Aladdin Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Aladdin, already among the biggest hits in Broadway history, celebrates its 10th anniversary at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2024. As it plays performance 3,513 on that milestone date, Aladdin will have welcomed nearly 6M guests to the New Amsterdam Theatre and rank #15 on the list of all-time Broadway long runs. It has appeared on the Top 10 list of highest-grossing Broadway shows virtually every week of its run. In the decade since Aladdin opened, only the mega-hits The Lion King, Wicked and Hamilton have grossed more at the box office.
Globally, Aladdin has achieved a reach and an enduring popularity rare among Broadway musicals. There have been 11 productions on four continents, and worldwide it has welcomed nearly 20 million people. Hailed on its opening by The New York Times as “fabulous and extravagant,” the theatrical spectacle was created by the two-time Tony Award winning directer and choreographer, Casey Nicholaw and his extraordinary creative team, winners of a collective 24 career Tony® Awards. Aladdin was designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, eight-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, three-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis. The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette, and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira. Jason Trubitt is the production supervisor.
As of Aladdin’s milestone anniversary on March 20, Broadway audiences have been treated to a staggering number of special effects:
- Aladdin and Jasmine have flown over 115 miles on the magic carpet while singing the Oscar-winning “A Whole New World”
- The Genie has set off more than 131,000 pyrotechnics in the showstopping “Friend Like Me”
- In the Act Two opener “Prince Ali,” the cast and wardrobe team have made nearly a quarter million lightning-fast costume quick changes
- 850 pounds of custom-mixed glitter have been used to create the Genie’s signature sparkle
A special celebratory performance commemorating the anniversary will be held on Thursday, March 28, for which Nicholaw is staging a slate of hidden Easter eggs and an epic surprise in the show’s signature production number “Friend Like Me.” Aladdin can be seen currently on Broadway, on tour across North America and the U.K. and Ireland, as well as in Japan and Spain, with a new production in Seoul, South Korea opening this fall.
Growing Union Movement Off-Broadway
In a historic move, 178 crew members of the Atlantic Theatre Company voted to join The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), becoming the first group to unionize with IATSE in a major non-profit theater off-Broadway. Atlantic Theater Company operates two venues in the Chelsea neighborhood, the 199-seat mainstage Linda Gross Theater, and the 99-seat black-box theater. The announcement about Atlantic comes only two weeks after workers at the off-Broadway musical Titanique voted unanimously in favor of IATSE representation. These historic votes are part of an emerging trend off-Broadway, as workers at theaters throughout New York City are coming together in solidarity to improve working conditions.
The Atlantic crew, which includes members covering carpentry, electrics, scenic, props, audio, video, hair/makeup, and wardrobe, voted nearly unanimously in favor of unionization. The crew’s decision to unionize marks a significant moment in the off-Broadway community, highlighting a growing recognition of the importance of collective bargaining and solidarity among workers. This sentiment was personified two weeks prior when workers from numerous off-Broadway venues rallied in Washington Square Park before marching with the Atlantic and Titanique crews to the New York City NLRB offices where their union election ballots were hand-delivered. “This is a monumental step forward towards improving pay, conditions, and stability for freelance theater workers in New York City and across the country,” said Stage Carpenter Michael Stevens.
IATSE Representative Dan Little said, “There is a growing movement of entertainment workers off-Broadway joining in union. All work has dignity and the production workers at The Atlantic Theater Company are showing their community how to stand up for themselves and demand the respect that comes with a union.” Little also noted of the Titanique crew, “Off-Broadway workers are energized, and they want a seat at the table. This crew has helped to spark the movement. They understand that with a union they have a voice and the power to improve their jobs.”
William Gorlin the 2024 Backstage Legends and Masters Award Honoree
McLaren Engineering Group proudly announced that William Gorlin PE, SE, Vice President of Entertainment Engineering, will receive the prestigious Tenth Annual Backstage Legends and Masters Award from the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project. As the driving force behind McLaren’s industry-leading Entertainment Division, Bill’s unparalleled expertise has significantly contributed to the success of over 200 Broadway productions. His impressive portfolio includes acclaimed shows such as Chicago, Will Rogers Follies, The Color Purple, The Music Man, King Kong, Merrily We Roll Along, A Bronx Tale, Tina the Musical, The Little Mermaid, Here Lies Love, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Frozen the Musical, Moulin Rouge, Phantom of the Opera, and Beauty and the Beast.
Reflecting on his extraordinary journey, Gorlin states, “My passion for entertainment engineering was ignited with a project for the Moscow Circus back in 1988, and since then, I’ve had the privilege of providing solutions for iconic concerts from The Rolling Stones to Taylor Swift, amusements that thrill audiences from Orlando to Macau, TV and film productions, high-flying live performances, and even work on the first fully immersive LED theater wall in Cotai. Every project has been an exhilarating adventure, but my heart will always belong to Broadway.”
Gorlin’s influence extends beyond individual productions; he has played a pivotal role in shaping the structural renovations of 41 Broadway theaters. Notable projects encompass the Helen Hayes Theater, Hudson Theatre, restoration of iconic venues like the Winter Garden Theater, Majestic Theater and Studio 54, Belasco, Longacre, Schoenfeld, James Earl Jones, and Lyric Theaters. Gorlin further emphasizes his commitment to Broadway, stating, “The work on shows and productions, rigging systems, and theater renovations are all exciting, but I am most proud of the work we have done to not only transform the audience experience but also keep the theatrical infrastructure relevant for modern shows and to improve safety features and standards in the theaters for all workers.”
“Bill is likely one of the only people who has worked on every Broadway theatre,” says Dan Hanessian, associate professor at Purchase, who launched the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project in 2011. “If you consider just the work Bill has done in every Broadway theatre, not the productions, but the structural engineering part, that alone makes him unique. When you combine that with all the productions he has worked on, the standards for the industry he has helped shape, and countless other ways he has impacted Broadway practices, it’s hard to imagine anyone with a comparable portfolio of work,” Hanessian concludes. The Backstage Legends and Masters award ceremony is scheduled for Monday, April 29th, 2024, at 7 pm in the PAC Recital Hall at Purchase College, SUNY. Further information about the Backstage go to www.bit.ly/PLSN_blm24
SMA Adds Two Board Members
The Board of Directors of the Stage Managers’ Association Foundation (SMAF) is pleased to announce that at their January 2024 meeting, J. Jason Daunter of Anaheim, CA, and Judy Martel of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were elected to the Board. Daunter and Martel will join the 10 current board members of this New York State-based charitable organization. Its mission is to promote the craft and the art of those working in stage management. This is being achieved by providing grants to individuals and to programs, for education and training that enhance and develop stage management skills, and to assist in the establishment of scholarships for early career education.
J. Jason Daunter is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association with over 20 years of professional management experience. Broadway credits include To Kill a Mockingbird, Meteor Shower, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Cyrano De Bergerac, Shuffle Along, Glory Days, and Wicked. National Tours include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Christmas Carol and Wicked. Internationally Jason served as the Production Supervisor on Lonny Price’s world tour of West Side Story. Regional credits include working at The Geffen Playhouse as Production Supervisor, The Muny, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Stages St. Louis, The Kennedy Center and Chita Rivera: Nowadays at Carnegie Hall. On the national level of Educational Theatre Jason is the recipient of The Educational Theatre Association’s President & Founders Awards. Jason’s philanthropic work includes creating/producing benefits for The Educational Theatre Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and the American Theatre Wing. He serves on the Board for California Thespians. Jason is currently the Executive Producer for Brite Ideas, Complete Technical Solutions in California overseeing large scale events worldwide.
Judy Martel has been a stage manager for close to 50 years, a member of Actors’ Equity for more than 40 years, and a member of the Stage Managers’ Association for nearly 40 years. She has 200+ shows to her credit in Illinois, New York, Connecticut, and, since 1985, in Milwaukee, WI, where she was the Production Stage Manager at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre for 34 seasons. She also worked with many of the other theaters in the state. She studied theater, math, and linguistics at Cornell University, and ended up with a B.A. in theater. She also received an MFA in stage management from the Yale School of Drama. In 2020, she was honored at the National Meeting with a Lifetime Professional Membership to the SMA. Judy has served on several Equity committees, including the Stage Managers committee, and she was a delegate to the first two national conventions. She is currently the leader of the AEA Milwaukee/Madison Community. Judy is also a freelance editor.
Stage Managers’ Association members, as well as non-members, may present proposals for the Foundation to fund projects and public events that are designed to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the skills of stage managers and their crucial role in the arts and entertainment industries. To find out more about the Stage Managers’ Association Foundation go to www.stagemanagersfoundation.com or E-mail: info@stagemanagersfoundation.com. To make a tax-deductible contribution, please go to: www.StageManagersFoundation.com/DONATE
