Jade Ewen and Dean John-Wilson to Take Magic Carpet Ride to West End's ALADDIN?

IN THE HEIGHTS' Jade Ewen and HERE LIES LOVE's Dean John-Wilson could be singing "A Whole New World" on the magic carpet when it flies across the pond for ALADDIN's West End debut next summer.

The Daily Mail writes that the duo are currently "in early negotiations" to play Jasmine and Aladdin, respectively, in Disney's Tony Award-winning new musical, slated to premiere on Thursday June 9, 2016 at the Prince Edward Theatre, with previews from Friday, May 27. The pair would join Broadway cast member Trevor Dion Nicholas, making his London stage debut as Genie.

Ewen, former Sugababes member, is currently starring as 'Vanessa' in Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS at the King's Cross Theatre. She made her professional theatre debut as young 'Nala' in the THE LION KING in the West End.

John-Wilson played 'Benigno Aquino' in David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's HERE LIES LOVE at the National Theatre last year. He has also taken the London stage in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.

From Disney Theatrical Productions, the producer of The Lion King, Aladdin features the much-loved songs from the 1992 animated film as well as new music written by Tony, Olivier and eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Little Shop Of Horrors). With lyrics from Olivier Award and two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony and Olivier Award, three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida), and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), and a book by Beguelin, Aladdin is directed and choreographed by Tony and Olivier Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).

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.

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

Now in its second record-breaking year on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre, where it has been seen by more than one million people, Aladdin opened at Tokyo's Dentsu Shiki Theatre Umi in May 2015, will have its European premiere in December 2015 at the Stage Theatre Neue Flora, Hamburg, and will open in Sydney, Australia in 2016.

Previous Disney stage productions in London have included Shakespeare in Love and the Olivier-winning productions of Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins as well as The Lion King, which will soon enter its 17th triumphant year in the West End.

To sign up for exclusive access to the priority booking period for ALADDIN, which will open on Friday 23 October 2015, visit www.aladdinthemusical.co.uk. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday 23 November 2015. Tickets for the initial booking period are available for performances up to and including 1 October 2016.