When the casts of Disney on Broadway’s Aladdin and The Lion King musicals were experiencing a flight delay on a trip to Orlando, what else could they do but put on a little bit of a show. The two casts held a sing-off right in… Read More »The casts of two Disney Broadway musicals get stuck in an airport and we’re the winners
James Monroe Iglehart plays The Genie in Disney’s Aladdin and steals show every night with his high energy, comedic ability, and super-sized personality. When he’s not on stage at Aladdin, Iglehart performs with the hip hop collective Freestyle Love Supreme and has been known to… Read More »Disney’s Broadway Genie raps about Steve Jobs
If you purchased the original cast recording album for Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, you may have grown fond of the two bonus tracks. One of the special tracks features Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) and James Monroe Iglehart (The Genie) as they team up with Disney legend… Read More »Aladdin on Broadway Cast Recording Bonus Track
The cast of Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway recently took to Reddit for an AMA (ask me anything) session. Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), James Monroe Iglehart (Genie), and Jonathan Freeman (Jafar) responded to fans questions. The whole interview is worth reading, but here are some of the highlights:
When was the last time they let their heart decide? James responded with a story from his recent trip to Walt Disney World:
I let my heart decide whether to go on Space Mountain or the new Seven Dwarves Mine Ride and Fantasy Land? I went on Seven Dwarves, because that was the coolest roller coaster I’ve been on in a LONG time. It shouldn’t be cool, and you expect because it’s Snow White it’ll be all kiddie and stuff, and the minute you go down, it’s not a regular thing – it was a good hard decision.
Where James’ take on The Genie comes from:
the AMAZING, Late Great Howard Ashman – he is the mind, the brain, behind Aladdin, the idea of it to be a Disney film. His original idea for the Genie was to be more like Cab Calloway and Fats Waller – and so because I’m such a huge fan of Robin Williams, and he’s such a legend, I didn’t want to touch his material. No one can be Robin. Only Robin. So when they told me about Howard’s original idea, I didn’t feel so afraid to make it my own, because that world – Cab Calloway, Fats Waller – that swing music – I know that world. And also, our wonderful director Casey Nicholaw, he told me to find my own Genie. So I started doing all the silly things I think are funny. What you see onstage is me with the volume onstage turned up to about 30. So I got to be as silly as I want to be, while still paying homage to the film. I saw the film when I was 17, in 1992, and i’m a HUGE fan, so I wanted to give play to that.
Jonathan Freeman (who also voiced Jafar in the movie) on stealing form the movie for Jafar:
Good point. I do try to steal a little bit of Jafar’s physicality from the film, since i’m not that much like him physically, I do try to steal what I can – because I think that was really a huge part of it.
I can’t get enough of Disney’s Aladdin. I hope to get up to NYC soon to take in a show for myself. But in the meantime, I’m happy that ABC7 in NYC has shared this backstage look at the musical.Read More »A backstage pass to Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway
It was a special moment after curtain call at last night’s performance of Disney’s Aladdin the Musical on Broadway. Tony winner James M. Iglehart, who plays the Genie in the Broadway musical, came on stage to lead the audience in a tribute to the great… Read More »James M Iglehart and cast of Disney’s Aladdin the Musical pay tribute to Robin Williams
It’s a few days late, but Disney Theatrical has released a short clip of James Monroe Iglehart backstage before his guest hosting duties on ABC’s The View on July 25. As he says in the clip, every now and then even The Genie gets his… Read More »James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin’s Genie, co-hosts the view