By JACKIE MOE
Arabian nights have arrived in Costa Mesa with Disney’s “Aladdin” touching down at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa this evening.
The hit Broadway musical returns to Orange County for a limited engagement, May 12-17. The show promises a dazzling spectacle with adventure, romance and, of course, the catchy tunes from the beloved film.
Audiences will be transported to the vibrant streets of Agrabah, where the talented cast and characters – including Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, Jafar, and the Genie – present dazzling choreography, perform songs such as “A Whole New World,” and tell the treasured story of the charming street rat-turned-prince.
Performing as the evil Jafar, actor Anand Nagraj shared with Backstage SoCal what makes the musical “Aladdin” so magical.
What inspired you to pursue a career in acting, and how does performing in Aladdin fulfill that dream?
THAT is a long and convoluted story, but one thing that stands out to me from all of my early acting experiences – in high school, college, and my first professional work – was the sense of community and fun and joy that I felt with all of my fellow actors and artists onstage, backstage, and offstage.
I’ve always found that theater folk are the best people to be around – the smartest, funniest, coolest, most empathetic, and most generous friends you could ask for. That is something that I’ve looked for in my entire life in the arts, and it’s certainly what I’ve found in my time with the company of Aladdin. I am moved on a daily basis by how lucky I am to be in the presence and talents of this cast and crew.
How do you find the balance between staying true to the Disney character of Jafar as written while also bringing your own interpretation and personality to the role?
I don’t worry about it too much, to be honest. My first priority is to be true to what’s on the page, and to play it honestly in order to best serve the story.
The original animated film hit me at such a formative point in my childhood that I can’t help but always carry that performance of Jafar in the back of my mind. And as for making it my own, I tend to think that it’s always going to be my interpretation and be suffused with my personality, because I’m the one doing it! I’ve found that as long as I’m playing it authentically and fully, the rest all takes care of itself.
What’s the funniest or most unexpected thing that’s happened to you on stage during a performance of Aladdin?
This is certainly not a funny thing, but it was decidedly unexpected and very memorable. Early in the run, our wonderful Iago, Aaron Choi, suffered a leg injury during our first act song, “Diamond in the Rough”, and had to leave the performance.
Everything was fine, the injury was not serious, and he was back in the show a couple of days later. However, Iago and Jafar still had a scene to do before the end of the act, and his understudy was performing another track in the show and could not be into hair and makeup until the top of Act 2.
So I had to transform our two-person scene into a monologue, on the fly, in front of 2,000 people. And I pulled it off! It was the kind of challenge and thrill that you only find in live theater.
If you could bring one prop from the Aladdin set home with you, what would it be and how would you use it in your everyday life?
I’d bring Jafar’s cobra staff. I do a lot of walking around town when I’m home, and I think I’d look pretty awesome strolling through my neighborhood with that.
In your opinion, what makes Aladdin the musical so special?
Obviously, there are so many special pieces of this musical – the gorgeous score, the thrilling choreography, hilarious jokes, beautiful costumes, even A MAGIC CARPET! All worth the price of admission.
But at its core, Aladdin is the story of a person at a very low point in his life, meeting all kinds of misfortune and making some choices that he regrets just to get by day to day. He’s magically presented with the ability to have anything he could imagine, but he discovers that the only way to really get what he wants is to be honest with himself and the people he loves. And I think that’s a message that we can all use in our lives.
Disney’s ‘Aladdin’
When: May 7-12, 2024
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Performs: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30 pm; Saturday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Sunday at 1 pm and 6:30 pm
Tickets: start at $49
More info: scfta.org
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