Jonathan Freeman News

Stage Entertainment, in cooperation with Disney Theatrical Productions, will present the Dutch premiere of The Little Mermaid, which premiered on Broadway in 2007. After presenting Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, the Netherlands is the first country to scoop the European premiere of the Disney musical. Disney's The Little Mermaid opens on Saturday May 12, premiering at Martini Plaza in Groningen and then playing larger theaters in the Netherlands. Check out the trailer video below. (more...)

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The Collegiate Chorale presented Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado at Carnegie Hall last night, April 10 featuring soloists Chuck Cooper, Jason Danieley, Christopher Fitzgerald, Victoria Clark and Kelli O'Hara. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below! (more...)

MARY POPPINS, now in its 5th successful year on Broadway, continues to break ground with its new entirely digitized marquee made from LED lights. Check it out below! (more...)

Stage Entertainment, in cooperation with Disney Theatrical Productions, will present the Dutch premiere of The Little Mermaid. After presenting Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, the Netherlands is the first country to scoop the European premiere of the Disney musical. Disney's The Little Mermaid opens on Saturday May 12, premiering at Martini Plaza in Groningen and then playing larger theaters in the Netherlands. Casting will be announced soon. (more...)

Today in 2008, The Little Mermaid opened at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre, where it ran for 685 performances. The Little Mermaid is based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. The musical's book is by Doug Wright, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman (written for the film) and new lyrics by Glenn Slater. The musical had a pre-Broadway tryout in Denver, Colorado in July through early September 2007. The original cast featured Sierra Boggess in the title role of Ariel, Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Brian D'Addario and Trevor Braun alternate as Flounder, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Tyler Maynard as Flotsam, Derrick Baskin as Jetsam, Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby, and John Treacy Egan as Chef Louis. (more...)

Welcome to SUBMISSIONS ONLY, BroadwayWorld.com's first exclusive, fully scripted program series created, written, and directed by Kate Wetherhead and Andrew Keenan-Bolger. The pair also stars in the series, which enjoyed an extremely successful Season 1 on YouTube and was streamed throughout the summer on BroadwayWorld.com in anticipation of SUBMISSIONS ONLY's second season, which is now being broadcast EXCLUSIVELY on BroadwayWorld each month. (more...)

The plot thickens in Episode 4 of "Submissions Only," as casting director Tim Trull (Colin Hanlon) finds himself face to face with "Compass-ition" creator Nolan Grigsby (Wade McCollum). Meanwhile, actress Penny Reilly (Kate Wetherhead) struggles to follow her own dating rules when faced with attractive prospects. The long list of guest stars include Mary Testa, Jeremy Jordan, Stephen Pasquale, Matt Cavenaugh, Gaelen Gilliland, Jonathan Freeman and Van Hughes. (more...)

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has announced nominees in three television categories for the 26th Annual Outstanding Achievement Awards competition. The awards ceremony will be held here on February 12 at the Hollywood & Highland Grand Ballroom. (more...)

We're just three days away from the SUBMISSION ONLY Season 2, Episode 4 episode premiere. The plot thickens as casting director Tim Trull (Colin Hanlon) finds himself face to face with "Compass-ition" creator Nolan Grigsby (Wade McCollum). Meanwhile, actress Penny Reilly (Kate Wetherhead) struggles to follow her own dating rules when faced with attractive prospects. The long list of guest stars include Mary Testa, Jeremy Jordan, Stephen Pasquale, Matt Cavenaugh, Gaelen Gilliland, Jonathan Freeman and Van Hughes. (more...)

The plot thickens in Episode 4 of "Submissions Only," as casting director Tim Trull (Colin Hanlon) finds himself face to face with "Compass-ition" creator Nolan Grigsby (Wade McCollum). Meanwhile, actress Penny Reilly (Kate Wetherhead) struggles to follow her own dating rules when faced with attractive prospects. The long list of guest stars include Mary Testa, Jeremy Jordan, Stephen Pasquale, Matt Cavenaugh, Gaelen Gilliland, Jonathan Freeman and Van Hughes. (more...)

MARY POPPINS continues to fly high, celebrating five magical years on Broadway on Wednesday, November 16 (previews began October 14, 2006 at the New Amsterdam Theatre). MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play five or more years on Broadway. (more...)

On Twitter Watch, Alan Menken wrote "Three days of ALADDIN meetings starting today. Back with Casey and Chad. This bouncing between projects is crazy! The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of Aladdin features Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie, and Seattle mainstay Seán G. Griffin as the Sultan. Jonathan Freeman takes the stage to embody the role he originally voiced for the film, the Royal Vizier Jafar. He is joined by comedic favorite Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Aladdin restores a trio of characters originally conceived by the film's creators: Omar, Babkak, and Kassim, played by Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Brian Gonzales, and Brandon O'Neill, respectively. Several 5th Avenue veterans return for the production, including acclaimed director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw, who received his first professional choreography gig at The 5th Avenue Theatre (The Prince and the Pauper, 2001) and where he later choreographed My Fair Lady (2002). On Broadway, Nicholaw won praise as the choreographer of Spamalot, and director/choreographer of The Drowsy Chaperone and Elf: The Broadway Musical, garnering three Tony nominations for his work. Music for Aladdin is by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tangled), who has won a total of eight Oscars, more than any living person; lyrics are by the late Howard Ashman (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) and Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, The Lion King). Librettist Chad Beguelin wrote the books for The Rhythm Club, Wicked City and The Wedding Singer, which premiered at The 5th Avenue in 2006. Menken and Beguelin contribute additional lyrics. This new Aladdin incorporates all of the beloved songs from the film's Oscar®-winning score plus never-before heard Menken/Ashman songs restored from early drafts of the score. It marks a return to the authors' original vision: a loving homage to the Hope-Crosby road pictures with a score invoking the jazz sound of stars like Cab Calloway and Fats Waller. " (more...)

MARY POPPINS continues to fly high, celebrating five magical years on Broadway on Wednesday, November 16 (previews began October 14, 2006 at the New Amsterdam Theatre). MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play five or more years on Broadway. (more...)

Direct from the North American tour of MARY POPPINS, Steffanie Leigh will make her Broadway debut in the title role, beginning performances at the New Amsterdam Theatre Tuesday, October 11. Olivier Award winner Laura Michelle Kelly, The West End's original MARY POPPINS, will play her final performance on Broadway Sunday, October 9. (more...)

Broadway's most magical musical MARY POPPINS celebrated its 2000th performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Sunday, September 4. A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play 2000 or more Broadway performances. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a look backstage during the celebration! (more...)

Broadway's most magical musical MARY POPPINS celebrates its 2000th performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Sunday, September 4. A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play 2000 or more Broadway performances. (more...)

Broadway's most magical musical MARY POPPINS celebrates its 2000th performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Sunday, September 4. A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play 2000 or more Broadway performances. (more...)

Direct from the North American tour of MARY POPPINS, Steffanie Leigh will make her Broadway debut in the title role, beginning performances at the New Amsterdam Theatre Tuesday, October 11. Olivier Award winner Laura Michelle Kelly, The West End's original MARY POPPINS, will play her final performance on Broadway Sunday, October 9. (more...)

Broadway star Jonathan Freeman who originated one of DisneyÂ’s most notorious villains, will have the rare opportunity to bring that character to life on-stage when he plays the evil royal vizier Jafar in the premiere of the new stage musical of Aladdin at The 5th Avenue Theatre this July. (more...)