Start 2024 off by journeying to “A Whole New World” with the touring cast of Disney’s Aladdin at the Dr Phillips Center in Orlando, Florida! The 2023/2024 Broadway in Orlando season is in full swing and the newest show to grace the stage in the Walt Disney Theater is one Central Florida audiences are familiar with and has returned based on popular demand. In fact, Broadway’s most extravagant musical is so popular, they have even added an extra performance on January 4th, 2024 at 1 pm.
About Aladdin
Aladdin is a Broadway stage show adaptation of the beloved Disney movie of the same name. Featuring music by Alan Menken and a book by Chad Beguelin the Broadway production opened in 2014 and earned five Tony nominations. The story follows our young charming hero Aladdin who sets out to change his life in order to win the love of the bold Princess Jasmine who is on her own journey to change her life as well. When exploring the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin discovers and frees a magical enslaved genie from his prison disguised as a lamp. In exchange for this release the Genie grants him three wishes and Aladdin believes that transforming from a pauper to a prince is the way to win Jasmine’s heart. Despite releasing the Genie from his lamp, he is bound to it unless Aladdin fully frees him using his final wish to release the spell. Unfortunately Aladdin and Genie are not the only ones who know about the power of the one who is bound to the lamp and the sinister Jafar has plans for wishes of his own that will not only bind the Genie to him, but take over the kingdom entirely.
Some changes in Aladdin on stage versus the film
The Aladdin musical is quite faithful to the original film in its stage adaptation, but there are a few changes that are of note. The show includes all the songs featured in the Disney film, including the major hits “A Whole New World” and “Friend Like Me.” But, there are also four songs that were cut from the movie, but added back in for the musical: “Proud of Your Boy,” “Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim,” and “High Adventure.” And in addition to all the songs written for the film, four brand-new songs were added to the Aladdin musical: “These Palace Walls,” “A Million Miles Away,” “Diamond in the Rough,” and “Somebody’s Got Your Back.” Also mentioned above is a song called “Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim” which references another notable change in the stage show. While many of the characters we all know from the movie are represented on stage, three new characters are included in this production- Babkak, Omar, and Kassim: Aladdin’s friends and sidekicks. They replace Aladdin’s monkey sidekick, Abu, from the film. And speaking of sidekicks, Iago- Jafar’s sidekick and assistant, is a parrot in the film, but human in the musical.
Fun Facts about the North American Tour Costumes
● Aladdin’s exquisite costumes are designed by Tony®-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes. It took Barnes six hours to draw and paint one costume sketch.
● All costumes worn in Aladdin are custom made, by hand, especially for the show.
● 352 people in 28 different shops worked on the construction of the costumes for Aladdin.
● Aladdin’s spectacular costumes feature 2,039 fabrics and trims from Morocco,
Turkey, India, Uzbekistan, China, Tahiti, Japan, Guatemala, Mexico, France, Italy, England and Germany.
● There are 337 costumes in the show, based on 134 individual designs.
● There are 161 custom made shoes in the show.
● During one performance, 102 costume changes take place in under 1 minute and 52 costume changes take place in less than 30 seconds
● There are 8,644 Swarovski® crystals on EACH gold finale costume in “Friend Like Me.”
● Jasmine’s wedding dress weighs 12 pounds because of all the crystal beading.
ATTENDING A SHOW AT DR PHILLIPS CENTER for Broadway in Orlando
Tickets for Aladdin are on sale now and you click here for more information on how to secure your seat to the show!
Have you attended a show at Dr. Phillips Center before? Before your visit here’s what to expect: Check out the “Know Before You Go” guide
The AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando 23/24 Season is presented by Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with Broadway Across America and the Dr. Phillips Center. The arts center’s Walt Disney Theater has been home to Broadway in Orlando for the past seven seasons, following Broadway’s two seasons at the former Bob Carr Theater before the Dr. Phillips Center opened in 2014.
If you are an AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando 22/23 subscriber, renewals will begin March 10. Join the waitlist at BroadwayInOrlando.com to be among the first to know when new subscriptions go on sale. Click here for more information on tickets for the 2023/2024 season!
Check out this post about the entire Broadway in Orlando season here!
About Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in downtown Orlando supported by the City of Orlando, Orange County, the City of Winter Park, the State of Florida and generous donors and sponsors. The 698,312-square-foot venue includes the grand 2,711-seat Walt Disney Theater, the community-theater style 296-seat Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, the new adaptable 1,464–1,770-seat Steinmetz Hall and, opening in 2023, the dynamic cabaret-style music room Judson’s. In addition, the venue has various versatile event spaces like the DeVos Family Room, the Rooftop Terrace and the 3-acre outdoor Seneff Arts Plaza. In addition, the arts center’s AdventHealth School of Arts offers classes, camps and pre-professional productions. For more information, visit drphillipscenter.org.
