Opening Night

Aladdin Opens Tonight on Broadway. Here Are Five Things You Should Know About Disney's Latest Musical.

The production is directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed play Aladdin and Princess Jasmine in the Broadway adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed play Aladdin and Princess Jasmine in the Broadway adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
(© Deen van Meer)

Aladdin, the latest venture of Disney Theatricals, opens tonight on Broadway. Here are five things that you should know about the splashy musical at the New Amsterdam Theatre:

1. This is not the theme-park show from Disney's California Adventure. Unlike that 45-minute production, Broadway's Aladdin features the film's classic songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, songs and characters by Menken and Ashman that were cut from the film, and even some new numbers by Menken and Chad Beguelin, who also penned the show's brand-new book.

2. The stage version of Aladdin premiered at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre in 2011, before playing its official pre-Broadway tryout at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre in 2013.

3. Jonathan Freeman, who voiced Jafar in the film version of Aladdin, reprises his role on Broadway. And that's super cool.

4. Aladdin features 337 costumes designed by Tony winner Gregg Barnes. All were specifically handcrafted for the production.

5. For stars Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Courtney Reed (Jasmine), James Monroe Iglehart (Genie), and the entire company, the opportunity to star in Aladdin is a dream come true. Literally. Iglehart's main goal in life was to play the Genie.

Click here for tickets to Aladdin.

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