Aladdin

Ernie is Aladdin in The Sesame Street Storytime Calendar 1982.

Aladdin, from a "Sesame Street News Flash" sketch.

Aladdin is the title character in one of the most famous stories from One Thousand and One Nights. Despite its Middle Eastern origins, the story is classified by many as a fairy tale. The character and story have been depicted or spoofed by the Muppets on several occasions.

Appearances

• In a Sesame Street News Flash sketch from Season 8 of Sesame Street, Aladdin's magic lamp is electrical, as opposed to the oil lamp traditionally used in the story. When Aladdin asks the Genie (recognizable by his light brown hair) for help turning the light on, the Genie shoots back that he isn't an electrician, so Kermit suggests that Aladdin screw in a light bulb, plug the lamp into an electrical outlet, and turn on the switch. In addition to his magic lamp, Aladdin has a magic toaster and a magic hot-comb. In this appearance, Aladdin was performed by Frank Oz, was made from the Anything Muppet pattern Large Lavender Live Hand.

• When The Muppet Show featured a sketch with Aladdin in episode 518, the character was played by Gonzo.

• David Alan Grier guest starred as Aladdin in a 2002 episode of Sesame Street.

• In The Sesame Street Storytime Calendar 1982, the month of January parodied this story with Ernie playing the role of Aladdin and Big Bird portraying the Genie.

• Aladdin and the Genie appear in Elmo's Lift-and-Peek Around the Corner Book.

• In the TV movie Arabian Nights, with effects by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Jason Scott Lee played Aladdin.

Connections

• Howard Ashman wrote several songs for Aladdin (1992)

• Jason Alexander played Abis Mal in The Return of Jafar (1994) and the Aladdin TV series. He also played the role of Captian Al-Butross in the Aladdin TV series.

• John Barrowman played Aladdin in a 2007 West-End London Christmas Pantomime.

• Tim Burton directed the Faerie Tale Theatre adaptation of Aladdin (1986)

• Dan Castellaneta played the Genie in The Return of Jafar (1994) and the Aladdin TV series

• Tim Curry played the roles of Amok Mon-Ra and Caliph Kapok in the Aladdin TV series

• Michael Dorn played the role of Brisbane in the Aladdin TV series

• Jonathan Freeman played Jafar in Aladdin (1992) and The Return of Jafar (1994) and originated him the musical adapation of Disney's Aladdin (2014).

• Gilbert Gottfried played Iago in Aladdin (1992) and its spinoffs

• James Monroe Iglehart played the Genie in the musical adaptation of Aladdin (2014) and won a Tony for this role.

• James Earl Jones played the genie in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode

• Suki Lopez understudied as Jasmine in the Disney Cruise Lines production of Aladdin

• Ian McKellen played Widow Twankie in the 2004/2005 Old Vic stage production

• Alan Menken wrote the music for the songs and the score for Aladdin (1992)

• Leonard Nimoy played the evil vizier in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode

• Lea Salonga is the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992)

• Frank Welker played Abu in Aladdin (1992) and its spinoffs

• Robin Williams played the Genie in Aladdin (1992) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996)

External links

• Tough Pigs: Breaking News Anthology