Theater News

Sonya Balsara to Star as Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway

Current Jasmine, Shoba Narayan, will play her final performance later this month.

Sonya Balsara will play Jasmine in Broadway's Aladdin beginning January 19.
Sonya Balsara will play Jasmine in Broadway's Aladdin beginning January 19.
(© Matthew Murphy)

Sonya Balsara will join the Broadway company of Aladdin, taking on the role of Jasmine beginning Thursday, January 19. Shoba Narayan will play her final performance as Jasmine Sunday, January 15.

Aladdin marks Balsara's Broadway debut, though she played the role on Broadway for several weeks last fall. She joins a company that also stars Michael Maliakel as Aladdin, Michael James Scott as Genie, and Dennis Stowe as Jafar. Rounding out the cast are Milo Alosi, Zach Bencal, and Brad Weinstock as Aladdin's sidekicks Kassim, Babkak, and Omar; JC Montgomery as Sultan; and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Jeremy Gaston, Jared Wayne Gladly, and Frank Viveros stand by for several principals.

Based on the 1992 animated film, the show features well-known songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice like "A Whole New World" and "Friend Like Me," as well as new numbers by Menken, Rice, and Chad Beguelin. Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs.

Aladdin opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2014, and has become one of the top 20 longest-running Broadway productions.

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