2/29/2024 0 Comments Aladin on broadway imageYears later, when Balsara took her first Broadway bow, her entire family was in the audience. Balsara went on to study at New York University and graduated with a BFA in Drama from the Tisch School of the Arts. “My dad was driving me to AP Bio at 5:30 in the morning one day, and in classic Brown dad fashion was like, ’You have to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life.’” A sophomore at that time, Balsara remembered thinking that if she had to choose a career path at that moment with no regrets, it would be theater. In high school, Balsara’s love of performing and her academics collided. They’d rehearse at recess and eventually put the show on in her living room. Inspired by the musical, Balsara wrote her own script and cast her friends in the show. “I went home and rented the movie and then paused and played the movie over and over again,” she said. The actor, who has Parsi, Hindu and European-American roots, recalled the impact of seeing a local high school’s production of Oklahoma! as a kid. Playing the part as a tween, Balsara recalled the opportunity as the first that placed her in a leading role.īut Aladdin and other contemporary musicals weren’t Balsara’s only influence. “Jasmine was one of my favorite princesses as a kid,” Balsara said. In the latest episode of The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal, the actor digs into her theatrical roots and highlights the various people and experiences that inspired her to pursue performing. Though Balsara first stepped in as Jasmine on Broadway temporarily last fall, she assumed the role full-time in January. Now, she takes the stage as the famed princess at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre eight times a week. 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.Sonya Balsara grew up watching Disney’s animated Aladdin and actually played Jasmine in her middle school production of Aladdin, Jr. The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer and hair designer Josh Marquette. 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."Īladdin is designed by six-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, three-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis. Aladdin's journey will sweep audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. Here's how the new musical is billed: " Aladdin, adapted from the Disney film and centuries-old folktales including 'One Thousand and One Nights' is brought to fresh theatrical life in this exuberant new musical. The New Amsterdam Theatre box office is open Monday-Saturday from 10 AM–8 PM and Sunday from 10 AM–6:30 PM, and tickets are also available at or by calling Ticketmaster's Disney on Broadway hotline at (866) 870-2717. Among them are a trio of Aladdin's friends, Omar, Babkak and Kassim, as well as a handful of early songs including "Proud of Your Boy." Menken previously told that the stage production incorporates many ideas he and Ashman conceived for the 1992 film that never made it to the screen. The stage production, which expands the 90-minute film into a two-act format, has music by Alan Menken, lyrics by the late Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and book and additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin. Rounding out the cast are Tia Altinay, Mike Cannon, Andrew Cao, Lauryn Ciardullo, Joshua Dela Cruz, Yurel Echezarreta, Daisy Hobbs, Donald Jones, Jr., Adam Kaokept, Nikki Long, Stanley Martin, Brandt Martinez, Michael Mindlin, Rhea Patterson, Bobby Pestka, Khori Petinaud, Aleks Pevec, Ariel Reid, Jennifer Rias, Trent Saunders, Jaz Sealey, Dennis Stowe, Marisha Wallace and Bud Weber. Merwin Foard and Michael James Scott standby for several principals. Tony Award-winning director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw ( The Book of Mormon) is at the helm of Aladdin, which will officially open on Broadway March 20.īrian Gonzales, Brandon O'Neill and Jonathan Schwartz play Aladdin's sidekicks Babkak, Kassim and Omar, respectively, and Tony nominee Clifton Davis plays the Sultan with Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. James Monroe Iglehart, of Broadway's Memphis, also reprises his performance as the Genie, and Jonathan Freeman, who voiced the nefarious villain Jafar in the 1992 animated Disney film and reprised his performance on stage, again plays that role. Disney's Broadway Casts Perform Musical Medley in Celebration of 'Good Morning America'
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