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As it approaches its 5th anniversary, Aladdin welcomes three new principal cast members to the company. Original Australian star Ainsley Melham has taken over the title role, marking his Broadway and North American theatrical debut. Broadway veteran Michael James Scott (Something Rotten!; The Book of Mormon; Tarzan), an original Broadway company member who originated the role of Genie in Australia and comes directly from playing it on the North American tour, has assumed the role of Genie. And as part of the show's trio of Aladdin's sidekicks, Mike Longo (Beautiful, Aladdin North American tour) stepped into the role of Kassim.
Check out photos of the new cast members' first bows below! Aladdin opened to critical acclaim on March 20th, 2014 and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 14 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming nearly ten million people worldwide.
As it approaches its 5th anniversary, Aladdin has proven itself an enormous and enduring hit, joining a small, exclusive group of blockbusters. Of the shows opening this decade, only the juggernauts Hamilton and The Book of Mormon have grossed more on Broadway. And in the nearly five years since Aladdin's first performance, only Wicked has been seen by more people on Broadway.
The scale and reach of the show's popularity continues on a parallel track internationally, as the show's global footprint has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Australia and a tour across North America.
Melham, Scott and Longo join the Broadway company that also stars Arielle Jacobs (In the Heights, Wicked) as Jasmine, reuniting with Melham and Scott, her original costars from the Australian production, and Tony Award nominee Jonathan Freeman (Mary Poppins, The Producers, She Loves Me) as Jafar, bringing to the stage the role he indelibly created in the animated film. The show also features Brian Gonzales and Brad Weinstock as Aladdin's sidekicks Babkak and Omar, JC Montgomery as Sultan and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Juwan Crawley, Dennis Stowe and Deonté L. Warren stand by for several principals.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski
The cast of ALADDIN
The cast of ALADDIN
Brad Weinstock, Mike Longo, Brian Gonzales
Brad Weinstock, Mike Longo, Brian Gonzales
The cast of ALADDIN
The cast of ALADDIN
Mike Longo, Brian Gonzales, Michael James Scott, Ainsley Melham, Arielle Jacobs
Brad Weinstock, Mike Longo, Brian Gonzales, Michael James Scott, Ainsley Melham, Arielle Jacobs, Jonathan Freeman
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