Aladdin

Aladdin is playing at the New Amsterdam Theatre located at 214 West 42nd Street. The show runs two hours thirty minutes with one intermission. The musical is an opened show.

The animated film was released by Disney in 1992. The film won an Oscar for “Best Original Score” including “A Whole New World” which won the movie another Oscar for “Best Original Song”. Five songs from the movie are in the show.

Aladdin premiere at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle in 2011. After several regional and international productions in 2012, it played in Toronto in 2013. It opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2014. The musical was nominated for five Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreographer and Best Feature Actor.

Chad Beguelin is the playwright. He has been nominated for four Tony Awards, Aladdin in 2014 (Best Original and Best Original Score) and “The Wedding Singer” in 2006 (Best Book and Best Original Score).

Casey Nicholaw is the director and choreographer. He was nominated for three Tony Awards for choreography for “The Book of Mormons” (2011), “The Drowsy Chaperone” (2006) and “Monty Python’s Spamalot” (2005). Casey won a Tony Award with Trey Parker in 2011 for “The Book of Mormon”.

Gregg Barnes is the costume designer. He won two Tony Awards for “Follies” (2011) and “The Drowsy Chaperone” (2006).

Bob Crowley is the scenic designer. He won six Tony Awards for “Once” (2012), “Mary Poppins” (2007), “The Coast of Utopia” (2007), “The History Boys” (2006), “Aida” (2000) and “Carousel” (1994).

James Monroe won a Tony Award for “Aladdin” (2014).

Clifton Davis is known for his television series in the mid 1970’s “That’s My Mama” and from 1986-1991 for the NBC series “Amen”. He wrote the song “Never Can Say Goodbye” for the Jackson Five. Clifton was nominated for a Tony Award in 1972 for “Two Gentlemen of Verona”.

The Genie (James Monroe Iglehart) welcomes the audience to the Middle Eastern city of Agrabah.

When the Genie leaves we are in a market place with vendors selling their wares. Aladdin (Adam Jacobs) steals a loaf of bread. His friends Kassim (Steel Burkhardt), Babkak (Brian Gonzales0 and Omar (Jonathan Schwartz) also steal things from the vendors. They have no means of support. The law is after them.

At the place the Sultan (Clifton Davis) is trying to persuade his daughter Jasmine (Courtney Reed) to marry a Nobel Prince, but she refuses each suitor he brings to her.

The Sultan’s Grand Vizier Jafar (Merwin Foard) and his sidekick Lago (Don Darryl Rivera) have other ideas, Jafar wants to marry Jasmine.

Jasmine escapes to the market place in disguise. She meets Aladdin there, sparks fly.

Jafar finds out Aladdin is “A Diamond in the Ruff”. He would be able to go to the “Cave of Wonders”. Jafar tells him they would help him if he would go into the cave and get the lamp. Aladdin can’t believe all the jewels that are there. Jafar tells him not to take anything but the lamp. But Aladdin can’t resist taking one thing. The doors close and he is locked in the cave. He rubs the lamp and the genie appears.

What three wishes he made and what happens you will have to see the show to find out. You won’t regret it.

There is a large cast of thirty five. They work well together.

Don Darryl Rivera does a wonderful job in his role.

James Monroe Iglehart, what can I say except WOW he does a fantastic job! He well deserves the Tony Award he won for this role. He makes the dancing seem so easy. James gives you the feeling that he is enjoying playing the role of the Genie.

Congratulations to Bob Crowley (scenic designer) and Gregg Barnes (costume designer). They did an exceptionally good job on the scenic design and costumes.

This musical is one that any age will enjoy.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.