Aladdin to Fly Into Miss Saigon's London Theater; Will Saigon Land on Broadway?

Broadway.com has learned that the rumors were true and the shining, shimmering, splendid Aladdin will fly into the West End, although to a different home than previously thought. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, the musical will begin performances in 2016 at the Prince Edward Theatre (instead of the London Palladium). The means that the house's current occupant, Miss Saigon, which began performances on May 3, 2014, will close—no word yet on precise dates.

According to The Daily Mail, Miss Saigon's mega-producer Cameron Mackintosh is looking to transport the musical's U.K. sets to New York for a Broadway run, otherwise transferring the show will be too costly.

Adapted from the 1992 Disney animated film, Aladdin is the story of a street urchin who uses the help of a magic Genie to win the heart of Princess Jasmine. The production features a book by Chad Beguelin, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Beguelin, Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman.

Aladdin continues to run on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The production officially opened on March 20, 2014, starring Adam Jacobs as Aladdin, Courtney Reed as Jasmine, Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie and Jonathan Freeman as Jafar.