Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#1
Posted: 1/13/22 at 11:00am
After playing Jafar in the 1992 animated film Aladdin - and reprising his role for eight years on Broadway, original cast member Jonathan Freeman will leave the Disney smash hit on January 23. Starting on the 25th, Dennis Stowe will be playing Jafar full-time.
Congratulations on a spectacular Broadway run!
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#2
Posted: 1/13/22 at 12:00pm
Holy crap. In my brain Aladdin has been on Broadway for four years tops.
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#3
Posted: 1/13/22 at 12:21pm
willep said: "Holy crap. In my brain Aladdin has been on Broadway for four years tops."
Same. I had to look it up on Wikipedia - and going by that history, Freeman has played Jafar in the stage adaptation for over a decade (with the out-of-towns and all). Wild.
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#4
Posted: 1/13/22 at 12:50pm
He is the Carol Channing/Dolly Levi of the Broadway villains!
Seriously though, he will always be Jafar, and a great congratulations on his Broadway run! Excited to see what will be next!
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#5
Posted: 1/13/22 at 1:52pm
Did Freeman have some sort of sweetheart scheduling deal with Disney? Because I've seen the show four times between previews/just after opening, and fall of last year, and I've always gotten his understudy. So to me Dennis Stowe has been playing Jafar for years!
Either way congrats to both the outgoing and incoming Jafars!
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#6
Posted: 1/13/22 at 4:06pm
Sometimes I forget he is still in this. When I last saw the show in September, I was fortunate that he was on. Maybe I'll try to see it one more time before he departs.
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#7
Posted: 1/13/22 at 4:17pm
Congrats on a long and successful run!
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#8
Posted: 1/13/22 at 4:20pm
Ziegfeld?
(I am suggesting every older character actor who leaves a show for that part until we get a real announcement)
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#9
Posted: 1/13/22 at 9:21pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Ziegfeld?
(I am suggesting every older character actor who leaves a show for that part until we get a real announcement)"
Oh he'd be great!
Chorus Member Joined: 11/21/20
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#10
Posted: 1/23/22 at 12:11am
Anyone know if his last performance will be the afternoon or evening performance?
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#11
Posted: 1/23/22 at 12:33am
Wow had no clue he was the original too! good for him
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#12
Posted: 1/23/22 at 12:34am
Generally an actor's final performance would coincide with the end of the work week. So if there's an evening show tomorrow, probably safe to assume he's in it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23#13
Posted: 1/24/22 at 12:25pm
A lovely farewell curtain call with a bonus appearance from Casey N.
In these pieces from Playbill and the NYT, he says he had originally planned to end his run in ALADDIN at the end of 2020, and then Covid happened and he wanted to come back when Broadway returned. He hopes to do "a simple play" next that's less involving than Jafar.
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