Disney's 'Aladdin' coming to Tucson features diverse cast

Anand Nagraj keeps a little plastic toy of Jafar from “Aladdin” sitting in his dressing room.

It’s from a McDonald’s Happy Meal he got not long after he saw the Disney film on the big screen when it was released in 1992.

“I must have been 8 or 9. I was at my peak Disney age,” the Chicago native recalled. “It really resonated with me strongly. Something I didn’t clock at the time was here is a Disney movie and all of the characters look like me.”

That realization hit home when he took on the role of the villainous Jafar last October in the North American tour of Disney’s “Aladdin.” Broadway In Tucson brings the show to Centennial Hall Sept. 5-10.

“I’ve been carrying (the toy) around with me and keeping it in the dressing room because it really drives home for me what a journey I’ve had with this story,” Nagraj said during a phone call in early August when the show was starting its run in San Francisco. “I didn’t realize what a profound impact it had on me until I was working on it and a flood of memories come back to you.”

Nagraj, whose father is from India and mother is from Iowa, is among a diverse cast that includes actors of Indian, Afghani, Korean and Armenian heritage, as well as Hispanic and African-American.

“It’s great to be reaffirmed what a universal story this is,” said the veteran of regional theater who is making his Broadway tour debut with “Aladdin.”

This is the longest time Nagraj has spent with a character, not counting the four years he’s spent voicing and providing the body imaging for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger. He and the “Aladdin” cast launched the tour last October and are expected to continue through May 2024.

“I feel like I know this role obviously better than anything I’ve worked on in my life,” said the veteran actor whose career has included acting in small independent films, guest roles on “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.” and “Proven Innocent” and several national commercials. “At this point, it gets to feel like second nature. My previous theater experience, you rehearse a show for four weeks, you run it for maybe five, six weeks if you’re lucky, and then onto the next thing under the regional theater model. ... To live with a role this long is a real gift.”

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Nagraj plays the villain in “Aladdin” — “I’ve dabbled in the villainous arts before,” he joked. Jafar is the evil sorcerer determined to stop the loveable street urchin Aladdin and the genie Aladdin conjured from the magic oil lamp from their journey to save Princess Jasmine.

“It’s really the most fun,” Nagraj said of the role. “One of the first things that comes to my mind is ‘delicious.’ It’s really, really tasty every night. I don’t get too many boos at curtain time; it happens from time to time. I definitely relish my particular part in this story. I think this story is a such beautiful and important one that you need a bad guy to help Aladdin get to where he’s getting along the way.”

If the audience does boo him, Nagraj said, “I believe that means I’ve done my job very well.”

Since the tour’s launch, the “Aladdin” cast has performed the show around 300 times before audiences that range from people Nagraj’s age — mid- to late-30s — to young kids who weren’t around when “Aladdin” came out.

“There are kids in the audience experiencing the story for the first time, but it is definitely a musical for people like me who have very strong memories of this movie. ... It’s a very wonderful thing to be a part of,” Nagraj said, ticking off a list of his favorite tunes from the show including the iconic “Whole New World” and “Arabian Nights.”

“I think ‘Friend Like Me’ is one of the best showtunes you could possibly want to see,” he added. “It’s a brilliant number, fueled by Marcus Martin who plays Genie but also by our fabulously talented ensemble (cast).”

Disney’s “Aladdin” opens Broadway In Tucson’s 2023-24 season of musicals that includes the return of “The Book of Mormon” on Sept 15-17, the legendary jazz musical “Chicago” next February and “Mrs. Doubtfire” to close the season next May.