Aladdin for Melbourne

Disney Theatrical Productions has announced that Aladdin will open at Her Majesty’s Theatre in April 2017.

From the producers of The Lion King and Mary Poppins in Australia, Aladdin features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act, Little Shop of Horrors), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!).

The principal cast features Michael James Scott in the role of the Genie, Ainsley Melham as Aladdin, Arielle Jacobs as Jasmine, Adam Murphy as Jafar, Aljin Abella as Iago, George Henare as the Sultan, Adam Jon Fiorentino as Kassim, Troy Sussman as Babkak and Robert Tripolino as Omar.

Aladdin is considered one of the largest productions ever mounted in Australia boasting a cast of 37, a staggering 337 costumes and in an unforgettable theatrical event lauded by the New York Times as “fabulous”.

Furthermore an unprecedented 1,225 different fabrics, 712 different styles of beads, almost 500,000 Swarovski crystals and 161 pairs of custom-made shoes have been used to make the glittering costumes, predominantly handcrafted in Australia. Thirty tonnes of exotic flying scenery and 40 tonnes of automation and staging have been built to recreate the fantasy city of Agrabah including the colourful marketplace, the lush palace of The Sultan and his princess daughter Jasmine and the legendary Cave of Wonders.

Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions, said, “We are hugely proud of this Australian production from Casey Nicholaw, his creative team and the Australian cast and crew. The more we work here, the more we are impressed by a deep pool of musical theatre talent that only continues to grow. I know this show and it’s gorgeous designs by Bob Crowley, Gregg Barnes and Natasha Katz will look fabulous in Her Majesty’s Theatre and we look forward to welcoming you there.”

Aladdin, adapted from the Disney film and centuries-old folktales including “One Thousand and One Nights,” is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical. Aladdin’s journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. This new production features a full score, including the five cherished songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack and more written especially for the stage.

Aladdin opened on Broadway to critical acclaim on March 20th, 2014 and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 11 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming over 3 million people worldwide. Its global footprint has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Australia with a North American tour to launch in 2017.

The animated film Aladdin was released by Disney in 1992 and was a critical and box office smash, grossing over $500 million worldwide (not adjusted for inflation) and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.

The film won an Oscar for Best Original Score and a second for Best Original Song with “A Whole New World,” which also won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. 

Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, six-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis.

The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira. The music team is headed by music supervisor and music director Michael Kosarin, who also created the vocal and incidental music arrangements, joined by orchestrator Danny Troob and dance music arranger Glen Kelly.

To buy tickets go to ticketek.com.au or call 13 28 49.

aladdinthemusical.com.au

Photographer: Deen van Meer