Sherri Shepherd Is the Next Genie in Aladdin

Emmy winner Sherri Shepherd will return to Broadway October 16-January 3 to play the Genie in Aladdin at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Shepherd will be the first woman to play the role, having previously appeared on Broadway as the Stepmother in Cinderella. Her stage credits also include Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron’s Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Joy Behar’s My First Ex-Husband.

On television, Shepherd hosted her own daytime talk show for four seasons, in addition to spending seven years as a cohost of The View. Her sitcom work ranges from 30 Rock to Friends to Everybody Loves Raymond.

Caleb A. Barnett, the current Genie, will remain in the company as the Genie standby during Shepherd’s run.