Menken Working on "Aladdin" for 2008/2009 Season?- Page 3

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 6:52pm

I know this is apropos of nothing, but Cole Porter did a score for the television version in the later 1950s. It wasn't anything great, but had a couple of nice songs -- only one that anyone remembers is Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking, which Streisand put on one of her early LPs (remember them?).

[Rotel1026]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 7:28pm

I'd rather see Aladdin than Shrek. But Disney should consider leaving a little more time between productions for their own sake. As for casting this thing with the correct race? Considering they had Tamyra in Bombay Dreams, do you really think that would happen?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 7:31pm

I would only see it if they reinstated "Proud of Your Boy".

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 8:01pm

Can someone please tell me what The Man in the Ceiling is about?

[ByTheSea920]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 8:06pm

"ByTheSea920

Where are they going to find real Genies? If we are going totally literal with casting where are we going to find people who were born blue with magical powers...will green people be able to audition to?

Akiva"

Okay, sorry, didn't know my little suggestion was going to make people pissy. I was just saying that since Aladdin takes place in a certain location and is about a certain type of people, it would be LOGICAL to cast that type of people.
But I suppose a white, blonde Jasmine and an Asian Aladdin would be just as logical, right? And while we're at it, why don't we do a production of Aida, with Aida being played by a blonde. And then maybe we could do The Color Purple with an all-white cast.
Perfectly logical.

All I'm saying is that I'd enjoy seeing Aladdin and Jasmine being played by people who actually fit the characters. :)Not saying we have to discriminate against white people auditioning....just saying it would be cool to see some actal brown people playing brown characters. :)

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 8:09pm

LOGICALLY those actors might be very hard for producers to find and even harder to replace.

[ByTheSea920]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 8:25pm

That, I'll admit, is true. It would be hard to find/replace them. However, it would be good if the producers could at least try to find an racially correct original cast. I would just love to see some Arab people be represented on Broadway! I'm sure there are a lot of brown actors out there who would be wonderful for these roles, but aren't quite as well-known as the people that have been suggested on here, just because there aren't many roles that they could fit.
I'm not saying that the producers HAVE to cast specifically within that race. But they really should try before they choose an all-white cast.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 8:26pm

this sounds like a rumor and nothing more.
I don't believe it for a second.

[Cutielyricist]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 9:37pm

"LOGICALLY those actors might be very hard for producers to find and even harder to replace. "

Wait really? Is there a shortage of brown actors or something? I wasn't aware that we were in a drought.

Or even more LOGICALLY maybe they arent being cast because people keep suggesting Sierra as Jasmine and so on...

You know..Zac Efron may be a great Aladdin if we're thinking that way.


Updated On: 11/11/07 at 09:37 PM

[it'sjustshowbiz]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 10:46pm

How ethnically correct do you want to be? If you just want to hire "brown" actors, that could mean any type of Hispanic, Native American, Middle Eastern as well as other people who are "brown".

[Cutielyricist]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 10:58pm

In Aladdins case, I'm sure there are plenty of arab actors who would jump at the chance to play that role, or any actor for that matter.

My comment was a response.


It just sounded that the previous poster came to the "logical" conclusion that there werent a good number of talented "Brown" actors out there. I didn't understand their deductive logic.
Updated On: 11/12/07 at 10:58 PM

[sparkleofenergy]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 10:58pm

YES!!!!!!! Luponic "Nathan Lane as the Genie...anyone?"

AMAZING IDEA!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 11:00pm

OMG! The colorblind casting wank came sooner than I expected! I love BWW.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 11:20pm

Yep! THE MAN IN THE CEILING by Jules Feiffer is supposedly being worked on with score penned by Andrew Lippa.

He is one busy man! That and the Addams Family.


I bet that Disney will go with an unknown for Aladdin, they always tend to do that with the title role in their shows.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 11/11/07 at 11:50pm

Don't shoot me. But Zac Efron would make a wonderful Aladdin. Prbably in a live action film because I don't think he could hand eight shows a week. But, yes, I think he'd make a great Aladdin.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 12:33am

Technically Aladdin was originally set in China, so if we are going for total accuracy with this very fictional fairy tale then they should reset in China.

I'm not saying Middle-eastern actors shouldn't be considered for the roles of course (being born in the middle east myself), I'm just saying with a story as fantasty-based as this, I think it makes very little difference to the story-telling the race of the actors. If the best person for the role is black, blue or purple I don't really care.

hah...anyways...back on topic.

I just don't see any need for this show to be on Broadway. I think it is a great idea for a themepark show, but maybe there it should stay. I think forcing a theatrical concept on the piece would be trite, and frankly has already been too much by Disney. I would rather see Disney go full steam ahead with its projects that are originally conceived for the stage.

Akiva

[Little-Lotte]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:01am

I agree with the Glockner comment earlier in this thread, that was such an amazing production and it really needs to come to the states!!!

Aladdin would definitely be a fun show, the special effects would really have to be something though for all the Genie segments, how on earth would they do "Friend Like Me" justice?

I've thought about casting and after seeing the Les Miz revival I think Adam Jacobs and Ali Ewoldt would make an adorable Aladdin and Jasmine!! And they should just have Johnathan Freeman reprise his role as Jafar onstage...you just can't beat his line delivery in the film, so why try?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:04am

Zac Efron acts with absolutely zero personality, and he would do even LESS than zero justice to such a vivacious, charming haracter. Terrible idea. And Sierra Boggess? Seriously? Just what we need, more recycling of Disney's own internally-fabricated stars.

In Aladdins case, I'm sure there are plenty of arabic actors who would jump at the chance to play that role, or any actor for that matter.

Arabic is a language. ARAB is a nationality.

Technically Aladdin was originally set in China, so if we are going for total accuracy with this very fictional fairy tale then they should reset in China.

Well, no. That would be if it were a musical based on the original story, not a supposed stage version of the Disney film.

Updated On: 11/12/07 at 01:04 AM

[ByTheSea920]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:11am

If Zac Efron was cast as Aladdin, I would hit myself over the head several times with a magic lamp.
The thought of him in that role is just.......EW.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:14am

Technically Aladdin was originally set in China, so if we are going for total accuracy with this very fictional fairy tale then they should reset in China.

And it would be in ancient Mandarin or something.

Come on, if actors can learn Aramaic for a role...

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:16am

They did go to China at the end of A Whole New World.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:17am

They should get a real tiger, too. I hear Siegfried and Roy are available.

[ByTheSea920]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:21am

How about a real monkey? That would be pretty sweet.

[being.jeremiah]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 1:23am

Anyhow, to answer FutureAladdinOnB'Way's question...

Here's a link to a press release, courtesy of BroadwayWorld, entitled Disney to Develop Feiffer & Lippa's Man in the Ceiling:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=10874



And here's a description, courtesy of teenink.com:

"The plot revolves around, well, failure. Jimmy Jibbett is ten and a half years old, and loves to draw comics. He lives with his parents and two sisters. His parents are working all the time, and his sisters are always annoying him. Jimmy believes drawing is his ticket to popularity. Charley Beemer, a popular, athletic boy, is the only one Jimmy shows his comics to, but he criticizes each one. And when Uncle Lester finally writes a Broadway musical that makes it to Broadway, even it fails. This book is also about perseverance, critical to combat failure. Jimmy needs to learn to keep trying, even if no one likes his comics. He and his uncle need to learn that failure can actually equal success.

This book has a range of emotions, the most prevalent being humor. A lot of the ridiculousness is a result of the characters' extreme personalities.

Of course this book wouldn't be complete without Jimmy's torturous sisters. They are both bossy and stubborn, and are always distracting Jimmy from drawing his cartoons. All the characters add delicious attitudes for your enjoyment."

[Janki]

Posted: 11/12/07 at 3:43am

OK Guys: Triton is black and Ariel is White...how can you explain that? Hmmm, it's simple; they cast the best people!