It was an exciting time when Trevor Dion Nicholas made his Broadway debut last March with the cast of Disney’s Aladdin as the new standby for “Genie” and “Babkak.” Not many expected him to one day move into the lead role. But, “poof!” Just like that, Nicholas has been magically cast as “Genie” in the upcoming West End premiere of the successful musical.
Aladdin will begin previews at the Prince Edward Theatre on May 27, 2016 and open on June 9. So, far no other cast members have been announced.
Nicholas began his career in high school and while attending West Virginia University. He’s appeared in several regional musical theatre productions, including The Wizard of Oz, Ragtime, and Rent. He’s also no stranger to Disney-produced theatre, having performed at Walt Disney World in Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Musical. Nationally, Nicholas performed in Big River as “Jim.”
In addition to his stage career, Nicholas is also a singer, musician and songwriter who’s appeared with the bands Fake Eddie, The Ascension, and Modern Mutiny, who are currently awaiting the release of their debut album.
Aladdin opened on Broadway in March 2014 and more than one million people have seen the Disney show so far. The musical, based on the 1992 animated film, received five Tony nominations in its opening year. James Monroe Iglehart won the Tony award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical, for his performance as “Genie.”
Currently, there’s a Japanese version of the musical running in Tokyo and the European premiere is set for December in Hamburg. After the London opening, the production is set to open in August at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Australia.
Aladdin is directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw and composed by Alan Menken. It features lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, with book and additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin.
