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[0:00] Frank DiLella: Welcome back to The Magical Making of Aladdin. This is Episode 5, 10 Years on Broadway. I'm your host, Frank DiLella. Approximately three-fourths of all Broadway shows fail, which is marked by whether or not the show is able to recoup its initial financial investment. As of March 20, 2024, Aladdin celebrated an almost unattainable milestone, 10 years on Broadway. It, along with Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, ranks among the top 15 longest-running shows in Broadway history, with Aladdin being among the top 10 highest-grossing shows for virtually every week it's been open. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of performance, the Aladdin team held a huge reunion with both the original and current cast and creatives.

The night included a special invite-only performance in the New Amsterdam Theatre filled with unexpected cameos from many of the original Broadway cast members, lots of ad-libs, and an energy level I haven't felt in years. Also present that night of the celebration was a red carpet. I mean purple carpet. This is Aladdin, after all. As a longtime friend of the show, I was invited to interview the star-studded collection of guests that walked the purple carpet, guests that included people directly involved in Aladdin, and also from the wider Disney on Broadway family. I'm going to kick off this episode now by playing you some of these interviews and reactions from the Aladdin family.

[1:59] Clifton Davis: I'm Clifton Davis and I was the original Sultan.

[2:03] Frank DiLella: What was tonight like for you?

[2:04] Clifton Davis: Oh, it was so exciting. It's still as entertaining as it ever was, and they've kept up the tradition in a marvelous way.

[2:14] Zach Benkel: Hi, my name is Zach Benkel and I play Babkak.

[2:18] Milo Elosi: I am Milo Elosi, I play Kasim.

[2:20] Brad Weinstock: And I'm Brad Weinstock and I play Omar.

[2:23] Frank DiLella: You guys were certainly having a moment with James Monroe Iglehart doing that number in the second act with you. In fact, you paid tribute to him, right?

[2:31] Zach Benkel: Yes, absolutely. You've got to pay homage to the Tony Award winner, you really do.

[2:36] Milo Elosi: Am I crazy or were we just saved by James Monroe?

[2:40] Zach Benkel: And just, you know, we are a family. After ten years doing this show, I've been there for about eight years, we've all been doing it for years apiece, so it felt like a big family reunion tonight with all the ghosts of Agrabah past.

[2:49] Ashley Brown: Hi, I'm Ashley Brown. My first show was On the Record, I then made my Broadway debut as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and then I was lucky enough to originate the role of Mary Poppins on Broadway.

[2:58] Josh Strickland: Hey, what's up everybody? It's Josh Strickland. I originated the role of Tarzan on Broadway. You're here tonight celebrating ten years of Aladdin on Broadway. You guys are part of the Disney family. What is so special about being part of this family? And obviously there is magic involved.

[3:13] Ashley Brown: Absolutely. I think seeing these stories come to life and knowing that we have made lifelong friends while making these shows, putting up these shows, I think, you know, everybody in the Broadway community knows what it takes to kind of get a show on its feet.

[3:26] Josh Strickland: Yeah, the experiences, they're next to none, and that's the thing that Disney has really created is a family. It's just fantastic. It really is.

[3:34] Kara Lindsay: Hi, Frank DiLella. This is Kara Lindsay, and I am at the tenth anniversary performance of Aladdin on Broadway, and I'm very excited.

[3:41] Frank DiLella: You know, what do you think the secret is to the success of the show?

[3:45] Kara Lindsay: The man standing next to me, Alan Menken.

[3:48] Frank DiLella: Who you worked with on Newsies.

[3:51] Kara Lindsay: I mean, truly, the music, but everything. I mean, it's magic. Disney creates magic and relatable stories that transcend beyond reality, and it takes you on this journey, and it fills your soul, and I feel like it's a timeless story, and it's for the dreamers. And we all have little dreamers inside of us, you know, and that's what draws us to Disney Stories.

[4:20] Frank DiLella: There were two fun questions asked to everyone I spoke to on the purple carpet. The first being, if you could take a magic carpet right now to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

[4:30] Michael Maliakel: If I could go on a magic carpet right now, I'd go to the Maldives.

[4:42] Michael James Scott: Here's the current genie, Michael James Scott. Oh, I would go to Australia. I would go probably to Sydney, because I love it there so much.

[4:50] Courtney Reed: This is Courtney Reed, the original Jasmine on Broadway. Oh gosh, I would say probably Thailand, as my mom was born and raised there.

[4:58] Don Darryl Rivera: And Don Darryl Rivera, the original and still current Iago on Broadway. Oh my gosh, I think I would go to the Philippines. I really would. I would like to see my mother's childhood house again.

[5:09] Clifton Davis: Once again, Clifton Davis, the original Sultan on Broadway. First I would get my wife to get on the carpet with me, and then we would go to Rio de Janeiro.

[5:19] Sonya Balsara: This is Sonya Balsara, the current Jasmine on Broadway. I want to go to Bali. I want some sun and some water, blue water.

[5:28] Zach Benkel: Here's Zach Benkel, who plays Babkak on Broadway. I want to go to the beach. I want to lay on a beach like a lizard on a rock and cook and tan.

[5:36] James Monroe Iglehart: To close out this round of answers, here's the original genie himself, Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart. I would probably go to London and slap hands with my friend Trevor Dion Nichols, who was the genie over there. I would probably go to Germany and slap hands with the genie over there. I would try to go to all the places Aladdin hit and slap hands with the guys who stepped on stage and sang the famous song, Friend Like Me, and just say, thank you for giving your blood, sweat and tears to make this thing what it is all around the world. That's what I would do.

[6:11] Frank DiLella: And since this is a podcast, I want to see what everyone's answers would be to the question, if you hosted a podcast and you had to pick a Disney character as your co-host, who would you choose? Here's a collection of my favorite answers presented in rapid fire form.

[6:26] Various Guests: Jiminy Cricket. Iago. Hades from Hercules. The character Elubitiana. I'd probably say the genie. Belle in Beauty and the Beast. I guess it's got to be Mickey Mouse. I mean, I'm going to stick with Jasmine. I think it would definitely be Iago. I would have to ask for the beast. I would probably pick two, just for the fun of it. I would probably pick Hades, because you just need some color commentator. It'd be fun. And the other person would be genie. The three of us would probably have a fantastic time and it would probably be a hit show with all the mess we would probably come up with.

[7:05] Frank DiLella: All right, don't go anywhere. We're diving into the Easter eggs and surprises of the 10th anniversary performance right after this break.

[7:17] Frank DiLella: All right, taking us away from the purple carpet, let's go back to the studio. I want to first bring in Chad Begulin, who wrote the book and additional lyrics for Aladdin, to chat about that unprecedented performance on March 28th, 2024. Chad, that performance was an epic celebration that had a lot of planning that had to go into it. I know you and director Casey Nicholaw may have spoken together about a few things beforehand, but did you know everything that was going to happen? Or, for you, was it still full of surprises?

[7:37] Chad Begulin: It was, and it was funny because Casey had told me some of the surprises. I knew that Adam Jacobs was going to be there, and I knew about the dancing thousands that were going to happen in Friend Like Me, but that was it, so I didn't know about the other cameos. To set the scene for the podcast listeners, Courtney Reed, the original Jasmine on Broadway, also made a cameo by popping out in the scene before they started to sing A Million Miles Away. Do you remember that?

[8:13] Chad Begulin: I was like, what is everybody screaming about? Oh my God, it's Courtney! And so then I was like, oh, I get the game we're playing. And then we were sitting next to James Monroe Iglehart's wife, and we're like, is he going to come out and do Somebody's Got Your Back? And she's like, I have no idea. And then there he was. And so we still don't know if she really had no clue, but it was an exciting and such a thrill to see all of these original cast members. And it was really like a reunion for you, right?

[8:39] Chad Begulin: Absolutely. I mean, even just seeing all of the people who had been in the show over the 10 years, it was like 10 high school reunions, you know, swirled into one because we just kept, you know, seeing these people from different casts and different years and different times. And it was just, it was like a time warp.

[8:58] Casey Nicholaw: Chad, as the director of Aladdin, you were charged with, shall we say, embellishing the 10th anniversary performance quite a bit. What was that night like for you?

[9:06] Casey Nicholaw: I'm still completely on a high from it. I am. It was so exciting. And it just felt like there was so much love in the room. And it was amazing. And to see all those people from the original company and see them on stage. I mean, there were just so many people. I forgot how many people have done Aladdin over the last 10 years.

[9:27] Frank DiLella: Oh my gosh. And you filled the house, especially with that special moment at the end, Friend Like Me. And just kind of set the scene for those listening to the podcast. What happened with the Friend Like Me moment?

[9:35] Casey Nicholaw: We had 25 extra people in the number. So we had, you know, everyone's used to those two lines of tappers that come out. So there were the two lines of tappers coming out, and then the music was extended, and then another line of people on stage came out, and then everyone started coming down the aisles and then out of the boxes. And it was amazing. It was thrilling. It was so thrilling.

[9:56] Frank DiLella: And throughout the show, there were these amazing Easter eggs with real people, the original stars of Aladdin that you dropped in throughout the show. Did you have a favorite one of the night?

[10:11] Casey Nicholaw: No, I kind of liked all of them. It was sort of like if anyone in the show wears a cloak, beware. Because it means they're going to turn into someone else. So like, you know, Jasmine was in her cloak, and then she runs off stage, and then the cloaked Jasmine comes back on, and boom, it's Courtney Reed. Everyone went crazy. Same thing with James was in, you know, came out of the door, you know, as a genie. And also, you know, when Jafar says, you know, what are you doing? And he puts on the cloak. He's like, I'm improvising. And then, of course, he takes off the cloak, and it's Jonathan Freeman. That was really fun. And also, we had Adam Jacobs come on.

[10:44] Frank DiLella: Yeah.

[10:45] Casey Nicholaw: Which was amazing, because we didn't think he was going to get to, because it was his opening night of Tommy.

[10:48] Frank DiLella: That's right. Adam told us the story from his perspective back in episode two. But how on earth did you actually manage it?

[10:55] Casey Nicholaw: We promised them we'd have him back by like 6:10. We figured out how to get him on stage in the first, like, two minutes of the show. It was amazing. It was super fun.

[11:07] Frank DiLella: Michael James Scott, thank you for joining us again. What was it like for you to have so many of your original cast members back in one place, especially seeing your buddy James Monroe Iglehart back on stage?

[11:14] Michael James Scott: Yes. Oh my gosh. It felt like we were all dreaming. I mean, there was so much overload of, like, insanity, of, like, love, and just, like, reminiscing and all the things that it was. I mean, to be able to get to 10 years in anything is amazing. On Broadway, like, that ain't no joke. Like, as you know, it's very rare, and there are very few shows.

[11:36] Michael James Scott: So to be amongst the class and, you know, the ranks of the other shows in history who have gotten to 10 years is just incredible. Because this Aladdin family was so close. You know, we spent so much time out of town, and then we came in, and, you know, so there was a lot of—everyone was very, very close. It really was a family. It really, really was. It's one of the most close companies I've ever been a part of. I've been very blessed to be a part of a number of Broadway shows and other shows. This was one of the closest companies I've ever been a part of. They are family. So to be able to have that in the room, again, was pretty—it was literally like euphoria in terms of just, like, feeling that energy.

[12:35] Frank DiLella: Joining our conversation now is Jonathan Freeman, the man who not only originated the role of Jafar in Seattle, Toronto, and Broadway, but as the voice of Jafar in the animated feature, is still the only person—get this—in history to originate the same role both in an animated film and on Broadway. Jonathan, what was the 10th anniversary performance like for you?

[12:55] Jonathan Freeman: Terrifying.

[12:59] Frank DiLella: Why?

[13:01] Jonathan Freeman: I was—it was terrifying. Well, because I haven't done it in two years, and I had done it for a very long time, for eight years here, and in Toronto before that, and in Seattle before that, and workshops in between, and for 30 years before—or, you know, 25 years before that, doing other ancillary things, games, and it was just very strange to step back into it.

[13:26] Frank DiLella: Joining the conversation now is Dennis Stowe, who has also had an amazing decade with Aladdin, having first started out in the original Broadway cast as a member of the ensemble in Jafar Understudy, before taking over the role full-time in early 2022. Dennis, how did you feel not only playing Jafar on that amazing night, but also having Jonathan Freeman be right there to share the stage with you?

[13:52] Jonathan Freeman: I was actually nervous that he was there, too, because I don't believe that he ever saw me do it. So, right? Is that true? No, I don't think so. So, I was quite nervous about that. He was always watching. Well, yeah, you know, and so I was also nervous that I was hopefully, you know, doing a decent job in doing it and hopefully that he would approve of me taking over the role. So, but I think it was quite celebratory. It was like an opening night without the pressure of reviews, right? We could really celebrate this very rare and amazing milestone that we have achieved. So, it was pretty magical. Next, I want to go to Don Darryl Rivera, or DDR, who has not only played Iago on Broadway for literally the entire 10 years, but actually joined the cast in Seattle way back in 2011. DDR, what do you think about what Dennis just said?

[14:50] Don Darryl Rivera: I agree with that. It was like a room full of love. It was like our closest friends and family and some of our biggest fans, like, just celebrating the fact that we got to 10 years. Like, who would have thunk it? DDR, staying with you for a moment, let me ask you a simple question. How has Aladdin changed your life?

[15:08] Don Darryl Rivera: So, as a kid, I was a very hopeless romantic child. I was like, when I get married, I'm going to provide for my family, and it's going to be great. And then I chose to be an actor. But I was part of a very lucky 20% of actors in Seattle who just worked all year, and I was very lucky and thankful for that. And then I got to Broadway, and I was able to do that. And it really is kind of a childhood dream come true to stand on a Broadway stage, do what I love to do, do what I went to school for, and provide for my family, and take us on awesome vacations, and have a house, and be able to do everything we want to do. I'm really, truly thankful that Disney has truly changed my life.

[16:01] Dennis Stowe: As artists, especially Broadway artists, are sort of conditioned to want to go always to the next thing. There's always the next thing, the next thing. Luckily for me, this came at a time where I was ready to sort of sit in something if I could. Like, you just don't really, you don't expect that a Broadway show is going to last this long. Personally, for me, and career-wise, for me to come from the ensemble, and now to be able to play this role, it's just been, I mean, amazing. And so it's just so joyous. I mean, we laugh out loud every day, and that's just such a blessing. And I don't really, I don't take it for granted that we get to come to a place that really feels like family. And sometimes people say that, and it sounds very cliché, but it really, really still feels like that, because that's how it was created.

And it's amazing that it still feels like that. So it's just been a joy. I feel, even when I'm tired, I just feel so joyful to be able to do this. Can I tell the story about the day that I brought you over to New Amsterdam?

[17:07] Jonathan Freeman: Yeah. Okay, this is a good story. And this meant a lot to me. We were at the 42nd Street Studios, and we're looking out of the window, and they're putting up the marquee. So we're looking out of the window, and Didier was saying, oh, gee, I wonder what it's like inside the theater. And I said, well, have you not been in it? And he said, no. And I said, well, you want to go? He said, is it okay? And I said, oh, of course it's okay. I know everyone in the building. And anyway, as if he had a big shot, I guess. And I said, of course. I said, well, when we're done with this, we'll go over. So we went over, people working on stage, we're standing in the back of the theater, and I saw Timmy working on stage.

And I said, Timmy. He was like, hey, Jonathan, what's going on? So I said, I want to introduce you. So we go down the side, we come down the side aisle, we get onto the stage. And I was talking, I have a little conversation with Timmy. And I said, is it okay if we're here for a little bit? He said, yeah, it's fine. Nothing's going on right now that's dangerous. So you could be here. So anyway, and I turned to go get Didier, and he was full on bawling because of this magnificent theater that he was in.

[18:17] Don Darryl Rivera: It was going to be our home.

[18:18] Jonathan Freeman: Our home.

[18:19] Don Darryl Rivera: Yeah.

[18:23] Frank DiLella: And we'll be right back.

[18:29] Michael James Scott: Michael James Scott, as the original Broadway standby for Genie, and now the current Genie on Broadway, you've been living with this role for some time and have experienced it in multiple incarnations in multiple productions. Can you talk about the evolution of Genie?

[18:45] Michael James Scott: Yes. And how has it changed you? You know, when I started out, it was, it was really just about, it was almost like just surviving. Like, I was just kind of like, oh, okay, let me do what I, my version of it. And then I was kind of throwing everything in the kitchen sink up to a wall and seeing what would stick for my, for my version. And then I left the show about seven months into the run, and I was away from the show. And then when they asked me to open the Australian company, Originate the Genie Down Under, coming back at it, it was such an amazing process because I went back into a full rehearsal process, which is very different for, you know, for an actor to kind of start it and then come back into it and then do a full, like four, five-week rehearsal process with the company down in Australia.

What was really amazing is I really kind of threw out my version before that and really created what was the sort of blueprint of my version now for that part. So it was kind of like the, like the two, there's like two folds of like the genie for me. It was like the before Australia and the after Australia moment. And that's kind of how it worked for me. And, you know, when you go away from something and you come back at it, time changes all kinds of things for all of us. And so we grow, we, we, and we grow into our craft and we do, we evolve into the artists that we become because of our life experiences. And that's really what, what, what it did for me.

[20:24] Casey Nicholaw: Casey, you've worked on a lot of musical theater throughout your career, have gotten the awards, done the work. So what makes Aladdin work? Why do you think it works?

[20:34] Casey Nicholaw: I think it's how it started out was there was just so much nostalgia for it. The first year, it was really more of a date night show. It was people that grew up with it, that saw it in like 1992 or 93 when it came out, but they see a whole new world. And they're like, you know, looking at each other lovingly and like wiping their eyes and stuff. I had a lot of people, a lot of couples say that was great. We're going to bring our kids next time. And I just thought that was really cool.

[20:58] Jonathan Freeman: Yeah. It's a stamp of approval. Is there a moment in the show you look forward to every time you see it?

[21:02] Casey Nicholaw: Yeah. I love, I'm a sucker. I love when he transforms into Prince Ali at the end of, and he gets to sing that reprise of Proud of Your Boy at the end of Act One. I love that.

[21:14] Jonathan Freeman: That's what I was hoping to do with Adam Jacobs. I wanted Michael to like go upstage and then transform into Adam and have Adam come downstage at the end of Act One.

[21:23] Casey Nicholaw: You'll do it for the 20th.

[21:23] Jonathan Freeman: So the 20th, we'll do it for the 20th.

[21:26] Frank DiLella: Switching gears, DDR, there are many reasons we can all think of as to why Aladdin has been running for a decade on Broadway. But what do you attribute to the success of the show?

[21:32] Don Darryl Rivera: I think it's our audience's willingness to play with us, to know that they're in good hands with the story, but to embrace this new idea of what Aladdin is, the way that we present it. Their willingness to go with it and not be like, well, you know, that wasn't in the movie, or like, where's the monkey? They're happy to fall in love with us all over again.

[21:59] Dennis Stowe: Dennis, what are your thoughts on Aladdin's longevity?

[22:02] Dennis Stowe: I think for the stage show, it's the diversity that people don't really highlight. It's the fact that all kinds of people can come see themselves on the stage. The world of Agrabah that has been created is a diverse one, that I do honestly feel that that has really helped the success of the show, that people need to see themselves on stage when they come in this two and a half hour time in this fantasy world.

[22:30] Frank DiLella: Right. I remember you mentioning something similar to me when Sonia Balsara joined the cast as Jasmine.

[22:34] Dennis Stowe: I remember seeing these little Indian girls dressed as Jasmine, and I hadn't really seen that before, you know, before she got there. It's important. It's very important. Representation is important. We say it all the time, but I really think that that is a big reason why we are still here.

[22:53] Michael James Scott: Uncle James Sky, you look like you want to add something.

[22:55] Michael James Scott: The major turn, I think, for me was coming back after the pandemic and truly what was happening as, you know, not only was the pandemic coming back into this new space of more racially aware Broadway and Disney on Broadway, our creatives wanting to have the conversation. You know, James and I were part of conversations during the pandemic before we reopened of just all kinds of cultural things within the show and just culturally like this, what this moment meant for us as men of color and then how that actually infiltrated into the show. And that was incredible to be a part of that conversation. And I'm so grateful for Tom Schumacher, Ann Court, Casey Nicholaw, Chad Beglin. They were so amazing with being open, with having this conversation, right, and what that really meant for us all.

So coming back into it, it was not lost on me to be a queer Black man standing in a leading light for this show that is one of the biggest Broadway shows. It was not lost on me. So to come back at that and seeing how the genie changed for me, you know, when Aladdin asks the genie, what would you wish for? And he says freedom. And how that landed this time around was really quite profound for me and for what I want my legacy with the role to be.

[24:44] Frank DiLella: And so dear listeners, it is time for the curtain to fall on our journey through Aladdin's dazzling decade on Broadway. Ten years of laughter, tears, and wonder. Ten years of unforgettable performances and a story that has touched millions around the world. I want to take a moment to thank all the cast and crew past and present who have poured their hearts into every scene, song, and dance. Your brilliance and dedication has brought joy and inspiration that will continue to impact generations far into the future. And to you, our listeners, thank you for joining this journey. May the magic of Aladdin remind you that even in dark times, a little magic and love can light up the world.

[25:38] Frank DiLella: And with that, we wrap this series of the magical making of Aladdin. Be sure to get tickets to see Aladdin the Musical on Broadway or any of the international productions by visiting aladdinthemusical.com. Special thanks to our guests for this episode, Don Darryl Rivera, Dennis Stowe, Jonathan Freeman, Michael James Scott, Chad Beguilin, Casey Nicholaw, and all the guests from the Purple Carpet. This episode is produced by Dory Bernstein, Alan Seales, and Kim Garris on behalf of the Broadway Podcast Network in partnership with Disney Theatrical Group. Audio engineered by Alan Seales and Sarah Goodman. Edited and sound designed by Alan Seales. Additional production design and content edits by Disney Theatrical Group, and Natalie Ott and Molly Barson from Situation Interactive. And I'm your host, Frank DiLella.

[26:47] ♪ Musical number: "A Whole New World" — performed by the cast ♪