Jonathan Freeman returns as Jafar in new stage musical version of Disney’s “Aladdin”

Jim Hill

14 years ago

It’s often been said that a story is only as good as its
villain. Which is why you genuinely have to feel for Casey Nicholaw and Chad
Beguelin.

As the director & the librettist of “Disney’s Aladdin:
The New Stage Musical” (which will begin presenting performances at Seattle’s 5^th Avenue
Theatre on July 7^th) realized, Casey & Chad faced an awful
challenge when it came to casting the role of Jafar. After all, no matter who
they chose for this part, that poor actor was then going to have their
performance compared to Jonathan Freeman. Who did such a brilliant job of voicing
this villainous character in the 1992 animated feature.

Which is when Nicholaw & Beguelin came up with an
ingenuous idea. Rather than hire someone to do a Jonathan Freeman
impersonation, they should just go after the genuine article. Cast Jonathan
himself to play Jafar.

Which may sound like a somewhat crazy notion if you aren’t entirely
familiar with Freeman’s resume. I mean, sure. Disneyana fans know Jonathan for
voicing Jafar in the original “Aladdin” as well as its direct-to-video sequel,
1994’s “The Return of Jafar.” Not to mention once again vocalizing for the
Grand Vizier when this character appeared in the “Kingdom Hearts” games &
the “Mickey’s House of Villains” TV special. And let’s not forget all those times
over the past two decades where Freeman stepped behind a mike so that Jafar
could then make a surprise appearance in a “Disney on Ice” show, a Disney theme
park parade or fireworks display.

But for theater fans … Jafar is just one of the roles that
Jonathan was known for. This Tony-nominated (for his hilarious turn as the head
waiter in the 1994 revival of “She Loves Me“) actor has appeared in some of
Broadway’s biggest shows (among them “The Producers,” “42nd Street“
and “How to Succeed in Business WIthout Really Trying“). More importantly, over
the 5 years, Freeman has worked almost exclusively for Disney Theatrical.
Originating the role of Grimsby in the Broadway production of “The Little Mermaid,” as well as playing Cogworth in “Beauty and the Beast” and Admiral
Boom & the Bank Chairman in “Mary Poppins.”

Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby in the Broadway production of Disney’s
“The Little Mermaid.” Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

In fact, Jonathan was still performing in “Mary Poppins”
when Casey & Chad approached him earlier this year about possibly taking a
leave of absence from that Broadway production. So that Freeman could then be
available to appear in this pilot production of “Disney’s Aladdin: The New
Stage Musical.”

Just to clarify here: the musical version of “Aladdin” that
the 5^th Avenue Theatre is right in the middle of mounting is NOT
headed to Broadway. At least not anytime soon. Disney Theatrical Group okayed
this pilot production because it’s looking to include a two-act stage version
of this Academy Award-winning animated feature in DTG’s professional and regional
theater licensing catalog.

Anyway … Jonathan was intrigued by the idea of physically
embodying a character that – up until now – he had only voiced. More to the
point, his bosses at Disney Theatrical Group were willing to let Freeman step
away from the Broadway production of “Mary Poppins” starting on May 22^nd.
With the understanding that – once production of “Disney’s Aladdin: The New
Stage Musical” wraps on July 31^st – that Jonathan will then resuming
playing Admiral Boom & the Bank Chairman in their show starting on August 14th.

And once Freeman said yes … Well, the folks at 5^th
Avenue went nuts. As David Armstrong – the executive producer & artistic
director of this Seattle-based said in a statement to the press:

“I am so thrilled that
Jonathan will make his 5th Avenue debut in this production. He is one of the
greatest character actors in Broadway history, and I think audiences will be
fascinated to see him play live on-stage the role that he created in the
animated film.”

Now it’s kind of appropriate that Freeman was the first cast
member announced for “Disney’s Aladdin: The New Stage Musical.” Given that –
back in the late 1980s – Jonathan was the first voice actor that the late
Howard Ashman hired for the animated version of “Aladdin.”

Lee Wilkof as Seymour in the original off-Broadway production of “Little Shop of Horrors”

“I actually auditioned for the original off-Broadway
production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ ” Freeman recalled when we spoke on the
phone last year. “I didn’t get thate part. But Howard and Alan Menken must have
liked what they saw. Because once they got their deal at Disney, Howard and
Alan – through Albert Tavares, a casting director that the three of us all knew
— kept inviting me to audition for their animated features.”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t really a part that fit Jonathan’s vocal stylings in
“The Little Mermaid” & “Beauty and the Beast” (which you have to admit is
somewhat ironic. Given that – a decade or so later – Freeman was then cast to play
roles in the Broadway versions of both of these Disney animated features). But
all that changed with “Aladdin.”

“I took part in the preliminary voice auditions for Jafar. I read the
script. I sang the song. But it wasn’t ’til my second audition that I actually
got to see Andreas Deja‘s concept drawings for this character,” Jonathan
remembered. “And once I saw those heavy lidded eyes, that long narrow face,
I knew that Jafar was going to be something really special. A classic Disney
Villain. So I threw myself into that second audition and eventually won that
part.”

But the downside of being the first voice actor cast on
Disney’s “Aladdin” was that – for months at a time – Freeman worked alone. To
the point that, when Jonathan recorded a version of “Humiliate the Boy” (one of
the many songs that Ashman & Menken tried to write for this film’s
villain), he sang both Jafar and Iago’s parts in this duet.

“And then – after Howard died in March of 1991 – they
kind of got stuck. They couldn’t quite figure out how to make ‘Aladdin’ work.
Which is why I spent a year and nine months recording dialogue on that movie,”
Freeman continued. “This was before the days of good phone patching. So I’d
have to fly into LA from wherever I was performing – Houston, La Jolla – and
then record whatever new dialogue Ron & John had just written.”

Mind you, it wasn’t ’til Gilbert Gottfried, Scott Weinger
and Linda Larkin were hired to voice the roles of Iago, Aladdin and Princess
Jasmine respectively that Jonathan feels that he was finally able to get a
handle on the way to properly play Jafar.

Scott Weinger & Linda Larkin reunite at a 2004 press
event for the DVD release of Disney’s “Aladdin.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved

“Scott and Linda brought a sense of sincerity, reality to their
roles. And when I heard their recordings … Well, I knew that Jafar had to be
seen as a real threat to Aladdin and Jasmine. So I adjusted my own vocal
performance accordingly,” Freeman said.

But even so, there were weeks and weeks that Jonathan spent recording songs
& pieces of dialogue that ultimately didn’t end up in the finished film.

“For quite a while, Ron & John couldn’t decide which
stone exactly allowed Jafar to seek out the diamond in the rough. So I recorded
all of these lines where the Grand Vizier was scheming to get his hands on the
dragon’s eye ruby or the tiger’s eye topaz,” Freeman laughed. “But that’s just
the way things are where you’re trying to create a new piece of entertainment.
You try a lot of different ideas and ultimately go with the one that works
best.”

And I’m sure that – as Casey, Chad and Jonathan continue
with the rehearsal period for “Disney’s Aladdin: The New Stage Musical” –
they’ll be doing just that right now. As these three try and come up with the best
possible way for Freeman to take a character that, up until now, he’s only done
the voice for and then build on that. Turn Jonathan’s vocal version of Jafar into a full-fledged
physical performance for the stage.

Speaking of which … Performances of this new two-act musical
officially get underway on Thursday, June 7^th. Casey Nicolaw (fresh
off of winning a Tony last night’s win for “Best Direction of a Musical” for
“The Book of Mormon“) will undoubtedly continue to tweak things right up until this show officially opens at the 5th Avenue Theatre on June 21^st.

And after that … Well, a lot depends on the sorts of reviews
& audience reaction that the pilot production of this new two-act musical receives
during its stint in Seattle. But why fret about that now? As Howard Ashman put
it in a lyric that’s supposedly being reinserted in “Disney’s Aladdin: The New Stage
Musical” ‘s score:

Happy end to the tale
And tomorrow’s a sale
So I’d better go home and rest

Here’s a kiss and a hug

Sure you don’t need a rug?
I assure you, the price is right

Well, salaam, worthy friend

Come back soon, that’s the end
‘Til another Arabian Night !

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