PhotosPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Proud of Your Boy!" A Week at St. Louis Muny With Aladdin Star Robin de JesúsTwo-time Tony Award nominee Robin de Jesús, who stars as the title character in Aladdin at The Muny, takes Playbill readers behind the scenes at the famed outdoor venue where 7 shows are staged back-to-back every summer (with 11 total days of rehearsal each).
By
Matthew Blank
July 10, 2012
The actor describes the experience of working at The Muny as "P-90x for theatre! An intense workout with amazing results!"
"Putting up 7 shows, back-to-back, can seem daunting at times," says Muny rep Larry Pry. "When you consider we build/paint the sets, coordinate all of the costumes, rehearse the entire show from step 1, rehearse a 27-piece orchestra, design lights and sound for an over 11,000 seat audience... all in 11 days, it's truly Muny Magic! Nowhere else in the world does this happen. The Muny is a one-of-a-kind treasure."
de Jesús offers an in depth look at his experience:
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The cast is headed by Tony nominees Robin de Jesus and John Tartaglia, who star as Aladdin and the Genie, respectively. Joining them are Jason Graae as Omar, Curtis Holbrook as Iago, Francis Jue as Kassim, Eddie Korbich as Babkak, Samantha Massell as Jasmine, Ken Page as the Sultan and Thom Sesma as Jafar. Based on the Disney film of the same name, Aladdin features a book by Chad Beguelin, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, with additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin. The Disney film was written by Ron Clements, John Musker, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and directed and produced by Ron Clements and Jon Musker.
"We are thrilled to produce this enchanting new musical on our grand stage," said executive producer Mike Isaacson in a previous statement. "I can't wait for this amazing group of actors to work with Gary and Alex to create Muny magic for our audience."
The Muny production has scenic design by Michael Anania, sound design by Jason Krueger, lighting design by Seth Jackson and costume design by Mara Blumenfeld. Greg Anthony serves as the musical director, and the production stage manager is Nevin Hedley.
For more information, call (314) 361-1900 or visit www.muny.org.
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: "Proud of Your Boy!" A Week at St. Louis Muny With Aladdin Star Robin de Jesús
The Max Martin musical features a number of his most beloved songs, including “…Baby One More Time,” “Roar,” “Since U Been Gone,” “It’s My Life,” “I Want It That Way,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” and more.