Alan Menken confirms "Aladdin" musical is in the works!

Alan Menken was interviewed at broadwayworld.com and said that a musical adaptation of "Aladdin" is underway.

Quote:

"Chad Beguelin wrote the book. He did a fantastic job. He and I also wrote a new song that will be going in, along with a lot of the cut Howard Ashman songs and some of the cut Tim Rice songs, and a song that I wrote music and lyrics for that was in the theatrical adaptation at California Adventure."

"It has more of the feeling of a Hope & Crosby road picture - which is what Howard and I originally wanted for the musical. We are going to try it out, hopefully, next summer."

I hope this musical will do well. I loved the film when I was a kid and the music is amazing! I really hope it doesn't turn out to be like "The Little Mermaid." It's too bad that Lea Salonga is now too old to play Jasmine. To see her sing "A Whole New World" live would give me goosebumps.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW_EXCLUSIVE_Alan_Menken_Talks_TANGLED_SISTER_ACT_LEAP_HUNCHBACK_ALADDIN_More_20101115_page1

Updated On: 1/7/11 at 04:58 PM

YAYY!!!!!!!!

I sure hope Taymor helps out so that the magic carpet will fly over the audience members' heads..

Ha, yea, a bit of sarcasm coming from my end. In all honesty, I'm pretty excited for this. I think it should be pretty awesome show. It will be interesting to see what kind of cast and crew will be involved in this.

Sad to say, but I could see Rahjah getting the same fate as Belle's horse Phillipe.

So excited! More excited to see the beautiful boys that will be playing Aladdin over the years! :o)

The only problem with Little Mermaid was the director and design team.... and the fact that Disney didn't want to cough up a few extra million to make sure it looked good (maybe make everyone fly, or get an LCD screen in the back to make it look underwater). I bet one day it gets a revival and runs for years.

I do hope the carpet flies though. OMG OMG OMG :) I'm imagining the crazy stuff they'll do for "Prince Ali" or "Friend Like Me" numbers...... oh gosh can't wait!

"Mary Poppins flies just fine"

Except they hoist her ass in the air after two and a half excruciatingly boring hours.

"Nathan Lane as the Genie. Please."

It will be Nathan Lane in blue. No surprises. No nothing. Might as well put Mario Cantone in there.

The magic carpet can very easily "fly" the same way the car flew in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

In terms of structure I hope they end Act I with the scene at the oasis after the escape from the Cave of Wonders (maybe insert a reprise of "Friend Like Me"), allowing "Prince Ali" to become a HUGE Act II opener.

I don't know, that seems like it would make a fairly long first act (a critique that was often lobbed at Beauty and the Beast). Structurally "A Whole New World" fits right into the same slot as both "Beauty and the Beast" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," your soft romantic moment part way into Act II that gives the audience a breather before the build to the finale.

It also would leave only one song from the movie, the "Prince Ali" reprise for Act II. I don't think it would be a good idea to make it feel as if they are cramming every recognizable song into Act I and then leaving the audience with an almost entirely new song stack for Act II.

Interesting...

If they're adding in cut Ashman stuff, they're probably reintroducing Aladdin's friends Babkak, Omar, and Kassim and/or his mother. All of their cut material, sans the Arabian Nights reprises, revolve around a completely different plot where Aladdin deserts his mother and three best friends for riches and the princess. Songs like "Proud Of Your Boy", "Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim", "How Quick They Forget", and "High Adventure". This story-line also featured two genies. Friends and/or mother solve the problem of having an Abu on stage.

One can expect that "Why Me" will be added as it's in the MTI version they license to kids. That's a Rice/Menken song.

Since "To Be Free", Jasmine's song at DCA, is taken from theme instrumental music in the film, I wonder if he'll expand on it more and possibly make it into a trio for Aladdin, Genie, and Jasmine... as the theme is used for all three characters in the movie. Or maybe reprises.

I wonder what other goodies will show up. "Call Me A Princess" doesn't work unless they rewrite Jasmine as a spoiled whiney b*tch. "Humiliate The Boy" is good, but "Why Me" works better. I hope that "Count On Me" doesn't see the light of day...

The show at Disneyland is a far cry from good, but there's no reason it can't work. Movie story-line or even slightly altered.

I'm interested only b/c it's my favorite Ashman/Menken Disney movie.
I love their approach to the material, and accentuating the "road to..." conceit is right in line with the musical style.

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Curtis is white, you racist.