Disney’s “Aladdin” is being brought to life in a melodious theatrical production right here in the Central Valley.
The lead roles are being brought to life by Senzel Ahmady, who plays Princess Jasmine, and Adi Roy, who plays Aladdin.
Roy got his start in musical theater when he took on the role of Prince Eric in his middle school production of “The Little Mermaid Jr.” From there, he has played other roles and even played Aladdin in high school.
He made his Broadway debut in the cast of “Jagged Little Pill” as Phoenix in 2021. His current role of “Aladdin” is his second Broadway production.
“It was always a dream to work with Disney and the Disney theatrical group, and Aladdin is a perfect role,” Roy said to The Collegian. “So I am honored and privileged to be able to play it.”
For Ahmady, “Aladdin” is her first professional show. She was attending New York University when she auditioned and was offered her dream role of Princess Jasmine.
“Being someone that was in musical theater, I just knew that I really wanted to be in this musical version of it [Aladdin],” Ahmady said. “Princess Jasmine was always a dream role of mine.”
From May 1-5, these characters, along with many others, will take over the Saroyan Theatre as one of the final stops of its North American Tour.
Cast members of the show have been traveling since October 2023 when the North American Tour began. Just last month, the theatrical production celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Broadway.
The show will feature the traditional storyline of the original movie and fans can expect a “fabulous and extravagant” night, according to the New York Times.
Opening night is May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online here. Students can purchase tickets at a reduced cost at the ticket booth with a valid school ID.
“Students are welcome to take advantage of purchasing rush tickets to ‘Aladdin’ – essentially what that means is they can purchase a ticket for $31 on the day of the performance, 90 minutes before the show. They only need to bring an ID and they can purchase two tickets per ID,” said Jennifer Colson, director of marketing and public relations with Broadway Across America.
The show will run for two hours and 30 minutes and will have one intermission.
The musical is an open-run show, which means that there is no closing date scheduled yet.
For fans who can’t make it to the Fresno stop, “Aladdin” will step into Costa Mesa from May 7-12.
