Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, announce casting for the first ever UK and Ireland tour of Disney’s Aladdin.
The critically acclaimed Broadway and West End musical will open the tour in Edinburgh in October 2023, followed by dates in Cardiff, Plymouth, Sunderland, and Milton Keynes, with further cities to be announced.
The UK and Ireland tour of Disney’s Aladdin will star Yeukayi Ushe (Disney’s The Lion King, A Strange Loop, Kinky Boots and Motown The Musical) as Genie and introduce Gavin Adams as Aladdin. A recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Gavin will be making his professional debut in the title role. Also a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Desmonda Cathabel (Miss Saigon, From Here to Eternity) will play Jasmine when the show opens in Edinburgh, with casting for the role in future venues to be announced in due course.
They will be joined by Adam Strong (Rock of Ages, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) as Jafar, Jo Servi (Dreamgirls, The Color Purple) as Sultan, Angelo Paragoso (The Reporter, Miss Saigon) as Iago, Nay-Nay (Once On This Island) as Babkak, Adam Taylor (Cabaret, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) as Omar, and Nelson Bettencourt (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables) as Kassim.
The full cast will also include Hannah Amin, Dammi Aregbeshola, Rico Bakker, Daisy Barnett, Sarah Benbelaid, Erin Gisele Chapman, Tau-En Chien, Zac Frieze, Juan Jackson, James Lim, Harriet Millier, Aaron Elijah Patel, Abbie Platts, Joseph Poulton, Olivier Scheers, Kerry Spark, Ricardo Spriggs, Damien Winchester, Niko Wirachman.
Experience the timeless story of Disney’s Aladdin, a thrilling production filled with unforgettable magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle! Don’t miss this extraordinary theatrical event already seen by over 14 million people worldwide, where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.
“I remember when I first watched Disney’s animated feature of Aladdin as a child” says Yeukayi Ushe (Genie), “singing along to those timeless songs and watching in awe at the comedic stylings of Robin Williams. Now I get to take that brilliant, bold, and beloved Genie envisaged by such brilliant creators and bring him to life in this spectacular, all singing, all dancing live stage version, going on UK tour for the first time.”
Gavin Adams (Aladdin) continues: “I am delighted to be making my theatrical debut in such an iconic role, a real diamond in the rough whose aspirations and heart make him a true loveable hero. Come and join us on this magic carpet ride! We can’t wait to see you.”
Adapted from Disney’s 1992 animated film and centuries-old folktales including “One Thousand and One Nights”, this smash-hit musical is brought to theatrical life in a unique and dazzling way. The show continues its record-breaking run on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre, and since opening there in March 2014, nine subsequent productions have launched around the world, including over 1200 performances at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End.
Aladdin features the timeless songs from the animated film, as well as new music by Tony®, Olivier®, Grammy® and eight-time Acadamy Award® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Academy Award® winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony® and three-time Academy Award® winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Evita, Aida) and six-time Tony® nominee Chad Beguelin (The Prom, The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony® and Olivier® Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).
Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony®-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, seven-time Tony®-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony®-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis.
The production team also includes illusion designers Jim Steinmeyer and Rob Lake, 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. Ben Clare is the associate director, Kyle Seeley is the dance supervisor, Jason Trubitt is the production supervisor and Myriah Bash is the US general manager. Casting is by Jill Green CDG.
