Jonathan Freeman News

Broadway's most magical musical MARY POPPINS celebrated its 2000th performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Sunday, September 4. A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play 2000 or more Broadway performances. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a look backstage during the celebration!

Broadway's most magical musical MARY POPPINS celebrates its 2000th performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Sunday, September 4. A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play 2000 or more Broadway performances.

Broadway's most magical musical MARY POPPINS celebrates its 2000th performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Sunday, September 4. A co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, MARY POPPINS is the third Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King) and the fifth Cameron Mackintosh show (joining Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) to play 2000 or more Broadway performances.

Direct from the North American tour of MARY POPPINS, Steffanie Leigh will make her Broadway debut in the title role, beginning performances at the New Amsterdam Theatre Tuesday, October 11. Olivier Award winner Laura Michelle Kelly, The West End's original MARY POPPINS, will play her final performance on Broadway Sunday, October 9.

Take a much beloved Disney hit animated musical written by the incomparable Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and turn it into a big flashy Broadway musical directed by recent Tony award winner Casey Nicholaw fresh off 'The Book of Mormon'. Sounds like a no brainer, right? What can go wrong? Well, plenty as is evidenced by the 5th Avenue Theatre's most recent pre-Broadway tryout, 'Aladdin' which more resembles a Disney park show than a legit stage musical.

The 5th Avenue Theatre began previews for Aladdin, a new stage musical adapted from Disney's 1992 animated feature film on July 7, 2011, in anticipation of a July 21, 2011 opening. Aladdin, featuring the Academy Award®-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, will run through July 31, 2011. The first official production photos have been released and appear below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre just opened the premiere of Aladdin, a new stage musical adapted from Disney's 1992 animated feature film. Aladdin, featuring the Academy Award®-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, began previews on July 7 and runs until July 31, 2011. Click below for a first look at Aladdin onstage at the 5th Avenue Theatre!

The 5th Avenue Theatre just began previews of Aladdin, a new stage musical adapted from Disney's 1992 animated feature film. Aladdin, featuring the Academy Award®-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, began performances on July 7 and runs until July 31, 2011. Official opening is July, 21. Check out photos of the cast with writers/directors of the movie, Ron Clements and John Musker below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre just opened the premiere of Aladdin, a new stage musical adapted from Disney's 1992 animated feature film. Aladdin, featuring the Academy Award®-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, previews on July 7 and runs until July 31, 2011. In the latest installment of Andrew's Blog-created by cast member Andrew Keenan-Bolger, the cast of Aladdin celebrates July 4th at Seattle's Cal Anderson Park. Click below to check it out!

The 5th Avenue Theatre is proud to announce that it will produce the premiere of Aladdin, a new stage musical adapted from Disney's 1992 animated feature film.

In Seattle, Washington, 5th Avenue Theatre is preparing for the premiere of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Mormon's Casey Nicholaw. Check out the recently released rehearsal footage below!

In Seattle, Washington, 5th Avenue Theatre is preparing for the premiere of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Mormon's Casey Nicholaw. In the clip below, Brian Gonzalez, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Adam Jacobs, and Brandon O'Neill sing 'Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim' from the show!

In Seattle, Washington, 5th Avenue Theatre is preparing for the premiere of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Mormon's Casey Nicholaw. Check out the just released promo art for the new production below!

The 5th Avenue Theatre's production of Aladdin features Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie, and Seattle mainstay Seán G. Griffin as the Sultan. Jonathan Freeman takes the stage to embody the role he originally voiced for the film, the Royal Vizier Jafar. He is joined by comedic favorite Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Aladdin restores a trio of characters originally conceived by the film's creators: Omar, Babkak, and Kassim, played by Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Brian Gonzales, and Brandon O'Neill, respectively. Check out Courtney Reed, Tia Altinay, Shanna Marie Palmer, and Allysa Shorte performing 'Call Me A Princess' on New Day Northwest below!

In Seattle, Washington, 5th Avenue Theatre is preparing for the premiere of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Mormon's Casey Nicholaw. Check out photos of the marquee, which just went up, below!

The East Coast was not the only crowd that was in a celebratory mood on Sunday night for the Tony Awards, at which The Book of Mormon came out the big winner. In Seattle, Washington, the premiere cast of Disney's Aladdin, directed by Mormon's Casey Nicholaw, was also celebrating the nine Mormon Tonys, including the one accepted by Nicholaw for Best Direction of a Musical. Check out the cast photo below with Nicholaw!

Tonight, 2,400 high school students, teachers and parents from across Washington state packed Benaroya Hall for the Ninth Annual 5th Avenue Awards: Honoring High School Musical Theater, sponsored by Wells Fargo and supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is thrilled to announce casting for the highly anticipated premiere of Disney's Aladdin, a new stage musical. The show will feature Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie, and Seattle mainstay Seán G. Griffin as the Sultan. Jonathan Freeman takes the stage to embody the role he originally voiced for the film, the Royal Vizier Jafar. He is joined by comedic favorite Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Aladdin restores a trio of characters originally conceived by the film's creators: Omar, Babkak, and Kassim, played by Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Brian Gonzales, and Brandon O'Neill, respectively. Broadway's Casey Nicholaw will direct. With book by Chad Beguelin and hit songs including 'Friend Like Me,' 'Prince Ali,' and the Oscar-winning 'A Whole New World' by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Aladdin will enchant audiences of all ages.

MARY POPPINS, Broadway's perfectly magical musical, is pleased to welcome all new Banks children to the Broadway cast: Brigid Harrington and Kara Oates will alternate the role of Jane Banks with Rozi Baker and Lewis Grosso will alternate the role of Michael Banks with David Gabriel Lerner and Anthony Scarpone-Lambert. (Harrington and Grosso mark their official Broadway debut tonight, Tuesday, May 10; Oates will begin performances on Tuesday, May 24.)

Broadway star Jonathan Freeman who originated one of Disney's most notorious villains, will have the rare opportunity to bring that character to life on-stage when he plays the evil royal vizier Jafar in the premiere of the new stage musical of Aladdin at The 5th Avenue Theatre this July.