After 'Beauty and the Beast', Disney brings 'Aladdin' to Indian theatre

Bookmyshow is producer on the show as well as ticketing partner, Paypal is among lead sponsors on the musical

After multiple seasons of The Beauty and The Beast in 2015 and 2016 Disney India will be bringing yet another classic from its musical theatre portfolio to India this summer in the form of Aladdin. The company has partnered with BookMyShow as the producer of the musical with exclusive rights for the Indian production of smash hit. The musical will premiere at Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in April 2018 and will then travel to Delhi and Hyderabad over the coming months.

 

“The live entertainment standards in India are rapidly catching up with the rest of the world and BookMyShow is proud to have been continuously playing its part in this transformative journey. We are absolutely excited to produce the Indian stage version of Disney’s Aladdin which will open its doors to the audiences in just a few months from now. It promises to be an extravagant visual feast, filled with music, joy, and loads of theatrical magic,” said Ashish Hemrajani, CEO and Founder, BookMyShow.

 

“Disney stories are timeless and have a special meaning for everyone in the family. Stories like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast are universal and can engage fans everywhere. In India, we are committed to developing world-class entertainment that families can relate to and become a part of their everyday lives. We partnered with BookMyShow, given their deep understanding of the local audience and their quality of consumer engagement,” said Abhishek Maheshwari, Country Head, Disney India.

Disney’s Aladdin has already reached audiences in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan. The show is sponsored by PayPal in that it will be the preferred payments partner for the musical, allowing people to buy tickets through its payments system. The registrations for the Disney’s Aladdin musical will go live on BookMyShow from February 28, 2018.  The registered users will be able to buy their tickets during an exclusive pre-sale window through PayPal.

Anupam Pahuja, Managing Director, PayPal India said, “We are proud to be associated with Disney’s Aladdin and BookMyShow. This iconic production promises to be an enchanting experience for everyone, and we look forward to making the experience even more enjoyable by providing a easy and safe way to purchase tickets online. PayPal is a global leader in digital payments and we are committed to offering a safer and more secure payment experience to Indian consumers domestically and globally.”

As was the case with The Beauty and The Beast, the Aladdin production consists of an Indian cast and crew. The cast was recruited after multiple auditions across cities in India. The musical will have music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act, Little Shop of Horrors), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) and three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida).

This time around, the musical also boasts of some well-known thespians like Roshan Abbas and Vikrant Chaturvedi (Jaffar), Deven Khote (Sultan of Agraba) and RJ Mantra (Genie). At the helm of the Indian production are Shruti Sharma (Director), Shampa Gopikrishna and Bertwin D’Souza (Choreographers), Varsha Jain (Production Designer), Gaviin Miguel (Costume Designer), Dhruv Ghanekar (Music Director) and Suzane D’Mello (Vocal Coach), many of them being a part of the Beauty and The Beast team.

“Disney’s Aladdin will be reimagined locally with an all Indian cast and creative talent. The story of Aladdin has universal appeal and is highly popular with the Indian audiences. The musical is an entertaining celebration of Aladdin’s love for Jasmine and his friendship with Genie. This thrilling new production filled with magic, humour and breathtaking spectacle will transport fans to a whole new world,” said Vikranth Pawar, Head-Live Entertainment & Local Content Studio, Disney India.