Video: ALADDIN Pays Tribute to Howard Ashman at 4000th Performance
Although Ashman passed away in 1991, his legacy endures through the music he created with composer Alan Menken.
By: Stephi Wild May. 19, 2025
On May 17, 2025, Disney Theatrical Group celebrated the 4000th performance of Aladdin on Broadway and honored Howard Ashman, whose lyrical genius shaped the scores of "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Little Shop of Horrors," and "Aladdin." This date also marked what would have been Ashman’s 75th birthday. DTG’s productions of Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast rank among Broadway’s 15 longest runs. Check out a video of the post-show tribute performance here.
Although Ashman passed away in 1991, his legacy endures through the music he created with composer Alan Menken. This one-night only performance is a tribute to Ashman, recognizing his contributions to musical theater and Disney . The special 3rd act features the cast of Aladdin on Broadway, including Caleb B. Barnett as Genie, Khadija Sanko, Ariana Groover, and Salome Smith from Little Shop of Horrors, Kyra Belle Johnson and Fergie Philippe from Disney's upcoming North American tour of Beauty and the Beast, Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel from "The Little Mermaid," and Alan Menken, the legendary EGOT-winning composer.
Aladdin, the hit musical based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim on March 20, 2014 and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years.
The Broadway production has set 17 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and spawned 11 productions on four continents. Worldwide it has welcomed over 21 million people and can be seen currently on Broadway and in Tokyo, Madrid and Seoul.
Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, under the direction of Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart and Thomas Schumacher, Aladdin 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 six-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).
Aladdin, adapted from the animated 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 exciting world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. The 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, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year and winning two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for the indelible hit “A Whole New World.”
Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, eight-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, three-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. John MacInnis is the associate choreographer, Jason Trubitt is the production supervisor and Myriah Bash is the general manager. Anne Quart serves as executive producer.
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