Photo Flash: Natalie Morales Visits ALADDIN

Disney's Aladdin, the Tony Award-winning hit musical based on the Academy Award®-winning animated film, is now in its second smash year on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre (214 West 42nd Street). This weekend TODAY show anchor Natalie Morales took in the show - check out photos from her visit below!

Aladdin opened to critical acclaim on March 20th, 2014 and quickly established itself as the biggest blockbuster in recent years, already welcoming over one million people and breaking eight New Amsterdam Theatre house records. Its success continues internationally with a production in Tokyo and upcoming sit-down productions in Hamburg, London, Sydney and additional cities yet to be announced. 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 Gonzales and Jonathan Schwartz as Aladdin's sidekicks Babkak, Kassim and Omar, Clifton Davis as Sultan and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. James Moyeand Trevor Dion Nicholas stand by for several principals.

In a cast of 35, Aladdin also features Kathryn Allison, Tia Altinay, Sam J. Cahn, Mike Cannon, Andrew Cao, Lauryn Ciardullo, Joshua Dela Cruz, YurelEchezarreta, Daisy Hobbs, Rodney Ingram, Donald Jones, Jr., Adam Kaokept, Nikki Long, Nathan Lucrezio, Stanley Martin, Michael Mindlin, Amber Owens, Khori Michelle Petinaud, Ariel Reid, Jennifer Rias, Trent Saunders, Jaz Sealey, Angelo Soriano and Dennis Stowe.

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, five-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.

Photos by Shay Frey