I know right..... how the hell are you going to find 5 guys that look so similar and as far as we know are not related.... I mean I know they have basjcally the same makeup, but still.
James Iglehart was my voice teacher in high school in East Palo Alto, CA. I got to see him perform in Ragtime well before his well-earned, well-deserved Tony. He was this awesome as a teacher and really had a profound impact on us young brown and black kids. One of the few black teachers we had.
He’s an amazing actor and guy. He’s also really sweet. He loves meeting and teaching people. He came to Foothill College one day just to say hi and see some theatre. He’s such an inspiration to so many. We need more teachers like him. My high school had some amazing and inspiring teachers.
I'll be honest, I'm sure Will Smith will be good, but they can't say they didn't have the money to hire any of these guys because Mary Poppins Returns got LIN MANUEL MIRANDA.
They've GOTTA bring 10 Genies in for that! In addition to these guys, they could have Anthony Murphy and Korrie Lee Blossey from the tour, Trevor Dion Nicholas from the West End production, Gareth Jacobs who did Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and... whoever else has played Genie at some point. Maybe from one of the international productions like Germany or Japan.
This should be a musical Five genies who have troubles and different personalities fighting for Aladdin to wish on them OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 400 LIKES!1!1!1!!1 THIS IS YHE HIGHEST LIKES IVE GOT😭😭❤️❤️
Original Genie 1992 - "but never duplicated genie of the lamp" Genies in year 2019 - "Nah, we'll have five of them singing" Edit: Thanks for the likes, never had this many
Imitated but never duplicated. You can't duplicate the original Genie. These guys are great but you can't compare them to Robin Williams; he is one of a kind.
Brand recognition. Beyond those who watched Broadway musicals, who else knew them? The Genie is a famous role hence they need someone to draw the crowds...
Love how when Genie 2 first started singing the jasmine song people were laughing, only to be on their feet applauding not thirty seconds later at that amazing falsetto
Because they give the character Genie a personailty. It is why I do not want to watch Will Smith as Genie. Will Smith is just going to be Will Smith again.
nicefanful I have been a fan of James since Memphis. I never been to New York but i saw a filmed performance of the show. I am jealous to those who saw him in Aladdin and Hamilton
i love for the fact that the 5 different casts of the genie, not a single one of them holds an ill will to each other and instead living happily ever after at each other's sides lol
I really love the fact there are 5 Genies on stage, they look similar and yet so different. The Genie is like the type of character to summon multiple versions of himself and starts a convo with them.
That was unbelievable! I saw Major Attaway play Genie in Aladdin last week in Costa Mesa. He was the THE star of the show indeed. Happy 5 year anniversary to Aladdin on Broadway
I got to see him a few weeks ago in San Diego. He was indeed the star of the show. You know how whoever comes last is supposed to get the most claps? Well genie went second and he got more applause then Aladdin
@@ntlespino I dunno about that. Arielle Jacobs in my opinion gave me the best rendition of these Palace Walls when I saw Aladdin on Broadway. Tho there's no denying that juwan nailed this song
Lucky enough I got to see James as the Genie AND I just got to see him as Lafayette/Jefferson in Hamilton. Honestly one of the best parts of both shows.
For a character as iconic as Robin’s Genie, the casting directors, book writers, and performers all did a phenomenal job of capturing the spirt of the genie without copying Robin’s style. Can’t wait for the 10th anniversary reunion 💕
I think what happened with Will Smith (and the reason his portrayal fell flat for so many people) is I _knew_ I was watching Will Smith _play_ the Genie. Whether that’s because Will Smith is a household name for us 90s kids and therefore so recognizable, or he’s simply not suited for musicals, I was completely aware I was watching Will Smith the entire time. Admittedly, I haven’t seen _Aladdin_ on stage but knowing the caliber of showmanship James Monroe Iglehart possesses I suspect part of the, ahem, _magic_ is the Genie steals the show. TL;DR, I think Will Smith was a good Genie, but I also think if you took away his (Will Smith’s) name and reputation, etc., the performance itself was pretty forgettable.
Contemplating buying tickets for the Feb. 26, 2024 performance in hopes that James Monroe Iglehart's shout of "See you at the 10th anniversary...!" was sincere....
This is my favorite thing ever! I’m going to see Aladdin on broadway and I’m so excited! The first time I saw it on broadway the tony winner (James) was the genie, but he’s not there anymore, so I’ll have to see the new genie.
I know this is super random but I just imagined Titus Andromedon trying to barge in to the middle of this performance to steal the spotlight and now I can't stop laughing 😂
I kinda agree with these comments, take one of these talented dudes from broadway- all five are epic- and could totally out do will smith, the guy’s good- but not broadway good.
Saw Trevor in Pittsburgh... he came home, grew up in nearby Morgantown, to play the Genie. He was awesome. At the beginning he waved a Terrible Towel, too! Lol
Major Attaway played the genie at the show I went to and he was INCREDIBLE. Everyone was talking about him after the show! He was by far my favorite character
