On March 20, 2024, Disney Aladdin celebrated its 10th anniversary on Broadway. To say the night was a wish come true for fans of the Broadway musical would be an understatement. The show was filled with Easter Eggs, including 24 returning alumni of the show including the original stars. The show has built quite the legacy over the last ten years. This includes playing over 3,500 performances and welcoming nearly 5 million guests to the New Amsterdam Theatre. In fact, it is #15 on the list of all-time Broadway long runs. During this run, it has appeared on the Top 10 list of highest-grossing Broadway shows virtually every week.
In the last decade since Aladdin came to broadway, only three mega-hits have grossed more at the box office. This includes The Lion King, Wicked and Hamilton.
To celebrate this milestone, a very special performance of Aladdin was held on Thursday, March 28. In the show, director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw staged a slate of hidden Easter eggs. Some of these included cameos by Aladdin’s original stars Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Courtney Reed (Jasmine), Jonathan Freeman (original Jafar in the animated film and then original also for the character on Broadway), along with James Monroe Iglehart. Iglehart won a 2014 Tony Award for playing the role of the Genie. Along with these surprises, even more came when 20 returning alumni surrounded the audience in the New Amsterdam Theatre during the final moments of Friend Like Me.
The night was absolutely fantastic with the air feeling like electricity. It is a night that those in attendance will never forget. Disney Theatrical Productions shared highlights of the night in a montage video that can be seen here:
Outside of Broadway, Aladdin has also continued to be popular around the globe. This is something that is quite rare for Broadway musical. In fact, there have been 11 productions that have spanned four continents. Each of these showcase the spectacle created by Nicholaw and his fantastic creative team. Together, they have won 24 career Tony Awards.
As Aladdin hits this 10 year milestone, there have been so many magical moments and effects shown to guests. This includes:
- Aladdin and Jasmine have flown over 115 miles on the magic carpet while singing the Oscar-winning A Whole New World
- The Genie has set off more than 131,000 pyrotechnics in the show stopping Friend Like Me
- In the Act Two opener Prince Ali, the cast and wardrobe team have made nearly a quarter million lightning-fast costume quick changes
- 850 pounds of custom-mixed glitter have been used to create the Genie’s signature sparkle
Aladdin, the Broadway musical, is based on the Disney animated film of the same name. It originally opened at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim on March 20, 2014. It quickly became a popular hit on Broadway and continues to do so to today. The current cast of Aladdin stars Michael Maliakel making his Broadway debut in the title role, Michael James Scott as Genie, Sonya Balsara as Jasmine and Dennis Stowe as Jafar. The show also features 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. Caleb Barnett, Jeremy Gaston and Wes Hart stand by for several principals.
Aladdin is produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the direction of Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart and Thomas Schumacher. It features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act) along with 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 six-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin. It is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).
Have you seen Aladdin on Broadway or any of its subsequent touring productions? What did you think of it? What do you think of how it celebrated this milestone? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
