Flying Into Sixth Broadway Year, Title Emerges as
One of the Biggest Stage Hits of Recent Years,
Grossing Over $1 Billion Worldwide
Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical, continues to reach a whole new world as it celebrates five “genie-us” (USA Today) years on Broadway on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at the New Amsterdam Theatre (previews began February 26, 2014). Aladdin is the fourth Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King,and Mary Poppins) to play five or more years on Broadway. With six productions on four continents, Aladdin is a worldwide phenomenon that has grossed over $1 billion and welcomed over 10 million guests.
As it approaches its 5th anniversary, Aladdin has broken 14 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and proven itself an enormous and enduring hit, joining a small, exclusive group of blockbusters. With a gross of over $350 million to date, only two megahits of the last decade (The Book of Mormon and Hamilton) have grossed more in their first five years. With attendance of over 3 million theatergoers in five years, it has been seen by more people in that period than any Broadway show except Wicked.
As of the 5th anniversary of Aladdin on Broadway, the Genie has granted Aladdin 6,294 wishes, there have been 83,920 fireworks set off in the New Amsterdam Theatre, and the magic carpet has flown 63 miles.
The scale and reach of the show’s popularity continues on a parallel track internationally, as the show’s global footprint has expanded to include productions that continue playing in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Australia and a tour across North America.
Aladdin stars Ainsley Melham (original Australian Aladdin) as Aladdin, Arielle Jacobs (In the Heights, Wicked) as Jasmine, Michael James Scott (The Book of Mormon,Something Rotten!) as the Genie, and Tony Award® nominee Jonathan Freeman (Mary Poppins, The Producers, She Loves Me) as Jafar, bringing to the stage the role he indelibly created in the animated film. The show also features Brian Gonzales, Mike Longo, and Brad Weinstock as Aladdin’s sidekicks Babkak, Kassim, and Omar, JC Montgomery as Sultan and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Juwan Crawley, Dennis Stowe and Deonté L. Warren stand by for several principals.
Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, the show features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Prom, The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls, The Prom).
In a cast of 36, Aladdin also features Malik Akil, Kathryn Allison, Netanel Bellaishe, Mike Cannon, Damian Chambers, Alicia Charles, Lauryn Ciardullo, Jacob Dickey,Mark DiConzo, Josh Drake, Tiffany Evariste, Jacob Gutierrez, April Holloway, Amber Owens, Jamie Kasey Patterson, Bobby Pestka, Ariel Reid, Tyler Roberts, Trent Saunders, Jaz Sealey, Angelo Soriano, Katie Terza, Travis Ward-Osborne and Paige Williams.
Aladdin, adapted from the Disney film and centuries-old folktales including “One Thousand and One Nights,” is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical. Aladdin’s journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. This new production features a full score, including the five cherished songs from the Academy Award®-winning soundtrack and more written especially for the stage.
The film won the Oscar for Best Original Score and introduced the hit song “A Whole New World,” which won the second of the film’s two Academy Awards as Best Original Song. The Peabo Bryson/Regina Belle recording of the tune soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, six-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis.
The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira. The music team is headed by music supervisor and music director Michael Kosarin, who also created the vocal and incidental music arrangements, joined by orchestrator Danny Troob and dance music arranger Glen Kelly.
For more information, visit AladdinTheMusical.com.
