Aladdin for Brisbane next February
The new production of Aladdin from the producers of The Lion King and Mary Poppins begins performances at Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 28 February 2018.
The Australian production boasts a cast of 34 and 337 costumes that feature 1,225 different fabrics, 712 different styles of beads and more than 500,000 Swarovski crystals.
Forty tonnes of flying scenery and 60 tonnes of automation and staging will be transferred to Brisbane in 26 48-foot trucks to recreate the fantasy city of Agrabah, including the marketplace, the palace of the Sultan and his daughter Princess Jasmine and the Cave of Wonders.
The principal cast features Michael James Scott in the role of the Genie, Ainsley Melham as Aladdin, Hiba Elchikhe as Jasmine, Adam Murphy as Jafar, Aljin Abella as Iago, George Henare as the Sultan, Adam Jon Fiorentino as Kassim, Troy Sussman as Babkak and Robert Tripolino as Omar.
Based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, Aladdin made its world premiere to critical acclaim at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20th, 2014. It quickly established itself as one of the biggest blockbusters in recent years, breaking 12 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming more than five million people worldwide including productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Melbourne and a tour across North America.
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) 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).
This new production features a full score, including the five popular 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 more than $500 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.
The musical made its Australian premiere in Sydney on 11 August 2016. It’s currently playing at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre where it will remain until it heads for Brisbane in February 2018.
Lyric Theatre, QPAC. Tickets from $60. Bookings: www.aladdinthemusical.com.au
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