Theater News

Jonathan Freeman, James Monroe Iglehart, Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed et al. Set for 5th Avenue’s Aladdin

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin
(© Mark Kitaoka
Adam Jacobs as Aladdin
(© Mark Kitaoka

Full casting has been announced for the new live stage musical version of Aladdin, at 5th Avenue Theatre, July 7-31, with an opening on July 21. Casey Nicholaw will direct.

Aladdin, inspired by Arabian folktales and the famous One Thousand and One Nights, has a score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book and additional lyrics by Chad Begulin. It tells the story of a resourceful young man who dares to woo a princess with the help of an all-powerful Genie.

The production will feature all of the songs from the Oscar-winning score to Disney’s 1992 animated film, including “Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World,” plus numbers restored from early drafts of the score.

As previously reported, Tony Award nominee Jonathan Freeman, who voiced the character of the evil royal vizier Jafar in the film, will play the same role on stage. The cast will also feature Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Courtney Reed as Jasmine, James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie, Seán G. Griffin as the Sultan, and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. In addition, Aladdin restores a trio of characters originally conceived by the film’s creators: Omar, Babkak, and Kassim, played by Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Brian Gonzales, and Brandon O’Neill, respectively.

Rounding out the ensemble are Tia Altinay, Kristin Culp, Nick DeSantis, Ronald Duncan, C.J. Eldred, Daisy Hobbs, David Janett, Kenway Hon Wai K. Kua, Nikki Long, Stanley Martin, Creighton Oliver, Shanna Marie Palmer, Bobby Pestka, Connor Russell, Manuel Santos, Allysa Shorte, Daniel J. Watts, and Matt Wolfe.

The production team will include set designer Anna Louizos, costume designer Gregg Barnes, lighting designer Natasha Katz, dance arranger Glen Kelly, and musical supervisor Michael Kosarin.

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