“That’s my favorite thing to do,” Nicholaw says. The music of the big “Prince Ali” number, performed with comic bombast by Robin Williams in the original film, now evokes the Jazz Age. Casey Nicholaw is the director and choreographer behind the hilarious smash hit musical, Something Rotten!. Interviews Tony Awards Paramount Acquires Eric Idle & Casey Nicholaw's Spamalot Film Adaptation. Considering the energy he radiates in conversation, it’s not a surprise. CASEY NICHOLAW: I’ve mostly just read the positive stuff, to tell you the truth, because it means so much to me and I kind of hate knowing there might be an outpouring in the other direction. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. “So I can be both audiences.”. ... An excerpt of the interview is below, and you can read the full interview here. “I have a lot of kid in me, and a lot of adult in me,” Nicholaw says. We use cookies (opens in new window) for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads, providing social media features and … Interview: Tony Nominee Casey Nicholaw, ‘The Prom’ Casey Nicholaw and the cast of ‘The Prom.’ (Photos: Joan Marcus, Deen van Meer) Casey Nicholaw was performing on Broadway before many of the cast members of his latest hit, The Prom, were even born. The stage adaptation required a few changes from the movie. This Week on Broadway has been coming to you every week since 2009. He has been nominated for Tony Awards for directing and choreographing The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), The Book of Mormon (2011), Something Rotten! I apologize to Tony-winner Casey Nicholaw for the early hour of our interview. Disney didn’t demand he aim the stage production solely at children. In this interview, he discusses the process of creating an entirely new show on Broadway. . Ruffin is now taking that same energy into 2021 with news that the "Late Night with Seth Myers" writer is now co-writing the Broadway musical Some Like it … “I’m always up at 6 and working out or whatever,” he says. by Lindsey Sullivan • Jan 7, 2021. Surprisingly, the emotion doesn’t necessarily come from the boy-meets-girl plot. It may not be set to open on Broadway for another year, but the stage version of “Some Like It Hot” announced on Wednesday that it had added Amber Ruffin as a co-writer. “Everyone remembers Aladdin and Jasmine are this romantic couple,” Nicholaw says. “You don’t know what people are going through, how they will react, what it means to them,” he says. “Aladdin needed someone to talk to,” Nicholaw explains. News. will be at State Theatre New Jersey in no time! Also, Casey shines the spotlight on Beth Leavel, Susan Stroman, and Tina Fey! He has been nominated for Tony Awards for directing and choreographing The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), The Book of Mormon (2011), Something Rotten! Casey Nicholaw . . Casey Nicholaw (born October 6, 1962) is an American theatre director, choreographer and performer. 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It is the longest running Broadway and theatrical podcast with hundreds of … He has worked on this project awhile, and in the … The director is Casey Nicholaw, who was the choreographer of the original Broadway production. The project, scripted Eric Idle, was put on the back burner following Disney’s 20th Century Fox acquisition, but now Deadline brings word that it has found a new home at Paramount Pictures. His own personality might be part of the reason for the cross-generation appeal. His credits include Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Mean Girls, The Prom, The Drowsy Chaperone and Something Rotten! Grossing $1 billion worldwide, the movie was among the 10 biggest films of the year. The Tony Award-winning director-choreographer made his Broadway debut in 1992’s Crazy For You, but it would take more than a … Center Theatre Group has welcomed Casey Nicholaw, Phylicia Rashad and Paula Vogel, as its latest Associate Artists. 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Want more theater and arts news and reviews? It’s a win among a slew of Tony nominations under his belt, for directing and choreographing such musicals as “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Mean Girls,” “Something Rotten!” and most recently, “The Prom.”. In Orlando, the role of Genie will be played by Central Florida native Michael James Scott, whom Nicholaw holds in high regard. “In fact, everyone was saying ‘Let’s age it up a little bit.’”. I apologize to Tony-winner Casey Nicholaw for the early hour of our interview. By Curtis M. Wong. “No one said that,” Nicholaw recalls. “But the friendship between Aladdin and the Genie is where the heart really lies.”. Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts. Have you been surprised by the reactions to that kiss? Directed by Casey Nicholaw, Michael James Scott (center) lead the opening number of "Something's Rotten!" Bangkok: goodbye to a grand old station, Let’s twist again: Amazon’s new spiral home unpacked, For 4 weeks receive unlimited Premium digital access to the FT's trusted, award-winning business news, MyFT – track the topics most important to you, FT Weekend – full access to the weekend content, Mobile & Tablet Apps – download to read on the go, Gift Article – share up to 10 articles a month with family, friends and colleagues, Delivery to your home or office Monday to Saturday, FT Weekend paper – a stimulating blend of news and lifestyle features, ePaper access – the digital replica of the printed newspaper, Integration with third party platforms and CRM systems, Usage based pricing and volume discounts for multiple users, Subscription management tools and usage reporting, Dedicated account and customer success teams. Shutterstock. “Before Robin Williams became involved, the Genie was conceived as a Cab Calloway type,” Nicholaw says. In the new musical The Prom, Tony winner Beth Leavel plays the character of a Tony winning Broadway actress. “Original musicals are my favorite thing to do,” gushes Tony winner Casey Nicholaw. The director is Casey Nicholaw, who was the choreographer of the original Broadway production. CASEY NICHOLAW: I’ve mostly just read the positive stuff, to tell you the truth, because it means so much to me and I kind of hate knowing there might be an outpouring in the other direction. “I think he’s so crazy talented,” Nicholaw says. I apologize to Tony-winner Casey Nicholaw for the early hour of our interview. This interview … Casey Nicholaw’s top tip for aspiring directors Watch everything. Alex Garland Sets Next Film At A24 … The director of “Aladdin,” running Jan. 22-Feb. 9 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, doesn’t mind. In this interview, Nicholaw discusses The Prom, his hopes for staging Dreamgirls in New York, and Some Like It Hot, The Kiss and much more. “Tickets picked up for the show once the movie came out,” Nicholaw says. He doesn’t stop. Despite the changes, fans will still recognize the story, most recently adapted last year as a live-action Disney film starring Will Smith as the Genie and Mena Massoud as the title character. Posted on 10/09/2018. With the original fans of the movie now nearly 30 years older, the theatergoing audience is multi-generational. on Broadway. “It’s traditional versus new, and that is the two sides,” Mr. Nicholaw said in an interview. “There are some people who get that and feel it… and there are others who don’t.”. He finds joy, and responsibility, in crafting shows designed to help people escape their troubles for a little while. A common thread runs through his shows: They are comedies to be sure, but they have a strong undercurrent of heart. “You’re in for a treat,” he says with a laugh. Later in the program, we discuss our favorite Act 1 Closers. Director, Casey Nicholaw. More from Deadline. This is not the first time that Beth has portrayed a satirical theatre diva; her twelve Broadway credits include a career-defining performance originating the title character in The Drowsy Chaperone. Casey Nicholaw can recall the precise moment when he decided he needed a change of direction. He has worked on this project awhile, and in the interim has become the hottest director and choreographer on Broadway. “Aladdin,” based on the Disney movie about an orphan boy who finds love while learning to be true to himself, scores on both counts. Aladdin’s film sidekick, the monkey Abu, is not in the cast — but Al has a comic gang of misfit buddies. He’s just a ball of fire.”. When I was in the ensemble, I used to watch everyone creating, as opposed to sitting on the side reading a magazine. Ilana has also updated her autocorrect to change “Casey Nicholaw” to Tony Award-Winner Casey Tony Award-Winner Casey Nicholaw”. Casey Nicholaw (born October 6, 1962) is an American theatre director, choreographer and performer. Disney's "Aladdin" plays Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from Jan. 22-Feb. 9. Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Michael Portantiere talk with Casey Nicholaw. The Tony-nominated director of "The Prom" said he hopes his latest project emboldens LGBTQ kids -- and their parents, too. “We’ve done ‘Aladdin’ in like four countries together,” Nicholaw remembers. Nicholaw was at first surprised to encounter plenty of couples who had paid for a babysitter. He also directed Scott as the peppy minstrel of “Something Rotten!” who opens each act with a musical number. When Ryan Murphy called Broadway choreographer Casey Nicholaw to oversee the dance numbers on his film adaptation of “The Prom,” about a group of … How Broadway's Casey Nicholaw Brought This Year's Queer-Inclusive Musical To Life. The director of “Aladdin,” running Jan. 22-Feb. 9 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, doesn’t mind. Orlando native Michael James Scott will return to the role of the Genie while the touring production of Disney's "Aladdin" stops at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. What will happen to all of Britain’s empty shops? The host of The Amber Ruffin Show is co-writing the book with Tony nominee Matthew López. Broadway. Based on the 1992 animated feature, “Aladdin” opened on Broadway in 2014 and earned Nicholaw a best-choreography nomination. “Anytime you get to entertain people, it’s important.”. 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Casey Nicholaw attends a press event for the 73rd annual Tony Awards May 1, 2019 in New York City. “ “I wanted to get to know the regional theater scene. “I had people say, ‘We loved it, we’re going to come back — and bring our kids.”. Author Interviews Theater Theater Reviews ... Tony winner Casey Nicholaw directed and choreographed the show, which opened on Broadway on April 8, … Private equity firms eye UK stock market for cheaper deals, ‘Digital tulip’ or new asset class? Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry & … We turned back to the Cotton Club feel.”. “It was people on date nights,” he says with a laugh. Its success was felt by the stage production. Tony-winning director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw joins us live for The Broadway Q&A Series, taking your questions on making musical theatre … Something Rotten! “He’s the complete showman. Casey pulls back the curtain on his career to discuss how an airline salesperson saved his job, what it was like bringing to life some of Broadway's most iconic musicals, and why you should never watch Mike Nichols watching your show. “We wanted to get some of that back. Nicholaw’s Tony Award came for co-directing “The Book of Mormon” alongside Trey Parker.