Sherri Shepherd is heading back to Broadway — and making ‘Aladdin’ history
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Shepherd will become the first woman to play the Genie in a Disney-produced version of the musical when her limited run begins this fall.
Sherri Shepherd is heading back to Broadway this fall, and she will make history when she steps into Disney’s “Aladdin” as the Genie. The Sherri Shepherd Broadway return comes months after she said goodbye to her four-season daytime talk show and years after she described her time on “The View” as one of the most challenging but rewarding periods of her career.
Shepherd will begin a limited run as the Genie at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Oct. 16, Deadline reported. Her final performance is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2027, taking her through the holiday season.
The casting makes Shepherd the first woman to play the Genie in any Disney-produced production of “Aladdin.” Caleb A. Barnett, who currently plays the role on Broadway, will remain with the production as the Genie standby during her engagement.
Shepherd said joining the musical was a dream come true and described becoming the first woman to take on the role as an honor she does not take lightly. She said she plans to bring her own humor, energy and heart to the character while giving audiences a version of the Genie that feels distinctly hers.
The role also marks only Shepherd’s second Broadway production. She made her Broadway debut in “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” playing Madame, the Evil Stepmother.
Outside theater, Shepherd has built a decades-long career across television, film, stand-up comedy and daytime hosting. She spent seven years as a co-host of “The View,” later hosted “Sherri” for four seasons and has appeared in projects including “30 Rock,” “Precious,” “Beauty Shop” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”
Disney’s “Aladdin” opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre in March 2014. The stage musical is based on Disney’s 1992 animated film and features music by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin.