Ainsley Melham Will Return to Broadway's Aladdin This March

Disney's Aladdin has announced new principal casting ahead of the musical's sixth anniversary on Broadway.

Ainsley Melham, star of the original Australian production of Aladdin, will return to the title role on Broadway in March (date to be announced). Melham previously played the role on Broadway in 2019. Rodney Ingram will rejoin the Broadway company to play the role starting Monday, February 17, until Melham's return. Current Aladdin Clinton Greenspan will play his final performance on Sunday, February 16.

Marina Pires (On Your Feet! national tour) will make her Broadway debut as Jasmine, covering the role from March 24-May 31. A permanent Jasmine replacement will be announced at a later date, with Arielle Jacobs, the current Jasmine, playing her final performance on Sunday, March 22.

Melham, Ingram, and Pires will join company that also stars Michael James Scott as Genie and Tony nominee Jonathan Freeman as Jafar (the role he created in the animated film). The show also features Brian Gonzales, Mike Longo, and Brad Weinstock as Aladdin's sidekicks Babkak, Kassim, and Omar; J.C. Montgomery as Sultan; and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Juwan Crawley, Dennis Stowe, and Deonté L. Warren stand by for several principals.

As previously announced, Michael James Scott will return as Genie on Friday, February 28. Juwan Crawley, and Deonté L. Warren will cover the role once current Genie Major Attaway departs on Sunday, February 16.

Based on the 1992 Disney animated film, Aladdin opened on Broadway on March 20, 2014. With a score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, and songs such as "Friend Like Me" and the Academy Award-winning "A Whole New World," the show features a new book and additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin. Casey Nicholaw directs.