Catching Up with the cast of Broadway’s Aladdin (Michael Maliakel, Sonya Balsara, Michael James Scott, & Dennis Stowe)
Since it first graced the stage of the New Amsterdam Theatre in 2014, Disney on Broadway’s Aladdin has been nothing short of a spectacle. The show’s dazzling costumes, intricate sets, and stunning special effects have created an immersive experience for all ages to see and enjoy. The production is a feast for the eyes, with bold colors and intricate designs that transport the audience to the city of Agrabah all without leaving the comfort of their seats. The stage is alive with movement, as the immensely talented performers fly through the air, dance to intricate and lively musical numbers, and even soar through the theater on a magic carpet ride. It truly has everything one could hope for in a Broadway show, and it's packed audiences eight times a week can easily vouch for that.
Diving into a Broadway show, especially one as captivating as Aladdin, is a highly in-depth experience. For Sonya Balsara, who learned her role as Princess Jasmine in just two weeks, the process was far too quick to have room for any fear. “The whole process is fast,” Balsara said. “I learned the show, probably in two weeks. And then I had one rehearsal, where everyone was on stage. And it just was so so fast, you really just have to jump right into it. Even for my first show, I was entering this very well-oiled machine. So I didn't even have time to worry about it, I just had to do the job and just get the job done.”
For many, Aladdin is a very first when it comes to the world of Broadway. Its immersive storytelling and well-known story make the New Amsterdam the most magical place in New York City for young eyes, which isn’t something that the cast takes lightly. Balsara, who lovingly referred to Jasmine as “her princess” growing up, spent time reflecting on what her performance means to her audience. “Jasmine's iconic, as a figure, and that has really sunk in,” she continued. “I just feel such a privilege to get to tell this story and to be that icon, especially for little girls. I think that it’s really just an honor to get to be the strong, independent woman who gets to be the leader at the end of the story.”
For Michael James Scott, who plays The Genie, representation is the most important part. “When I saw my first Broadway show, Beauty and The Beast, I was a freshman in high school,” Scott said. “I came with my theater group to New York City. In the ensemble, there was this man of color who was the spoon during Be Our Guest. And I remember being like, ‘OMG, I couldn't be the spoon.’ Up until then, I didn't see me on the stage. But I saw him on stage. I think that’s why representation is so important and really does matter. For me to think about that little boy, to now look up and see the genie in Aladdin on Broadway, and I think about the young kids who get to see that now. It’s magical, to be cliche, it really is, it's a magical moment, to think about that. And to think about where my life has come, but also where we have come, as a nation, as a world, as people. And so to me, what’s more important than anything else is that moment, because what you see in the audience is the possibility of what is possible. It's like someone looking at me when I was a little boy, and not caring about the neighborhood I came from and the color of my skin, but just simply the wonderment in a child's eyes. That to me, is everything.”
When Broadway experienced its longest shutdown in history in 2020, reformers were thrown into a world they’d never expected. This gave Michael Maliakel, who plays Aladdin, a highly unique perspective during his first few weeks in the show. “I joined the company when we rebooted after the pandemic,” Maliakel said. “So it was the whole company coming back and putting the show back together after 18 months of the pandemic shutdown. And so there was a new Jasmine and a new Aladdin, and I got to work with our director at the time to find my version of this character, which is pretty unusual when you replace in a big show. You're normally in a rehearsal studio with the stage manager or a dance captain and some understudies to learn the show, but I got to work one on one with the man himself, which was really a luxury. We got to fit ourselves into the world of Agrabah with this beautiful, huge cast of folks that had been doing the show for years at that time.
So there were many layers of emotions, it was my Broadway debut too. So it felt like a realization of all these dreams that I had had and then a tremendous amount of pressure to deliver as the title role in a show that's as busy and exhausting as this. So that first performance felt like a real arrival, it felt like all of the hard work, all the energy, and even some anxiety that came into the process of learning the role and fitting into the show all paid off.”
Dennis Stowe is one of the veterans that Maliakel was referring to, as he had been the understudy and standby for Jafar for 8 years prior to taking over the role full-time last year. Stowe reminisced about how Jonathan Freeman (literally) passed down the staff to him in an unofficial ceremony, and offered a fresh perspective on how audiences tend to view villains.” With villains, you know, people really love to hate villains. And so it’s challenging to make him both hateable and likable at the same time. So I think that I, and a lot of people, are not allowed to show those sides of themselves or they don't want to show them. So it's nice to sort of be able to let that out on stage.”
Aladdin on Broadway has been a magical journey for its cast and audiences alike. It has brought to life a beloved story with dazzling visuals, talented performers, and meaningful representation. The show has captured the hearts of audiences and continues to be a must-see production on Broadway. See the magic for yourself and get tickets here!