Actress Courtney Reed, who played Princess Jasmine in the Aladdin Musical that ran in July kindly agreed to do an interview with The Aladdin Musical blog. Talking about her career and how the musical Jasmine in different then the animated Jasmine but still the same. As of half September no word has reached me on what’s in the future if Disney brings it to Broadway or a Tour. It’s known though that there are plans to do something with the concept but if the current cast will take part is any body’s guess

I come across the Youtube channel of BTSPRO, an excellent artist who knows how to draw in the Disney style. Check out his instuctions how to draw Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie.

This year Disney gave most of their modern Princesss voice actress the status Disney Legend. As Wikipedia descrips it: “….men and women who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company.” Next to Jodi Benson who has been the voice of Ariel sinds the late 80′s. Paige O Hare, speaking for Belle since the early 90′s and the voice of Taina Anika Noni Rose Linda Larkin and Lea Salonga got a reward for voiceing Jasmine and in the case of Lea singing for Mulan.

At D23 Expo, a Disney fan event at Anaheim, the new Disney Legends recieved their rewards. Other Aladdin crew who where rewarded Disney Legend in the past are: Robin, Frank & Alan, Howard and Tim. The photos below from LJ Agrabah & D_princess community.

salukfan uploaded a butt load of Aladdin and the King of Thieves animated gifs for the 15th anniversary of the release of the wedding of the century on home video in the US. A fact I would’ve known a few years back when I was a more hardcore fan. But years pass and, like many fans before me who where once living and breathing Aladdin, I get older and interests change. Doesn’t matter really. Actually I just rememberd that the Dutch home video of Aladdin was in late August ’94.
Anyway in her anncoment at Agrabah LJ she says she made 2300 in ten days. So I wonder, did she sleep or what?

Happy anniversary, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, Iago, Jafar, Cassim Sultan, Carpet, Rasoul, Sa’luk and all the minor characters.

Over at the Agrabah LJ a couple of random Al/Jas pics where posted. Most of it is not that special but the image below stands out by far. I don’t know if it’s an official image or it’s fan art but it would’ve have made a cute wallpaper.

Rosanna got the chance to see the, now closed, Aladdin musical during the last days for its run. She made a summary from some of the key moments she remembers she and the audience laughed their socks off. She posted it at her LJ for those who didn’t get a chance to get to the show.

Since last year Lego started the Collectable Minifigures series. Each 3 months they bring out 16 unique minifigures in small bags for about 2 EURO each. It’s a fun but expensive hobby since you don’t know what you bought until the bag is open. Clever Lego collectors quickly figured out way the cheat. Each series, there have been 5 so far, contains a mix of city, historic and fantasy themed minifigs. For example in Series 1 there was an Indian and a forest man but also a nurse and a cheerleader in the historic and city themes. In later series figures obviously inspired by existing characters in Film/TV or other entertainment started appear. A female lifeguard looks a bit like CJ aka Pamela Anderson from Baywatch. A green witch resembles Elphaba from the Wicked musical. In the third series an Elf who could come strait from Lord of the Rings and the latest series a Britsh detective who could be the minifigu-red version of Sherlock Holmes reaches stores. At the moment its not 100% sure, the Lego company has a strict policy against leaked images specially on popular themes, but series 6 could contain a genie with magic lamp.

I collected a large part of the first and second series but stopped when it got to expansive for my taste, my collection sits behind glass with my PVC Aladdin figure collection.. Second hand Lego sites like Bricklink people list some of these figures at 5 times the price of a single bag.

King5.com interviewed the stars of Aladdin A New Stage Musical (I don’t like that name, I’ll call it Aladdin Musical from now on), Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, James Monroe Iglehart and Alan Menken himself. Did you know Alan turned 62 today? I didn’t either. Happy Birthday! Anyway the interviews are interwoven with lots of footage from the show. We see tidbits from Friend Like Me and High Adventure, A Whole New World and I think a second from Call Me A Princess. Al/Jas scenes looks like a moment set before or after ANWN. Jas reveals her identity. Couple of snippets from Babkak, Omar and Kassim. Jafar and Iago doing some magic stuff. The iconic moment when Aladdin rubs the lamp for the first time. It looks great!

princealia posted pictures of the show found at broadwayworld.com in the Agrabah LJ. Love the decors and gorgeous costumes for Al’s pals. Notice that Genie isn’t blue but has a richly decorated costume that’s blue. That about leaves a good close-up of Jonathan’s Jafar costume to reveal as far as costumes concern. Stuff I still wanna see are photo(s) of Friend Like Me and the final battle where apparently there is no monster cobra involved.

A short preview of the Al/Jas duet written for the Aladdin A New Stage Musical sang by Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed. I love it, it fun, heartwarming and well played and acted. We get a glimpse of the decor and costumes.
It’s a real stage song and so I don’t believe it would work in the film. Still I for one would’ve loved to have had a song during this scene.

The first two reviews are in. Both liked the show allot credits the costumes are colorful and bright, they love the cast’s vocals and the songs work but they also note there’s still room for inpromement.
Happly Ever After in Seattle and twenty-sided woman

For a wild crowd, according to some cast members Twitter, the first preview show of Aladdin The New Stage Musical.
Alan Menken wrote at his Twitter account “First preview of ALADDIN last night. Soooo much fun! Everyone is so happy. Howard lives again thanks to Casey, Chad and the whole team…” – C.R.Y.I.N.G.

Also a full song list is now online via UD.

Song List:

ACT 1
Overture
Arabian Nights
Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim
One Jump Ahead
One Jump Ahead (reprise)
Proud of Your Boy
Arabian Nights (reprise 1)
Call Me A Princess
Call Me A Princess (reprise)
Why Me
A Million Miles Away
Arabian Nights (Reprise 2)
Friend Like Me
Arabian Nights (Reprise 3)
Act 1 Finale*

*A bit of Friend Like Me when he is transformed into a Prince then a reprise of Proud of Your Boy.

ACT 2
Prince Ali
A Whole New World
High Adventure
Somebody’s Got Your Back
Wedding Day Suite*
Finale Ultimo**

*A bit of everything really. This is where a few reprises of “Prince Ali” came in sung by Jafar like in the movie, but extended. And Jonathan Freeman was totally manic while singing, he was awesome.

**A Bit of Somebody’s Got Your Back, Arabian Nights, A Whole New World from what I remember.

I think it’s odd that the second act is so short compared by the first. I count 5 reprises in the first act and nothing in the second.
New are Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Cassim as heard in the spotlight night at Seattle’s 5th avenue theater. Call Me A Princess, the more I listen to it the more I dislike it. This song was never on my favorites list of the cut songs it’s so out-of-character for Jasmine to behave like that. Even if it’s to scare suitors away. I have never seen her behave like that in the movies or the 86 episode long series I wonder if it will work. On to Proud of Your, a song as we all know was very dear to Howard Ashman so a big plus for inserting it in the production. Next is Jafar’s only solo Why Me I would’ve expected that Humiliate The Boy would be changed and used in the second act. A new song written for this show is A Million Miles Away it’s a new Al/Jas duet from what I’ve heard. Finally there are a few Arabian Nights reprises weaved throughout the show. Aladdin’s street pals are supposed to narrate the story or something. No idea how that’s working out since they only has them it in the first act.
The second act is allot shorter with both Prince Ali & Aladdin’s iconic balled A Whole New World the cut High Adventure, another Babkak, Omar & Cassim song, the newly written Aladdin/Genie buddy song Somebody’s Got Your Back and Wedding Day Suite and the finale.

I heard that all the animals in the animated film have been replaced by humans; Abu is nicked for Aladdin’s street pals. Rajah is cut in favor of servants and Iago is now human and probably got a different personality. I have my doubts this all works but I keep an open mind until I (hopefully) see a pirate recording online.

I haven re-posted all the Aladdin Musical news lately because I didn’t feel it it was that news worthy. Some interviews with production and cast members but no real big things like Mr. Freeman in costume or a recording of AWNW was released by 5th Avenue Theater. I love this interview with James Iglehart on getting the role of Genie telling that he’s been a fan of Robin Williams performance as Genie since he was 17. He tells it with so much enthusiastic you just have to be just as hyped up as he is. Definably hope to see him play online.

In an interview with Broadway World held composer and lyricist Chad Beguelin he revealed that pretty much all movie cut songs make their grant debut on Aladdin the musical. He mentioned Proud of Your Boy, Call Me a Princess, Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim and High Adventure. Plus a couple of new songs he co-wrote with Alan Menken they are A Million Miles Away, Somebody’s Got Your Back, and A Royal Wedding. We already knew Why Me is back edited in so I have to assume Count On Me and Humiliate The Boy aren’t in because they are similar to Proud Of Your Boy and the earlier mentioned Why Me.
How Quick They Forget might still be in, I mean if they put back Aladdin’s pals why not this song. I remember that Alan told that Howard’s heart broke when Aladdin’s mom was nicked back in the early nineties and so Proud of Your Boy got strike through as well. I love that has in memory of Howard this song makes it’s come back.

As for the new songs it’s everyone’s guess where they are placed and if they push the story forward. Here’s my 2 cents. A Million Miles Away could take place when Aladdin is fighting his back to Agrabah after he is send to the ends of the earth. I imagine there’s room to expand there give Al more obstacles to overcome before the reaches Carpet. Somebody’s Got Your Back could be a bonding song between Aladdin and Genie after A Friend Like Me and before Prince Ali. Or perhaps it’s further up in the show. It’s complex without knowing how the story is structured now. A Royal Wedding makes me believe the AWNW reprise is expanded to a full song near the end of the show although in the Disney film musical adoptions I’ve seen it’s common to reprise the main theme song of the show. And there’s the question if Jasmine has a decent song of her own other than that bitchy Call Me A Princess like the Disneyland California show To Be Free. That’s a nice song but I never really like it that much.
With 11 days before the premiere the excitement is getting bigger and bigger.

Aladdin Blog owner Chris managed to get an interview with James Monroe Iglehart (the guy playing the Genie) in the very soon to open Aladdin: A New Stage Musical. James seems a very nice person, that he is a fan of the movie and it’s spin-offs and while the role is different then what Robin Williams did he has the passion to give it his all. That gives him allot of bonus points in my book. I think the interview was very entertaining to reed. I hope someone manages to sneak a video camera in the theatre and share what most of the world won’t get a chance to experience there in Seattle in July.

But wait there’s more a new video appeared online at 5thAvenueTheatre Youtube Channel. Babkak, The cut Babkak Omar, Aladdin, Kassim song got a bit altered speeding it up giving it more of a jazzy style and into the stage production. It’s fun, it’s catchy, it’s got energy and great harmony. I love it!

And Howard Ashman´s demo recording