Disney’s “Aladdin” Set To Become Broadway Musical

One of Disney’s most beloved animated films, Aladdin, is set to become the latest Broadway musical from Disney Theatrical Productions. Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions, promised that the new musical will be “a full-length, big song musical with big dance numbers.”

“If I look around Broadway right now, what I want to see is big production numbers. I want to see lush environments. I want surprise,” Schumacher said Friday. “You want a lot of humor, which we will do. And you want heart.”

The Aladdin Broadway musical will be choreographed and directed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw, whose previous hit shows include “The Book of Mormon” and “The Drowsy Chaperone.”Bob Crowley will handle designing the set, and Chad Beguelin has been hired on to write the story and some of the lyrics.

The musical will first be shown at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre this November for nine weeks with a plan to bringing it to Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre in 2014. “Mary Poppins,” which is currently in the 1,797-seat New Amsterdam Theatre, ends its six-year run in March.

The biggest question remaining is how Disney Theatrical Productions plan on handling the shape shifting genie, but they have planned for that too. “I do feel pretty confident in what we’ve done with the genie,” said Schumacher. “When you buy a ticket and sit down in a theater, you want the live experience, not a film recreated.”

Disney Theatrical Productions hope that Aladdin will be a runaway hit like their Lion King Broadway Musical.

I.M.