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VIDEO: Adam Jacobs Explains Origins of ALADDIN/LION KING Epic Medley

By: Jan. 08, 2016
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Broadway Star Adam Jacobs was part of an epic new medley featuring the Broadway casts of Aladdin and THE LION KING. The actor is the only person to ever play the title role in both of the hit Broadway musicals.

Prior to the performance, Jacobs explained the origin of the exclusive medley: "We were on our way to this conference and we were stuck at the airport, we were 6 hours delayed, and to pass the time, we just started doing what we love to do, and the audience really got into it," he explains. Watch the clip below!

Watch the LION KING/ALADDIN Medley here!

Today's medley was created exclusively for "GMA," and featured 16 cast members from both shows, including stars Adam Jacobs, James Monroe Iglehart, Courtney Reed, Brian Gonzales, L. Steven Taylor, Jelani Remy, Chantel Riley andBonita J. Hamilton, singing never-before-heard mash-ups of the most popular songs from each show. In a twist, the cast of Aladdin sang from The Lion King's songbook and vice versa.

In its 19th year, The Lion King remains ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 22 global productions have been seen by more than 80 million people and, cumulatively, run a staggering 132 years. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction ofThomas Schumacher), The Lion King is only the second show in history to generate five productions worldwide running 10 or more years. Translated into eight different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin), productions of The Lion King can currently be seen on Broadway; London's West End; Hamburg; Tokyo; Madrid; Melbourne, Australia; Mexico City; and on tour across NORTH AMERICA and Japan, for a total of nine productions running concurrently across the globe. Having played 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica, The Lion King's worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.

ALADDIN, Disney's hit Broadway musical, opened to critical acclaim on March 20th, 2014 and quickly established itself as the biggest new blockbuster in recent years, already welcoming well over one million people and consistently ranking with the juggernauts Wicked and The Lion King as one of the highest-attended shows on Broadway. Aladdin's global footprint expands with productions in Tokyo and Hamburg and upcoming sit-down productions in London, Sydney and additional cities yet to be announced.

Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar winnerAlan 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).





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