Major Attaway to Star as Genie in ALADDIN

Disney's Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical, is pleased to announce that Major Attaway, current Genie standby in the Broadway company, will take over the role full-time beginning Tuesday, February 21, 2017. Major is the first actor to assume the role from original cast member James Monroe Iglehart. Major joined Aladdin in January 2016, marking his Broadway debut. Other principal cast members, including five of the show's original stars, will continue with the production another year.

"Making my Broadway debut in Aladdin was an affirmation beyond imagining," said Attaway. "To now be given the opportunity to tell this beloved story with this phenomenal Broadway cast every night is definitely a wish granted. I get to play a catalyst for joy and hope, and I'm really looking forward to moving into the lamp on a full-time basis; I've got some BIG TEX-an ideas for redecorating!"

Major Attaway (Genie). Broadway debut. An award-winning actor and singer, highlights from his regional theatre credits include Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), Big River (Jim), The Mikado (Hot Mikado), Hands on a Hardbody (Ronald McCowan), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II), Ain't Misbehavin (Ken), Rent (Tom Collins), Stagger Lee (T-Bone) and Frosty the Snowman (Frosty). He has performed as a soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, lent his voice talents to commercials, interactive voiceover projects including "Fairy Tale" (Arcadios), and the video game "Battleborn," and appeared in the feature film Carter High.

James Monroe Iglehart will play his final performance in Aladdin on Sunday, February 19, 2017.

Five of Aladdin's original stars, Tony Award® nominee Jonathan Freeman (Jafar), Courtney Reed (Jasmine), Brian Gonzales (Babkak), Clifton Davis (Sultan) and Don Darryl Rivera (Iago), have extended their contracts with the production through February 18th, 2018. Also continuing in their principal roles on Broadway are Steel Burkhardt (Kassim), Brad Weinstock (Omar) and James Moye (standby Jafar/Sultan).

Beginning February 21, 2017, Deonté L. Warren, a new member of the Aladdin company, will stand by for Genie/Babkak.

Deonté L. Warren (Standby Genie/Babkak). Broadway debut! From Nashville, TN. Tour: Dreamgirls, Sister Act. Regional: Shrek and Tarzan at Arizona Broadway Theatre, Hairspray at ACCC and many others. Bachelor of Music (Belmont University).

As previously announced, Aladdin's original title star Adam Jacobs will lead the North American tour of the production this spring; his final Broadway performance is Sunday, February 12, 2017. Jacobs's replacement will be announced at a later date. In the interim beginning February 14, Aladdin understudyJoshua Dela Cruz will play the role.

Aladdin opened to critical acclaim on March 20th, 2014 and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years; last year only the smash musical Wicked was seen by more people on Broadway. Since its opening, Aladdin has set 12 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcomed over 4 million people worldwide. Its global footprint has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Sydney and the upcoming North American tour. NBC-TV raves, "Aladdin is exactly what you wished for!" New York Magazine calls it "Musical comedy wish-fulfillment!" while The New York Times hails the show as "Fabulous... Extravagant! It defies expectations," and the Daily News declares, "Seriously, it's amazing!"

Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).

Aladdin stars Adam Jacobs (Les Miserables, The Lion King) in the title role, Courtney Reed (In the Heights, Mamma Mia) as Jasmine, James Monroe Iglehart(Memphis, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) in his Tony Award-winning role of Genie, and, as Jafar, Tony Award nominee Jonathan Freeman (Mary Poppins, The Producers, She Loves Me) brings to the stage the role he indelibly created in the animated film. The show also stars Steel Burkhardt, Brian Gonzalesand Brad Weinstock as Aladdin's sidekicks Kassim, Babkak and Omar, Clifton Davis as Sultan and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Major Attaway and James Moye stand by for several principals.

In a cast of 37, Aladdin also features Kathryn Allison, Tia Altinay, Sam J. Cahn, Mike Cannon, Andrew Cao, Damian Chambers, Lauryn Ciardullo, Joshua Dela Cruz, Tiffany Evariste, Daisy Hobbs, Adam Hyndman, Rodney Ingram, Nathan Lucrezio, Stanley Martin, Michael Mindlin, Amber Owens, Alfie Parker, Jr., Bobby Pestka, Khori Michelle Petinaud, Ariel Reid, Jennifer Rias, Trent Saunders, Angelo Soriano, Manny Stark, Dennis Stowe and Kathryn Terza.

Aladdin, adapted from the Disney film and centuries-old folktales including "One Thousand and One Nights," is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical. Aladdin's journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. 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.

The animated film Aladdin was released by Disney in 1992 and was a critical and box office smash, grossing over $500 million worldwide (not adjusted for inflation) and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.

The film won the Oscar for Best Original Score and introduced the hit song "A Whole New World," which won the second of the film's two Academy Awards as Best Original Song. The Peabo Bryson/Regina Belle recording of the tune soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, six-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and Sound Designer Ken Travis.

The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira. 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.

TICKETS

Tickets are available for purchase through AladdinTheMusical.com, by calling Ticketmaster's Disney on Broadway hotline at 866-870-2717, or in person at the New Amsterdam Theatre box office (214 W. 42nd Street). The New Amsterdam Theatre box office is open Monday through Friday 9:00am - 8:00pm, Saturday10:00am - 8:00pm and Sunday 10:00am - 6:30pm.

Premium and group tickets are also available. For information about tickets for groups of 20 or more, CLICK HERE.

For more information on Aladdin, visit AladdinTheMusical.com.

Photo credit: Matthew Murphy