ABOUT THE MUSICAL
ALADDIN is a musical based on the 1992 Disney animated film of the same name, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin.
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SYNOPSIS:
The story follows the familiar tale of a poor young man who is granted three wishes by a genie in a lamp, which he uses to woo a princess and to thwart the sultan's evil Grand Vizier. Set in the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah.
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Aladdin premiered at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle in 2011. After several regional and international productions in 2012, the musical was given a Toronto tryout in 2013. It opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2014, and was nominated for five Tony Awards.
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CASTING:
Character Breakdown
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ALADDIN
Aladdin, a poor street urchin, longs to make his mother proud, but sometimes loses his way. He’s the thief with a heart of gold, so cast your most charismatic actor with the versatility to play both the playful prankster and romantic lead. Make sure he has the vocal chops to carry this heavy- singing role., a poor street urchin, longs to make his mother proud, but sometimes loses his way. He’s the thief with a heart of gold, so cast your most charismatic actor with the versatility to play both the playful prankster and romantic lead. Make sure he has the vocal chops to carry this heavy- singing role.
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: G2
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Jasmine
Jasmine, the Princess of Agrabah, longs to experience the world outside the palace walls. Curious and assertive, she knows what she wants and craves the freedom to make her own choices. Cast a strong actor and singer who can portray both the romantic lead and a young woman caught between her responsibilities to her people and to herself.
Gender: Female
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3
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Genie
Genie is the fast-talking, fun-loving, scene- stealing wisecracker who lives in the lamp and yearns to be free. Genie doesn’t need to be your strongest singer or dancer – look for an actor with great comic timing and a flashy and fun sense of showmanship.
Gender: Both
Vocal range top: D#4
Vocal range bottom: G2
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Isir, Manal, and Rajah
Isir, Manal, and Rajah, Jasmine’s devoted attendants, keep the Princess grounded with their honesty and openness. Isir, whose name means “inspiration,” is optimistic; Manal, “achievement,” is assertively encouraging; and Rajah, “hope,” is the most protective. As with Aladdin’s three pals, audition potential attendants together to get a sense of their chemistry, but above all, cast strong singers who can pull off “These Palace Walls” with aplomb.
Gender: Female
Vocal range top: Eb5
Vocal range bottom: B3
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Babkak, Omar, and Kassim
Babkak, Omar, and Kassim are Aladdin’s three loyal and playful pals. Babkak is the Agrabahn foodie who loves to snack, kindhearted Omar has a sensitive soul, and stubborn Kassim yearns to be a leader. When auditioning, have your potential pals read together to get a sense of their chemistry – they should be a truly tight-knit trio of strong singers and actors.
Gender: Both
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: G2
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Jafar
Jafar is the power-hungry and crooked Grand Vizier. Cast a strong actor who can sing and portray both sides of Jafar’s two-faced personality – loyal advisor to the Sultan and scheming villain – as well as pull off delicious comedic moments with his lackey, Iago.
Gender: Both
Vocal range top: Eb4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
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Iago
Iago is the fawning and funny sidekick to Jafar. With only one lyric to sing, focus on finding an actor who can execute this lackey’s many sarcastic asides with comedic flair.
Gender: Both
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
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Sultan
Sultan, the warm-hearted ruler who dotes on his daugther, is committed to upholding the ancient laws of Agrabah. With only a single lyric to sing, focus on casting an actor who can play this father figure convincingly.
Gender: Both
Vocal range top: C4
Vocal range bottom: Ab3
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Prince Abdullah
Prince Abdullah is one of Princess Jasmine’s haughty and arrogant suitors.
Gender: Male
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Attendants
The Attendants (2) accompany Prince Abdullah on his journey to Agrabah.
Gender: Both
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Spooky Voice
The mysterious Spooky Voice, conjured by Jafar, reveals the location of the lamp. This voice can be recorded, come from offstage, or with creative staging, come from an ensemble performer onstage.
Gender: Both
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Cave of Wonders
The Cave of Wonders is the ominous voice that instructs Aladdin to fetch only the lamp from the treasures within. This voice can be created in a variety of ways, much like the Spooky Voice.
Gender: Both
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ENSEMBLE
(Prince Ali's Entourage, Ensemble in "Friend Like Me," and the Agrabahns)
- The Ensemble in “Friend Like Me” is conjured by Genie to help wow Aladdin by singing, dancing, and assisting in performing fun and fabulous magic tricks.
- The Entourage, led by Aladdin’s three pals, helps to create the visually spectacular parade through the palace in “Prince Ali.”
- Agrabahns are the citizens of Agrabah who help to create the bustling marketplace – merchants, shoppers, beggars, guards, etc. Included in this ensemble are the following featured roles:
• The Beggars are a small group with whom Aladdin briefly interacts.
• The Apple Vendor is a merchant who reviles the beggars and from whom Jasmine unintentionally steals an apple.
• The Fortune Teller unwittingly helps Aladdin escape the guards in “One Jump Ahead.”
• The Shop Owner is a marketplace vendor from whom Aladdin steals bread.
• Razoul, the intimidating and commanding head of the palace guards, answers to Jafar.
• The Guards follow Razoul’s orders. They help Razoul defend the palace during “High Adventure.”
Gender: Both
ADDITIONAL FACTS
SHOW HISTORY
Productions
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In November 2010, Alan Menken confirmed that a musical theatre adaptation of the movie was in the works with a book written by Chad Beguelin. The musical premiered in Seattle, Washington, at the 5th Avenue Theatre from July 7 to 31, 2011. Jonathan Freeman, who voiced Jafar in the film, played the role in the stage adaptation. Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed played Aladdin and Jasmine. Additional cast included James Monroe Iglehart as Genie; Clifton Davis as the Sultan; Don Darryl Rivera as Iago; and, playing Omar, Kassim and Babkak, a trio of characters originally conceived by the film's creators but not used, were Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Brian Gonzales and Brandon O'Neill, respectively. The show was directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
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Aladdin had a pre-Broadway tryout at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, from November 2013 to January 2014. The musical premiered on Broadway on February 26, 2014, in previews and officially opened on March 20, 2014, at the New Amsterdam Theatre, taking the place of Mary Poppins. The show was nominated for five Tony Awards, winning one for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for James Monroe Iglehart. The cast album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
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Trivia
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Disney’s colorblind casting policy meant ethnicity was not considered in the casting process which sparked some controversy.
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Everything worn in Disney’s Aladdin was custom-made by hand by more than 350 people working in nearly 30 different shops.
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337 costumes were created for the show.
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There are 1,428 Swarovski crystals on a pair of men’s pants in the finale of the showstopping musical number “Friend Like Me.”
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It’s a frenzy backstage, with 108 costume changes taking place in less than one minute.
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"Proud of Your Boy," was believed to be written by Ashman to his own parents.
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Other Resources
You should definitely watch the animated Disney film, but we also highly recommend that you watch an entire stage production.
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