each other up with our crazy, stupid ideas. Some of them are permanently written into the script! "STREET RATS ON 3..."

For those of us who can’t make it to Seattle, can you please tell us a bit about Kassim, your approach to the character and his role in the show.

Kassim was written as a streetwise, tough guy with a heart of gold. As part of the trio that replaced Abu, he is at the center of the Narration but he also upholds Abu's mistrust of Aladdin falling for Jasmine. (remembering the scene where Abu bats his eyes at Al and pretends to be Jasmine) Kassim loves the freedom of life on the streets and acts as strategic leader of the 4 Streetrats. They look to him to call the shots, while Aladdin remains the moral leader and central heart and keeps them from too much trouble. Even if he doesn't admit it, Kassim will always give Aladdin's words the most weight.

I wanted to play Kassim as a guy who has seen alot for his age (violence, injustice, heartache, and hunger) but chooses to laugh and live life to the fullest anyway. I kept his world view pretty simple- a fatalism that gives him a foolish sense of invincibility. Life has thrown a lot of crap his way so he doesn't trust many people but those he does trust he loves and protects with fierce loyalty.

Brandon O'Neill as Kassim (right), with Brian Gonzales, James Monroe Iglehart, Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Adam Jacobs

What’s it like working with Alan Menken and bringing to life the lost Howard Ashman songs?

For a man with his resume, Menken is remarkably humble and approachable but I'm not gonna lie, I was in awe anytime he was in the room. His genius is SO apparent. It's truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to do what we did. Bringing songs like "High Adventure" back from the dead and to hear Alan say,  "...that's just how it's supposed to sound." 

You’re a regular at 5^th Avenue, starring in everything from Miss Saigon to Joseph, and you just finished playing the lead in Guys and Dolls before starting Aladdin. How does your experience with Aladdin compare with the other productions you’ve done?

Aladdin may be my all time favorite theatre experience. While the show itself may not have the title of "the perfect musical" like Guys and Dolls, Kassim is probably the most fulfilling role I've ever performed. It just felt "right". On top of that, the cast was exceptional, the music thrilled me every night. I truly hope I get the chance to play the part again.

You’ve just had your official opening night, how’s the show going and how much has it changed since your first preview?

I'll skip this since I'm WAAAAY late. (just so you know- we were changing lyrics everyday -even on opening night)

How do you prepare before a show? Do you have any superstitions or routines that you do before you go on stage each night?

Vocal warm up was a must. We were required to perform in 3 or 4 different singing styles. I also had to perform the Tiger God/Cave of Wonders voice each night so I had to pay close attention to vocal health.

Each night before curtain, I went over the Arabian nights "Bollywood" dance section. Dancing is not my strongest suit and for that number I am DEAD CENTER stage -so I had to be very conscious with my efforts and stay sharp.

What is the most rewarding part of the show for you, and which part do you find most challenging?

Making people laugh was the most satisfying part of the show for me and the "new work" schedule was most challenging.

Looking to the future, do you have any dream roles that you would love to do?

Tons- I haven't been doing this long so my list is long-ish...among others: Sweeney Todd, Billy Bigelow in Carousel, Che in Evita, Aldolpho in Drowsy Chaperone, Kassim on Broadway :)

And finally, looking back over your career so far, do any moments or performances really stand out as something truly special that you’ll always remember?

In 2010 I had the honor of performing songs from the Sondheim canon with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the legendary Marvin Hamlisch. That weekend will forever stand out as a turning point in my career. From that moment forward I set my path deliberately towards success in this business whereas before, I felt as I was just stumbling along. My accidental theatre career found purpose.

Brandon, thank you so much for your time.  I wish you all the best for the future and I hope to see you playing Kassim on Broadway one day soon!

I would also like to once again thank The 5th Avenue Theatre, not only for arranging this interview, but also for all the help and support that they gave me last year.

I'm off to see the World!

Happy New Year!

Where does the time go?  At the end of last year AladdinsGenie at Aladdin Central pointed me in the direction of an article at the Columbia Tribune, but due to work and an extremely busy (and happy) holiday period I've only just got around to posting it!

The majority of the article is about the Broadway transfer of Newsies (which featured Aladdin: The New Stage Musical's own Andrew Keenan-Bolger during its preview run at The Paper Mill Playhouse), but it goes on to list the other productions that Disney Theatrical has "waiting in the wings" which includes;

"a stage adaptation of “Aladdin” is on its way to Europe once it clears another round of development"

Nothing else is known at this time, including who from the original production will be involved in this "next round" of developments or how extensive any changes will be.  But as always I'll be on the look out for any developments and will post updates as soon as I can (much sooner than I posted this, I promise!)

Edit - Not sure how I missed this (think it was when I didn't go on twitter for a few weeks) but last November Alan Menken posted this message;

"Three days of ALADDIN meetings starting today. Back with Casey and Chad. This bouncing between projects is crazy!"

So we know that at least Alan, Casey and Chad are all involved in the next round of developments that will likely be implemented before the regional productions start this summer.

That's all for this post, but I have a very special post coming later this week (Saturday absolute latest) as over the holiday break I received an email from Brandon O'Neill.  Brandon has been extremely busy over the last few months and very kindly spent some of his holiday break answering the interview I sent him about his time in Aladdin.

It's All So Magical

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Photo by Chris Bennion

Just a quick update today, as I found this video on youtube and just had to share!  Adam Jacobs talks with Stage Rush about playing Aladdin in Aladdin: The New Stage Musical.

And if you can get to New York make sure to check out The Lion King where Adam is currently starring as Simba!  And TONIGHT (sorry for the late notice) he is performing in PhilDev Celebrates Broadway: Suites by Sondheim alongside the original Princess Jasmine, Lea Salonga!  The event starts at 7:30pm at the Alice Tully Hall at 1941 Broadway (65th street between Broadway and Amsterdam) and tickets are still available here and I'm assuming at the box office as well.  This is a benefit concert with all proceeds going to the Philippine Development Foundation, so if you can get there at such short notice make sure you go, you'll hear some great music performed by very talented artists and help a good cause all at the same time.

Genie! My Second Wish!

Whilst I've been away the second venue staging a production of Aladdin: The New Stage Musical next year has been announced as The Muny in St. Louis.

"The Muny announces its line-up for the 94th season in Forest Park, the first for new Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. The summer 2012 season introduces 4½ musicals new to the Muny stage and includes several re-imagined classics.

The 2012 Season is:

The Muny production of Disney’s ALADDIN
CHICAGO
DREAMGIRLS
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR® DREAMCOAT
THE KING AND I
PIRATES! (or, Gilbert & Sullivan Plunder’d)
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE

"I'm excited by my first Muny season," commented Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. "Stylistically and musically there's something for everyone. Each of these shows is terrifically entertaining."
"I'm also thrilled to include 4½ Muny production premieres," he continued. "Disney's Aladdin, Chicago, Dreamgirls and Thoroughly Modern Millie have never been produced by The Muny. And Pirates! is a marvelous new spin on the Gilbert and Sullivan original, The Pirates of Penzance, which The Muny has produced twice before. I'm counting that as half a premiere."

"I am really looking forward to this season," commented President and CEO Denny Reagan. "I've been at The Muny for a long time, and never have I felt such a strong surge of new energy. We are committed to maintaining the wonderful Muny experience our audiences expect, and there are going to be some exciting changes this summer!"

New season tickets will be available beginning Saturday, March 3, 2012 at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park. Single tickets will go on sale Saturday, June 2, 2012."

The Muny's website also goes on to state;

The Muny premiere of Disney's

ALADDIN

July 5 - 13

Following upon the fantastic success of the Muny production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Muny presents its premiere of Disney's Aladdin. The Muny production will be only the third production of this new stage musical adapted from the beloved animated feature to be produced anywhere in the world. Disney's Aladdin features the favorite movie characters and all of the beloved songs from the film’s Oscar®-winning score, plus never-before heard Menken/Ashman songs restored from early drafts of the film. Variety hailed this new full-length stage version of Aladdin as "fresh, funny and very entertaining."

As with the Tuacahn production it's very unlikely that any of the original Seattle cast will be involved in this production, but stay tuned for more news on this exciting production as we head into next year.

And finally, sorry I've been away for so long!  As long time readers will know, I got married this summer but we delayed our honeymoon until the very end of September as we wanted to be in the Magic Kingdom for their 40th Anniversary celebrations on 1st October.  We had an amazing 3 week honeymoon in Walt Disney World, and on an Aladdin note it was fantastic to see all of the Aladdin characters out in the park for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!  We also got an amazing Aladdin sketch from The Art of Disney in EPCOT.  But the most magical Aladdin moment was seeing Aladdin and Jasmine take a little girl on The Flying Carpets of Aladdin ride, I honestly thought that was something Disney only did for promotional videos so it was amazing to see it in real life.

There's a Rub of the Lamp!

Well that was fast!

Yesterday it was announced that Aladdin: The New Stage Musical will be brought to life once again, this time at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Southern Utah!

"The Southern Utah desert will be transformed into an Arabian oasis when Tuacahn presents the stage musical adaptation of the Disney film “Aladdin” as part of the outdoor venue’s 2012 season.

“Aladdin” will be performed in repertory with the Broadway musicals “Hairspray” (summer) and “Legally Blonde” (fall). The announcement comes as Tuacahn is experiencing its most successful season to date, featuring Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and the nostalgic musical “Grease.”

Based on the acclaimed 1992 Disney film, “Aladdin” will be performed each Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening, June 1 - Oct. 18. Tickets are now available at the Tuacahn box office, by calling 652-3300 or online at http://www.tuacahn.org/.

The music for “Aladdin” is written by eight-time Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken (“Tangled,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid”); lyrics are by the late Howard Ashman (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid”), Tim Rice (“The Lion King,” “Jesus Christ Superstar”) and Chad Beguelin (“The Wedding Singer”), who also crafted the new book for the show.

Variety hailed the new full-length stage version of “Aladdin” as “fresh, funny and very entertaining.”

This new stage adaptation premiered at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre in July 2011 and incorporates all of the beloved songs from the film’s Oscar-winning score plus never-before heard Menken/Ashman songs restored from early drafts of the score. It marks a return to the authors’ original vision: a loving homage to the Hope-Crosby road pictures with a score invoking the jazz sound of stars like Cab Calloway and Fats Waller.

Tuacahn will be one of two theaters in the nation to present the show next year.

Released in 1992, the film “Aladdin” received critical acclaim and grossed more than $504 million worldwide becoming the No. 1 film of the year. Adapted from the classic Middle Eastern and Asian folktales in “One Thousand and One Nights,” “Aladdin” tells the story of a quick-witted young street dweller that uses the magic wishes from an omnipotent Genie to pursue the hand of a beautiful princess. The beloved film featured the Oscar-winning song, “A Whole New World” and “Friend Like Me” and was praised for its clever script and show-stopping score.

Scott S. Anderson, Tuacahn’s artistic director, will direct “Aladdin.” Anderson also helmed the Tuacahn premieres of “The Little Mermaid,” “Tarzan” and “Les Miserables” and will assemble an eclectic cast, crew, and creative team of professionals from Utah, California and New York to bring the show to life in Tuacahn’s typical thrilling fashion.

“Aladdin” is licensed through a special arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions and Music Theater International in New York. Tuacahn is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization."

I checked the website and can't see the tickets listed there yet, so if you want to book tickets now your best bet is to call Tuacahn.

I wouldn't expect any of the original Seattle cast to return for this product (though I would love it if they did), so stay tuned for further news as this production gets underway in the new year.

I'm not going to be able to update the blog for the next few weeks, but if any news does come out during that time you can be sure I'll have a summary post up as soon as I can.