Aladdin Central Messageboard

[AladdinsGenie]

From Collider: http://www.collider.com/2010/09/27/alan-menken-interview-tangled/

Menken: The main things that are going on is Leap of Faith is opening here at the Ahmanson Theatre on October 3rd. That’s my gospel musical. Sister Act is running in London at the Palladium, and coming to Broadway in the spring. So those are my two, big, active projects, and then there is a stage musical of Newsies, Hunchback, and Aladdin all coming.

Oh boy, oh boy!

[Calluna]

Awesome! I was starting to think we'd never get one.

So if Alan's working on it it's definitely going to happen, right?
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"If only I could believe you. Perhaps I can! After all... you do bear the name of a flower." -- Arbutus

[AladdinsGenie]

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but it's really hard not to be a little excited . I mean, Alan Menken himself saying he's working on music is pretty solid and it backs up the domain name Disney bought a few months ago, but just because he's working on it doesn't mean it'll happen.

Just last year he said "I am preparing the soundtracks of two Disney animated features: Rapunzel and The Snow Queen, in addition (to) a live-action musical film about Beauty and the Beast, plus a new (Broadway) musical that will debut in fall 2010, Leap of Faith.”

So far, he's still on Leap of Faith and Rapunzel, but Snow Queen is dead as far as I know (I don't follow Disney news anymore, but I believe that's what I heard), and no one has heard anything about a live-action musical film about Beauty and the Beast since that announcement a year ago.

But maaaan, oh man, I kind of hope this happens.

[Meesh]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=67228

Snow Queen has been shelved. :/
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[Chris]

Here's more information from the Broadway World Interview;


PC: I was just talking to Don Hahn about all the great cut songs you wrote with Howard for ALADDIN. Could you tell me about those?

AM: We're getting them back!

PC: How so?

AM: We're doing a stage musical of ALADDIN and all those songs are going to be in it.

PC: How wonderful! Tell me everything! Who's doing the adaptation with you?

AM: Chad Beguelin wrote the book. He did a fantastic job. He and I also wrote a new song that will be going in, along with a lot of the cut Howard Ashman songs and some of the cut Tim Rice songs, and a song that I wrote music and lyrics for that was in the theatrical adaptation at California Adventure.

PC: That's quite a team, then - you, Ashman, Rice, Beguelin! Will it be substantially different from the film?

AM: It has more of the feeling of a Hope & Crosby road picture - which is what Howard and I originally wanted for the musical. We are going to try it out, hopefully, next summer.


PC: Do you have a design team in place yet? It will be especially important for a stage ALADDIN, I would think.

AM: No, not yet.

PC: It has such great possibilities. It should be good!

AM: Let's hope so! Knock on wood. You never know, you never know.


You can read more here;
http://broadwayworld.com/article/BWW_EXCLUSIVE_Alan_Menken_Talks_TANGLED_SISTER_ACT_LEAP_HUNCHBACK_ALADDIN_More_20101115

He also talks about bring Hunchback to Broadway, Sister Act and Leap of Faith. He even touches on Enchanted 2 and Glee!

If they're doing workshops next summer then a summer 2012 preview run for opening late 2012/early 2013 is possible. But it's important to remember that they were talking about bringing Hunchback to Broadway back when The Little Mermaid opened in January 2008, so it's possible this could be much further away.

[Meesh]

http://broadwayworld.com/article/RIALTO_CHATTER_Disneys_ALADDIN_Headed_to_5th_Avenue_in_Seattle_20110107

Woo!!
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[Chris]

I was just heading here to post that! Sounds like they're skipping (or more likely have already done in secret) the workshops and the preview run will be this summer! If it's anything like Mermaid that means the Broadway previews will be later this year for an official opening December/January!!

I can't believe it's so soon! If I hadn't already got a Disney Honeymoon booked in Sept/Oct I'd be looking at July flight prices to Seattle right now. I was hoping to catch this in the previews as flights, hotels and tickets are all cheaper outside New York, but I guess not. Time to start planning next year's holiday

Can't wait to hear who they're looking at casting. Ramin Karimloo is free now he's finishing Love Never Dies, he has a fantastic voice and is young enough to play Aladdin. He's done Phantom in both POTO and LND and he was in the 25th Concert of Les Mis (with Norm Lewis who was Triton in TLM). Not sure if he's a perfect fit, but he was the best I could think of off the top of my head. An unknown could also be amazing, it worked with Sierra Boggess!

[Princess of Agrabah]

This is so exciting! I'm so glad they're finally putting it on Broadway. I really want to see the preview now
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[AladdinsGenie]

[Chris]

[AladdinsGenie]

BroadwayWorld.com's Seattle sources have exclusively confirmed for us that Disney's Aladdin will indeed open at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre in July of 2011. The stage production will feature all the songs from the film as well as restored songs from early drafts of the score.

A new book has been developed by Chad Beguelin (ELF, ALL ABOUT ME, THE WEDDING SINGER), and the show will be directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw (THE BOOK OF MORMON, ELF, ALL ABOUT ME, TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, SPAMALOT). We're told that at this time, this is NOT a pre-Broadway tryout, but instead is intended for licensing to professional and regional theatres.

On Friday, the Seattle Times reported "The 5th Avenue Theatre has apparently forged a deal with the Walt Disney Company to stage the world premiere of a new Disney musical, "Aladdin," in the summer.

[Chris]

Can't say I'm not disappointed with this news. I was hoping to catch it on Broadway next year as there's no way I can see it in July.

Ah well, if I remember rightly High School Musical On Stage started out in the same way, with Disney planning to do it as a licensed production through MTI but then did their own official tour because it proved so successful. Fingers crossed they'll do the same with Aladdin and do a tour next year!

I've actually started a blog to follow the production of the musical;

http://aladdinmusical.blogspot.com/

The latest news is the (rumored) on sale ticket date - tomorrow! So if any of you are planning to go, check the 5th Avenue's website tomorrow just in case! And more importantly - CASTING CALLS (auditions are also tomorrow);

BABKAK – 20s, chubby, romantic desert dweller, part of Aladdin’s band; the “Crosby” of this Arabian “Road” picture, although perhaps with a bit more flair.

OMAR – 20s, nervous, diminutive desert dweller, part of Aladdin’s band; the “Lamour”.

KASSIM – 20s, tough (inside and out) desert dweller, part of Aladdin’s band; the “Hope”.

ALADDIN – 20s, clever, resourceful street urchin with a heart of gold; best friends with Babkak, Omar and Kassim; seeks a life beyond the confines of poverty.

JASMINE – 20s, intelligent young princess with insight beyond her years and station; seeks a life beyond the confines of privilege.

SULTAN – 50s, kind-hearted, widowed ruler of Agrabah; gets so caught up in following the law and tradition that he overlooks his daughter’s desires and gets swindled by his own vizier .

IAGO – 40s, dim-witted, classic-comedy lackey to Jafar.

GENIE – 30s-40s, quick-witted, fast-talking, ancient genie who knows all time and place; an old-school song-and-dance man.

RAZOUL – stern captain of the Royal Guard.

ENSEMBLE - all shapes and sizes.

So Babkak, Omar and Kassim are officially back in the story (and presumably their 3 cut songs).

Jafar and Aladdin's Mother are both missing from the list. I'm assuming they've already cast Jafar (or at least offered someone the part), but Aladdin's mother is up for debate. She could be missing/cast like Jafar, but he could just as easily sing "Proud of Your Boy" if she had already passed away before the story begins. Fingers crossed we'll hear something soon!

[Calluna]

Iago is "dim witted"? And they're spelling Rasoul with a "z" again...

I'm curious how they're going to fit B, O, & K into the story.
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"If only I could believe you. Perhaps I can! After all... you do bear the name of a flower." -- Arbutus

[Chris]

I'm not 100% sure on the story of the show yet. From some descriptions it sounds like they adding the cut songs and characters into the movie's story, but from other descriptions (and that Alan Menken interview from last year) it sounds like they're going back to the original story which means it will be the movie songs that are being added into the original story.

Guess we'll find out soon enough!

Tickets are now on sale;

http://www.5thavenue.org/showsandtickets/?prod=1529