UPDATE: This production is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned for more information.
Tickets are on sale now to experience the magic and wonder of Aladdin at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway.
Based on the much-loved 1992 animated classic, the stage musical adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin officially opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2014, following previews from February 26. The production was nominated for a total of five Tony Awards (including “Best Musical”), with original cast member James Monroe Iglehart taking home the award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical” for his crowd-pleasing, unstoppable portrayal of Genie.
Other original cast members included Adam Jacobs in the title role, Courtney Reed as Princess Jasmine and Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, who also provided the voice for the iconic Disney villain in the original movie.
As an animated classic, "Aladdin" is one of the cornerstones of what would become known as the "Disney Renaissance Era"; a period of time which restored Disney’s animation division to its former glories of creating critically acclaimed and commercially successful animated musicals. "Aladdin" received an impressive total of five Academy Award nominations and picked up the Oscars for “Original Score” and “Original Song” (for “A Whole New World”).
Musical maestro Alan Menken’s score for the Broadway production incorporates all the beloved songs from the movie such as “Arabian Nights,” “Prince Ali,” and the show-stopping “Friend Like Me,” intertwining them with new material as well as songs that unfortunately had to be cut from the film, such as Aladdin’s beautifully poignant ballad “Proud of Your Boy”.
The Broadway production also incorporates a dazzling total of 84 illusions and effects, with the awe-inspiring magic carpet ride during “A Whole New World” arguably as its crowning jewel. The spectacle also showcases 337 unique costumes and dynamic choreography, brimming with modern dance, tap, and Middle Eastern-infused influences, under the helm of Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw.
Disney’s Aladdin is a theatrical explosion of colour, which tells a universal story of love triumphing against all odds, and is a bona fide Broadway hit, suitable for all generations.
(Photos by Matthew Murphy, Deen Van Meer & Cylla von Tiedemann)