Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
#1Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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!
willep
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/08
#2Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
Posted: 1/13/22 at 12:00pm
Holy crap. In my brain Aladdin has been on Broadway for four years tops.
#3Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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.
#4Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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!
#5Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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
RWPrincess
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/7/18
#6Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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.
BCfitasafiddle
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/25/20
#7Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
Posted: 1/13/22 at 4:17pm
Congrats on a long and successful run!
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#8Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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)
#9Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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!
rpvee2
Chorus Member Joined: 11/21/20
#10Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
Posted: 1/23/22 at 12:11am
Anyone know if his last performance will be the afternoon or evening performance?
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#11Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
Posted: 1/23/22 at 12:33am
Wow had no clue he was the original too! good for him
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#12Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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.
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#13Jonathan Freeman To Depart ALADDIN on January 23
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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