Aladdin Central Messageboard

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:00 am Post subject:

I was like "man, I guess you guys didn't like it" only to see you did Laughing

I don't remember Courtney's singing doing any of that or bothering me at all, though. But I do think them singing live is better than the album.

Meesh · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:44 am Post subject:

I enjoyed it because it was Aladdin and a visually stimulating spectacle. The depth pales in comparison to the movie, which I think I wrote about a little bit the first time I saw it. But it's still fun!

I'm not sure my boyfriend enjoyed it, but he didn't completely hate it. He's a filmographer and a musician, so he's extra snobby Razz

Courtney does this little bubbly thing when she sings in the album which mildly annoys me, but whatever I can still enjoy the music. However, it was wayyyy worse live the other night. She gasped BETWEEN. EVERY. LINE. I don't remember her doing that in New York.
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Meesh · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:45 am Post subject:

If anyone cares Laughing

I saw the musical for my third time on Sunday in Costa Mesa. Jay Paranada, currently playing Iago, was the lead in a short film I scored Smile

The jokes have been different every time, and they made some changes to the choreography of "A Friend Like Me." The girl currently playing Jasmine flubbed a few obvious notes in AWNW, but otherwise I enjoyed her singing more than Reed. She was more spunky than Disney-princess too, which I think I prefer? It enhanced her chemistry with Aladdin I think.

The first guy I saw as Aladdin was an understudy and kinda wimpy. Then I saw Adam Jacobs, who was strong and charming. This current guy is kind of a happy medium I think. I didn't always like his timbre, but I really enjoyed his overall performance.

The guy playing Jafar now sounds just like Freeman.
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Chris · Sultan Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 337 Location: UK

This was pretty awesome for the 5th anniversary (wish I could have been there to see it!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl-QHl0dGWo

Meesh · Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:18 am Post subject:

That was a lot of fun Very Happy

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Chris · Sultan Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 337 Location: UK

Big news! No official announcement yet (probably waiting on release details) but Disney Theatrical have done a live recording of Aladdin for release.

Presumably this will go to cinemas for a limited release (like Newsies) and then be released on Disney+ for streaming. But no official news on that yet.

The cast includes;

Ainsley Melham as Aladdin (Original Australia)
Isabelle McCalla as Princess Jasmine (Original US Tour)
Trevor Dion Nicholas as Genie (Original London)
Jonathan Freeman as Jafar (Original Seattle/Broadway)
Don Darryl Rivera as Iago (Original Seattle/Broadway)
Brian Gonzales as Babkak (Original Seattle/Broadway)
Brandon O’Neill as Kassim (Original Seattle/Broadway)
Robert Tripolino as Omar (Original Australia)
Irvine Iqbal as the Sultan (Original London)
West End Ensemble

It was filmed for a week in London at the end of August after the London production closed, then in front on a live audience on 31st August.

They've made a few tweaks for the living filming (notably some of the staging as well as the end arrangement of Proud of Your Boy). It was probably the purest (for lack of a better word) I've seen the show since it opened on Broadway as a lot of adlibs and any regional tweaks had been removed. I can't wait to see the finished version.

Hopefully the official announcement will come soon.

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:22 am Post subject:

That is big news! Thanks for letting us know! no more hoarding of bootlegs, yay Laughing

The official announcement will go on the front page, for sure.

Chris · Sultan Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 337 Location: UK

It is awesome... but if you have any bootlegs with the full original cast send em my way Laughing

zitagirl · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 10:38 am Post subject:

Wait what? That sounds awesome! I hope even at me will be screened. Hopefully the Uránia cinema will get the rights for it to screen at least once They did it with other plays from London and from other places. Actually watched Hamlet played by Benedict Cumberbatch this way last year.

Either way, I hope this is true. Would love to see it. thanks for sharing this news, Chris Smile

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You know your sanity is long gone when your favourites are a boy genius, a wacky genie, a mad man with a box and a deathberry Razz

arisha · Agrabah Citizen Joined: 19 Nov 2013 Posts: 94

Wow, that is AMAZING news!! And I'm really glad that Jonathan Freeman will be in it. Smile

I will definitely look forward to this and if there is any kind of physical media release I will be ALL OVER it.

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 8:49 pm Post subject:

Dark Rose · Goth Genie Joined: 29 Jul 2019 Posts: 272

I like this idea, I can see it without having to leave CT (which I can't do Embarassed

)

AladdinsGenie · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:47 pm Post subject:

I know we have two more months left in this horrid year, but uh, any news on this release yet? Could sure use a distraction right about now Laughing

Meesh · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 1:31 am Post subject:

This random article says December, but it doesn't cite its sources

https://celebritypage.com/aladdin-live-from-the-west-end-cast/the-cast
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Meesh · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 11:07 pm Post subject:

Jonathan Freeman did his last show on January 23!

Just noticed this by stalking Scott Weigner on Insta Laughing

:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY-POdQtlot/

Here is an audience video of the cast honoring him at final bows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqBul71-g6w

Dennis Stowe is taking over the role:
https://www.playbill.com/article/dennis-stowe-will-succeed-original-aladdin-cast-member-jonathan-freeman-on-broadway

"Stowe’s other Broadway credits include Annie, Leap of Faith, Shrek the Musical, The Apple Tree, The Wedding Singer, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Wonderful Town, and Man of La Mancha. He is also a longtime member of Broadway Inspirational Voices."
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