National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals at the AO Arena, Manchester. Performed on 22 January 2024, broadcast on BBC1 on 27 January and now available on iPlayer. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★
Tag Archives | Aladdin
Disney’s Aladdin tour – cast announced
Yeukayi Ushe (Disney’s The Lion King, A Strange Loop, Kinky Boots and Motown The Musical) will star as Genie alongside recent Royal Academy of Music graduate Gavin Adams who will make his professional debut in the title role in Disney’s Aladdin as the hit show takes flight on its first UK and Ireland tour this autumn.
October 2023 launch for the first UK and Ireland tour of Disney’s Aladdin
Disney’s Aladdin will take flight on its first UK and Ireland tour this autumn, launching at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 24 October until 18 November 2023.
A conversation with Stephen Schwartz: Pippin, that Wicked movie and an astonishing career as a composer
When STEPHEN SCHWARTZ was just 26 years old, he had three successful shows running on Broadway simultaneously. Four and a half decades later, with Wicked about to join The Prince of Egypt in reopening after the Covid closures, and Charing Cross Theatre’s psychedelic production of Pippin extending its run to 3 October 2021, the legendary […]
Covent Garden to host third Disney Pop-Up Experience
Disney fans will once again get the chance to get closer than ever before to their favourite shows when the film studios’ theatrical arm opens its Summer Pop-Up Experience in the heart of London’s Covent Garden later this month. Located in the historic Carriage Hall on Floral Street, the third Disney on Stage Summer Pop-Up […]
Broadway reopening set for September 2021
Broadway is finally – and definitely – coming back. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the ban on theatrical performance in effect for over a year will be lifted on 14 September 2021. Selling of advance tickets will begin immediately. The shutdown, mandated in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, began on 12 […]
Five Questions With: Matthew Croke
Widely recognised for his critically-acclaimed performance as the title character in the West End production of Disney’s Aladdin, MATTHEW CROKE recently took centre stage as a contestant in this year’s tenth series of The Voice UK. Opening the show with his stand-out vocals, Matt performed ‘Come What May’ in the blind auditions, in the second episode of the new series, and […]
Howard – Disney Plus
Howard is a Disney+ documentary about American playwright and lyricist Howard Ashman. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ To the younger generation of theatregoers and lovers of Disney animations, Howard Ashman may be little more than a name on the credits of shows like Beauty and The Beast and The Little Shop of Horrors. This full-length […]
Disney releases free musical theatre resources
Disney Theatrical Productions is the latest major organisation to offer free resources to families trying to find ways to keep children occupied during the current lockdown. Downloadable creative activities are now available for some of Disney’s most popular stage musicals including The Lion King and Frozen with more to be made available in due course. […]
Marisha Wallace announces debut UK tour
Marisha Wallace, one of the West End and Broadway’s most instantly recognisable voices and beloved leading ladies is heading out on her first ever UK tour. The star of such smash-hit shows as Dreamgirls, Waitress, Aladdin and The Book of Mormon and very soon Hairspray – will play a series of theatre shows in March […]
Disney to host second summer pop-up in London
Disney fans will get the chance to get closer than ever before to their favourite shows when the film studios’ theatrical arm opens its second Summer Pop-Up in the heart of London’s Covent Garden later this month. Located at 21 Long Acre, this year’s Disney in the West End Summer Pop-Up will feature the eagerly-anticipated […]
West End Live 2019 – full details of weekend schedule revealed
Full details have been released of the line-up of award-winning shows and performers due to feature in this year’s West End LIVE event when it returns to London’s iconic Trafalgar Square next weekend. With first time appearances from new hits including Come From Away, Only Fools and Horses The Musical, Waitress, 9 To 5 The […]
Auditions for MTAS’ show tune competition continue until 10 January 2019
Musical theatre aficionados with a penchant for performing songs from their favourite shows are being invited to apply for a chance to take part in The Musical Theatre Appreciation Society’s online competition. Organised by MTAS, the ten-week contest challenges competitors to produce singing videos in response to different themes suggested by leading West End performers. […]
Aladdin and The Lion King join forces for Disney summer event
Disney musical fans will get the chance to get closer than ever before to their favourite shows when a summer ‘Pop-Up’ opens in the heart of London’s Covent Garden later this month. Located at 25 Long Acre, the Aladdin and The Lion King Summer Experience will open every day from Tuesday 31 July until Sunday […]
West End Eurovision – Shaftesbury Theatre
West End Eurovision at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London. Star rating: five stars ★★★★★ Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia!, Hamilton, Young Frankenstein, 42nd Street, Dreamgirls, The Phantom of the Opera and Aladdin. All musicals with a healthy dose of camp. Take a bunch of cast members, add some over the top creativity and some Eurovision songs, and you get […]
West End Eurovision returns to London in April
Sequin-spangled fundraiser West End Eurovision will return to the heart of London’s theatreland for the first time in four years next month. Inspired by the annual song contest, the show which raises funds for Make A Difference Trust, the UK-based charity involved in the fight against HIV and AIDS both at home and overseas, will […]
London celebrates West End Live 2017
London theatre is celebrating following the triumphant West End LIVE 2017, which saw hundreds of thousands flock to Trafalgar Square [exclusive images form our official photographer Roy Tan]. Now in its 13th year, the event has become one of Europe’s largest free performing arts festivals. The event is organised by Westminster City Council and the […]
Musical theatre wins big at The Mousetraps awards event
Musical theatre productions dominated the list of winners at the sixth annual awards ceremony for ‘The Mousetraps’. Presented by Mousetraps Theatre Projects’ Youth Forum, chosen by more than 500 young theatregoers (aged 15-23), nine out of the 12 awards went to musical theatre performers and productions. Dreamgirls’ Tyrone Huntley collected two awards, one for his own performance as […]
Exclusive first look at new Aladdin Matthew Croke
Disney Theatrical Productions has released an exclusive first look at Matthew Croke in the title role in Aladdin ahead of his first performance on 5 June 2017 at the Prince Edward Theatre. A behind-the-scenes video of Croke’s very first Aladdin transformation and photo shoot is also available now. The new musical based on the Academy […]
Disney’s Aladdin – Matthew Croke to play the title role
Matthew Croke will step into the title role in Disney’s Aladdin just months before the lavish show celebrates its first birthday at London’s Prince Edward Theatre. His first performance will be on 5 June 2017. After impressing fans and critics with his performance as Don Lockwood in the UK tour of Singin’ in the Rain, […]
Disney’s Aladdin hosts its first autism-friendly performance
The West End production of Disney’s Aladdin has announced its first dedicated autism-friendly performance on Tuesday 29 August. With tickets already sold out for a similar performance of the award-winning West End production of Disney’s The Lion King on Sunday 4 June 2017, demand is expected to be high for Aladdin’s first autism-friendly show at London’s […]
WhatsOnStage Awards 2017 – Half a Sixpence celebrates triple win
The winners have been announced at the Prince of Wales Theatre for the 17th annual WhatsOnStage Awards, presented by Simon Lipkin and Vikki Stone, celebrating the best of the UK’s theatre over the past year. The awards are the only major theatre prizes to be voted for entirely by the audience. Half a Sixpence was […]
Nominees for 2017 WhatsOnStage Awards revealed
Groundhog Day and Half a Sixpence lead the way in the musical theatre categories featured in the nomination list for the 17th annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced in London today (1 December). Half a Sixpence received eight nominations, while Groundhog Day was recognised in seven categories. The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child topped the list with 11 nominations. The […]
Aladdin opening night – pictures from the red carpet
Last night (Wednesday 15 June) saw the opening night of Disney’s new West End musical Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre, London. Guests included: Tom and Giovanna Fletcher, Andrew Scott, Luke Evans, Cynthia Erivo, Preeya Kalidas and Katherine Kelly. Pictures: Vivienne Vincent With the booking period now extended into February 2017, the lavish show features Dean John-Wilson in the title role alongside former Sugababe Jade Ewen as […]
Aladdin – Prince Edward Theatre
Aladdin continues at the Prince Edward Theatre, London. Rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ Fans of Disney’s 1992 animated film version of Aladdin are likely to feel pretty satisfied with this Broadway transfer – a combination of spectacle, pantomime and a sprinkling of familiar ditties – but whether it succeeds as a decent piece of […]
Disney’s Aladdin extends booking period
The much-anticipated new Disney musical Aladdin has begun previewing in the West End ahead of its opening night on 15 June. With the booking period now extended into February 2017, the lavish show makes its UK debut tonight at the Prince Edward Theatre. Featuring Dean John-Wilson in the title role alongside former Sugababe Jade Ewen […]
Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre – check out rehearsal images
Ahead of its West End premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre, rehearsal images for Aladdin have been released today. From the producer of The Lion King, the new West End musical from Disney will debut at the theatre on Wednesday 15 June 2016, with previews from Friday 27 May. Tickets are on general sale for performances up to and […]
Nathan Amzi returns to In The Heights
Nathan Amzi will return to In The Heights for a limited two-week run, playing Piragua Guy from Monday 21 December 2015 to Sunday 3 January 2016. Amaze originated the role in the London production when it premiered at Southwark Playhouse in 2014. In The Heights recently extended its run at King’s Cross Theatre for a second […]
Aladdin West End production – Dean John-Wilson and Jade Ewen cast
Dean John-Wilson will play the role of Aladdin alongside Jade Ewen as Jasmine in the West End premiere of the new musical based on the classic Academy Award-winning animated film. Aladdin will now open at the Prince Edward Theatre on Wednesday 15 June 2016, with previews from Friday 27 May. Tickets are on general sale for performances up to and […]
Disney’s Aladdin has West End premiere in June 2016
Disney has revealed that the Tony Award-winning new musical Aladdin will hold its West End premiere on Thursday 9 June 2016 at the Prince Edward Theatre, with previews from Friday 27 May. Broadway cast member Trevor Dion Nicholas will make his London stage debut as Genie. “In 1992, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken and Tim Rice’s reimagining of the Aladdin […]
Gentleman’s Guide wins big at Drama Desk Awards
Persistence is paying off for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. The Broadway musical, which has already garnered ten Tony Award nominations (the Tony winners will be announced on 8 June), has now added seven Drama Desk Awards to its laurels. The show opened in the fall and had been struggling with weak ticket sales […]
Aladdin – New Amsterdam Theatre, New York
Aladdin continues at the New Amsterdam Theatre, New York, in an open-ended run. All the folks involved in putting on Aladdin, the new Broadway musical based on the 1992 Disney animated film, seem to be working feverishly to make sure we, the audience, don’t take it seriously. It’s all just good-natured, expensive hokum. That includes […]
